Posted: 7/19/2025 3:55:37 PM EDT
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I picked up a rather large raised bed garden kit off the amazon prime days . I want to put it at the end of my existing in the ground garden. 1. Is there any reason why I can not put weed barrier underneath it ? 2. Do I want to use anything different in soil ? I was going to mix store bought soil with my sandy dirt and fertilizer. right now my current soil is sandy and grows and drains well. I struggle to an extent controlling the weeds. I am all ears for any other suggestions |
RIP Jeff Reed. Tennessee Squire, Ga. Carry member, NRA,Non-puking 72 ounce drinker 2 of 6 Norcal call sign, Forgotten.
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1 - No. But how deep is it. Mine's like waste high. I planted it directly on top of weeds. They have not managed to grow up through all the dirt in it. 2 - Regular planting dirt is fine. Mine is bulk top soil and bulk potting soil. You may want to use filler like sticks and yard debris at the bottom just to take up volume so you're not filling the whole thing with high dollar dirt. |
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I put a thick layer of cardboard and/or newspaper down first. This will kill and grass and weeds that are actively growing. It will allow drainage and break down in a season or two. For soil mix I use a LOT of peat, good composted manure, and good quality soil. Depending on the soil pH you may want to add slaked lime or other amendments. I would not start with any significant amount of fertilizer as a good soil mix with manure tilled in and you won’t need it for quite some time. The landscape fabric goes on top of my soil mix. I cover that with mulch and also use a drip system. Once that’s done the garden will require far less work to control bugs and weeds. It will also need less frequent watering. |
When your state is shaped like a huge, droopy penis, you have to expect there to be some huge nuts as well.
Mech 2007
Mech 2007
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Originally Posted By Cooper1: Can't verify but I think cardboard is loaded with formaldehyde. Some of the shiny stuff may contain chemicals but generic cardboard is fine and has been used in this manner for generations. Now the cardboard box that something Temu came in? All bets are off. |
When your state is shaped like a huge, droopy penis, you have to expect there to be some huge nuts as well.
Mech 2007
Mech 2007
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I put weed barrier under mine, and ended up ripping it out. Raised beds dry out faster , and you want roots to be able to go down more than a foot or however deep your beds are. I have weeds, but they get there the same way they get everywhere else, not from growing up from the bottom. |
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My main raised beds are about 21" deep and I set them right on the grass. I didn't put any weed barrier under them. I loaded them half way or more with limbs, root balls from last year's pots, wood chips, trimmings, etc. Depending on what you use as this hugelkultur base, it will degrade and collapse fairly quickly so be prepared to add more. I included a bit of mushroom compost in the top layer cuz that's what I had. I mulched. And when I didn't mulch, I regretted it. They dry out quickly. Even with mulch, be prepared to water that raised bed way more than you have to water in ground. Be sure to cover the beds in winter with something--mulch, cover crop, something...because letting them completely dry out and get exposed to the elements is hard on the microbes in the soil, and that's what actually feeds your plants, as much as anything *you* put on the beds. You need that microbiome for healthy plants that grow well, so protect it if you can. The drying out and damage to the microbiome is exaggerated in a raised bed as compared to in ground. I get annoyed at Justin Rhodes but I do like his saying, "The Earth is modest. She wants to be covered." It's absolutely correct. |
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Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
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Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe