Trying to decide...how did you do your

[Jared77]

asparagus, rhubarb, everbearing strawberry beds? Lets not forget horseradish too now that I've got your attention.

I've been kicking this around for a while now and I'm just not sure how I want to build the beds. I figured 4'x8' or maybe even 4'x12' although no 4'x12' bed of horseradish! I like it but I don't like it THAT much!

I'm trying to decide if I should just do a landscape edging or if I should build raised beds. These are all things I've never grown before because I wasn't in a place long enough to try to establish them.

I'd rather do just edging so the beds don't get as hot and dry out as fast, plus its cheaper, but I want to do it right.

My hope is to figure out the dimensions, and get materials so in early fall I can get the beds prepped, and built before things get hectic with Kindergarten for my oldest and that crazy rush that happens from Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, is just a blur. Part of that is because I'm hunting but geez that end of the year is like we just were swimming one last time before our friends close the pool and suddenly is 20__!

Anyway I want to get this done before that crazy rush, and that way I can order them, and plant them spring of 2014.

I'm curious what works for you or if your not happy with what you did, what did you do that your not happy with and what would you change?

Thank you for your help on this

 

[lesa]

IMHO, there is no reason to put rhubarb or horseradish in a raised bed. They are perfect for some out of the way corner. They require no care, and will grow for years and years. I do like a raised bed for asparagus and strawberries. Though I have my strawberry bed right in the rows of my veggie garden. One thing to remember about raised beds, is that you don't really need edging at all. It is also something you can add as money and time allows. Get your areas prepped and ready- and worry about the edging later. A cheap alternative that I have used are landscape ties. What an exciting time you will have in your new gardens! Happy Gardening!

 

[bj taylor]

i'm the fan of raised beds. I have three that are 4 x 20 running parallel to each other & four feet between each bed. they are made from concrete blocks stacked two high. I have the walkways around them lined w/old roof shingles. I spaced them far enough apart I could get a wheelbarrow between them easily. you can grow ALOT of food in that amt of space. you can build your soil to be as good as you want.

I bet you are having a lot of fun w/your new place.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I agree with the rhubarb in the corner. I see other people around town with it in a corner. It disappears to nothing during the winter and then you will see the rhubarb starting to come up early in the spring, so needs to be where you do not walk on it if you forgot about it. I think asparagus works best in a raised bed. I just started asparagus last year, so no expert, but I would imagine it could be taken over by weeds and I can weed a raised bed and keep weeds under better control this way. The ferns get big and can fall over from wind, so we have posts in the corners and tied string around the sides to keep the ferns in and they get so big they are in the way when you walk past it. I tried strawberries in a box and they were a solid mass. I am probably going to move my strawberries again this fall, but my neighbor has her strawberries in a box and they are fine. I probably just need to take better care and eliminate runners.

 

[majorcatfish]

cinder blocks make a great raised beds< they will not rot, but they will harbor pests if you do not fill in between the holes even with a cap block, but if you do not use a cap block you could use this space to plant stuff>
look around you can find reclaimed blocks cheap....

but if you are going for aesthetics and long lasting go with cedar boards.
or if you have tons of money do it out of stone....my dream raised bed garden

 

[journey11]

I agree with Lesa on the rhubarb and horseradish. They don't even need particularly rich soil either, so they would probably do better directly in the ground. The horseradish may need some containment if you don't have a remote enough corner to banish it to. Otherwise, a 55-gal plastic drum sawed in half and buried works well (what I did) and keeps the roots from spreading. Both of those things need a lot of space. Rhubarb needs to be 4' apart.

Raised beds for everbearing strawberries is definitely the way to go. My bed (that I did have them in) was 3'x16' and two rows fit nicely in there. You don't want to go any wider than 4' for easy picking and maintenance. Asparagus also does very well in raised beds and appreciates the rich soil. I have not grown asparagus myself, but that is how my FIL did his. Mulching and the addition of a little peat moss will help them not dry out.

My FIL did cinderblock beds like majorcatfish mentioned and filled in the holes w/ concrete. My only complaint with cinderblock is that it is really uncomfortable to sit/kneel on as you work the bed (and may be hazardous with your little ones running around.) My beds are made from rough cut oak which is very affordable and you can get the longer/wider pieces like you may need. They do eventually rot, but will serve for several years and are quick and easy to replace--just outline with new boards, then you can yank the old or leave them to decompose. Cedar is best, but I couldn't afford it for as many beds as I wanted to put in.

 

[wsmoak]

There is a reason commercial strawberries are grown in narrow rows! No more than 2' wide for those, or they make a mess with runners all over the place.

I would do it with concrete blocks or something similar. I have some 'permanent' wooden raised beds, and the bermuda grass gets very well established in the corners where it is hard to weed. I want something I can partially disassemble to get control of the grass and weeds, then put back together without disturbing the plants too much.

-Wendy

 

[Jared77]

The drums a good idea since I don't want horseradish popping up everywhere. I know its tough to get rid of so I was hoping to help contain it some. That's why I wasn't sure about doing a raised bed or just what to do to contain it.

As far as raised beds go I had been kicking around the idea of doing composite decking since its supposed to last a LONG time. Once attached at the ends I'd place stakes along the long walls into the ground to act as supports to keep it from bowing. I figured if I built both the asparagus beds and strawberry beds out of it they'd hold for a long time.

Thank you for the suggestions I'll float it out to my wife and see what she thinks.

 

[thistlebloom]

I put my HR in a whiskey half barrel on the patio.