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re: Raised bed Garden problem
Posted on 5/1/13 at 1:06 pm to 007mag
Posted on 5/1/13 at 1:06 pm to 007mag
1/3 Topsoil + 1/3 composted manure + 1/3 peat mixture ....a little miracle grow and some Tomato Tone and my veggies are growing like a weed. Get the soil tested. Make sure you have a soaker hose and run it regularly
Posted on 5/1/13 at 2:13 pm to Geaux2Hell
I think it is a result of the cooler than normal soil temps. My tomatos are growing gangbuster, peppers ok, my eggplant is ok, my squash is terrible.
I have watered consistently, and I have added a little miracle grow early. Nothing. About to pull em out and go get some new.
I have watered consistently, and I have added a little miracle grow early. Nothing. About to pull em out and go get some new.
Posted on 5/1/13 at 2:35 pm to makoman82
Recap:
-Too wet
-Too dry
-Too cold
-Too hot
-Too many plants
-Too much plant food
You're welcome!
-Too wet
-Too dry
-Too cold
-Too hot
-Too many plants
-Too much plant food
You're welcome!
Posted on 5/1/13 at 4:38 pm to StinkDog12
Hey everyone. I posted that this morning, then got busy and was only just now able to read the responses. Thanks everyone for the feedback. I think I will try and get the soil tested. I was also thinking soild PH was off due to the amount of organic material. I got the mix of ingredients from a concept called "square foot gardening". Google it its amazing what these people get out of a small raised bed. As for me...not doing so well!
Posted on 5/1/13 at 6:04 pm to makoman82
You need to test soil. Only way to know. To raise ph add lime. Plants all differ on what ph is best. Tomatoes around 7.0 to 7.2 nitrogen is prolly low as well. Go to a feed and seed store and most have a simple soil test kit for 5 bucks. It will get you in the neighborhood. Buy a bag of 33-0-0
Posted on 5/1/13 at 6:47 pm to makoman82
You didn't use treated lumber, did you?
Posted on 5/1/13 at 8:09 pm to makoman82
We had a few tomato plants that we thought were dead when we had the late frost. Mrs couyon just stripped the dead leaves and voila, two of the plants now have tomatoes.our raised bed has a mix of gin trash and good soil. And I wanted to pull them. We have plenty of rain and its doing great. Green beans esp.
Posted on 5/1/13 at 8:17 pm to LSUCouyon
My last row of tomatoes and pepper I put in where the carrots were are doing bad also. Yellowing, I thought to much water was the problem, but it seems like a mineral issue. I dressed rows, added tomato spikes and watered with Epsom salt. Few days should tell the tale. Cut worms are killing me. I've been spraying,dropping egg shells and they cut two squash plants and some beans between 7am and 6pm today.
Posted on 5/1/13 at 9:26 pm to WilsonPickett
My FIL does exactly what WilsonPicket describes.
Posted on 5/1/13 at 10:10 pm to Jester
quote:I fricking KNEW IT!!
I think Louisiana Nursery sells little kids to send samples to the AgCenter.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 12:33 am to makoman82
I agree with the lack of actual soil, but I can't believe no one has mentioned the lack of sun. Gardens need as much sun as possible. Six hours a day isn't nearly enough.
Not sure about where you live, but we have over 14 hours of sunlight per day in Minnesota. Six hours just won't cut it, plus your soil temp is probably low due to the cool spring.
Not sure about where you live, but we have over 14 hours of sunlight per day in Minnesota. Six hours just won't cut it, plus your soil temp is probably low due to the cool spring.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 7:41 am to VetteGuy
We are using treated lumber with no problem. I just started but I have friends with 3 year old beds. I will keep an eye on it.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 8:05 am to tigerfoot
quote:
my squash is terrible
My beans and peppers are doing great. My tomatoes are okay at best, but my squash and cukes are horrible. I'm about to pull them in a couple days.
My wife said I may not be able to have a garden next year because I get too emotionally attached.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 9:17 am to makoman82
I am a fellow raised bed gardener. I have 4 beds that are 8'x8'. I use the three sisters method in 2 of them. It kept the Indians alive for generations and kept the pilgrims from starving after they learned it as well. In my beds I line the bottom with plain brown dish packing paper and then cover that with a layer of non-colored cardboard. This will help keep the moisture in your garden. I watered it down real good then I added my garden soil on top. It is important to water and semi pack the soil as you fill it as it helps keep the moisture in the soil as well. I also add a tub of earthworms from the bait store to help fertilize and compost the dirt and paper below.
I then measure and mark 2' down the top edge of my boards. I use the marks to make square plots in my beds. In these beds I alternate planting 2 cucumber or squash with 4 corn plants in each 2' square. After my corn is 4" tall I plant 1 pole bean from seed next to each corn plant. The beans will use the corn to climb. The cucumbers or squash are planted at the same time as the beans. They will eventually crawl around the bed and cover the ground helping prevent moisture loss from the sun by keeping the ground shaded. The corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder and the beans help a lot because they are nitrogen producers.
So all in all I am able to get a total of 24 corn plants 24 bean plants and 16 squash/cucumber/pumpkin in a 8'x8' square. Looks like a jungle as it grows tall but I have been doing this for years with no issues. If you are an OCD gardener and must have perfect rows this is not the method for you but again if it was good enough for the Indians it is plenty good for me.
Sorry if tldr I tend to get long winded at times. I'll post a link to the three sisters method to give you a better idea on how it is set up. LINK she recommends 10'x10' beds but mine do just fine at 8' square. All that said if your garden is only getting 6 hours of sun a day then I think that is the major culprit. Minimum 8 hours for nearly all fruits or veggies. Good luck turning it around.
I then measure and mark 2' down the top edge of my boards. I use the marks to make square plots in my beds. In these beds I alternate planting 2 cucumber or squash with 4 corn plants in each 2' square. After my corn is 4" tall I plant 1 pole bean from seed next to each corn plant. The beans will use the corn to climb. The cucumbers or squash are planted at the same time as the beans. They will eventually crawl around the bed and cover the ground helping prevent moisture loss from the sun by keeping the ground shaded. The corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder and the beans help a lot because they are nitrogen producers.
So all in all I am able to get a total of 24 corn plants 24 bean plants and 16 squash/cucumber/pumpkin in a 8'x8' square. Looks like a jungle as it grows tall but I have been doing this for years with no issues. If you are an OCD gardener and must have perfect rows this is not the method for you but again if it was good enough for the Indians it is plenty good for me.
Sorry if tldr I tend to get long winded at times. I'll post a link to the three sisters method to give you a better idea on how it is set up. LINK she recommends 10'x10' beds but mine do just fine at 8' square. All that said if your garden is only getting 6 hours of sun a day then I think that is the major culprit. Minimum 8 hours for nearly all fruits or veggies. Good luck turning it around.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 9:21 am to LSUCouyon
quote:
We are using treated lumber with no problem.
Always heard the chemicals would leach out?
When I do mine, I'm gonna use Hardi-Plank.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 9:38 am to VetteGuy
This is true also. I use cedar because it is naturally insect and rot resistant. If you have to use treated go with YellaWood. They have it documented that their treating process is food safe. All other brands have traces of chromium copper and arsenic. YellaWood is the only company that uses the safe method. Do not ever use railroad ties unless you want some coal tar creosote in your veggies.
Posted on 5/2/13 at 12:28 pm to Hog Zealot
Excellent info Hog. I was worried about the sun amount. Its the best place in the back yard really. I think it will get more sun as the summer progresses but maybe not that much more. I may just be doomed. Going to try and test the soil anyway I guess and see if it needs modifying. Really wanted a nice little garden this year...seemed on track nicely at first and then downhill...
Posted on 5/2/13 at 12:40 pm to makoman82
Is your box allowing for water to run out as to not drown the plants?
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