Building a Raised Tomato Bed

Amigatec · May 3, 2009

What are your thoughts on building a Raised Bed just for Tomatoes?

I have 3 other raised beds now. 2 for Garlic and the other will be for herbs.

The 2 Garlic beds are made from treated 2X8's (I know treated lumber can cause problems, but It works for me.) I plan to do the same thing with the tomato beds.

Amigatec · May 3, 2009

The space I have layed out will be 40 feet long.

kevokie · May 3, 2009

A few years ago, when I lived somewhere else, I had four 2x12 raised beds for tomatoes and it worked great. The area that they were in had really horrible rocky soil. The plants all looked really good and made really good maters. It sounds like a good idea to me.

Worth1 · May 3, 2009

If you have good soil as it looks like you do, I wouldnt waste my time.

An option would be to put a border around the garden and just add compost to it every year.

The reason I say this is because in my area a raised bed invites root growth from the trees and once the roots are in the beds the only option is to romove the beds and get rid of the roots.
I cant even set a planter on the ground without out the roots from the elms growing into it.

If you do, put something down first to stop the outside roots.

Worth

Amigatec · May 3, 2009

Here is the area where I want to place it. It is a low spot and grows really thick grass and weeds.

huntoften · May 3, 2009

Nice greenhouse...is that the Harbor Freight kit?

As for raised beds...I've almost got my entire garden turned into raised beds now. Some are 10 foot long, some are 14 and some are 16 foot. My paths are covered in landscape fabric and a layer of mulch...I refresh the mulch a little each year.

I haven't fired my mantis tiller up once this year. The only time I plan on using it is for the remaining section of the garden I still have in the ground and walk on. All of the beds have amazing soil...a huge worm population, light, fluffy, very fertile soil. All I do is remove the mulch, run a rake over it and I'm ready to plant.

Having as many beds as I do makes it easy to rotate crops from year to year. Beds are dedicated to a particular group of plants each year and I never have to plant the same thing in the same bed from year to year.

They are a lot of work to install and fill, but once they are established...they are extremely low maintenance and highly productive. The only changes I can see me making to them is to raise the height over the next few years...as I get older, it would be great not to have to bend over so far

If I had that big patch of yours next to your greenhouse, I'd have it covered in 3-4 foot wide raised beds!

SteveS · May 3, 2009

I am another raised bed gardener. It is easier to improve the soil in raised beds & not walking in them keeps the soil from becoming compacted. I admit I am greedy for the growing space, though. My raised beds are 5 ft wide separated by 3 ft walkways. The width is at the upper limits for being able to reach comfortably into the middle of the bed from each side. Any narrower & I am fighting the various squash & melons constantly for growing into the aisles & sometimes they win!

Steve

Amigatec · May 3, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntoften

Nice greenhouse...is that the Harbor Freight kit?

Yes it is the 10X12 version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntoften

As for raised beds...I've almost got my entire garden turned into raised beds now. Some are 10 foot long, some are 14 and some are 16 foot. My paths are covered in landscape fabric and a layer of mulch...I refresh the mulch a little each year.

I haven't fired my mantis tiller up once this year. The only time I plan on using it is for the remaining section of the garden I still have in the ground and walk on. All of the beds have amazing soil...a huge worm population, light, fluffy, very fertile soil. All I do is remove the mulch, run a rake over it and I'm ready to plant.

Having as many beds as I do makes it easy to rotate crops from year to year. Beds are dedicated to a particular group of plants each year and I never have to plant the same thing in the same bed from year to year.

They are a lot of work to install and fill, but once they are established...they are extremely low maintenance and highly productive. The only changes I can see me making to them is to raise the height over the next few years...as I get older, it would be great not to have to bend over so far

What did you fill it with? I was planning on using Peatmoss and Steer Compost, and maybe some potting soil.

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntoften

If I had that big patch of yours next to your greenhouse, I'd have it covered in 3-4 foot wide raised beds!

That is my Giant Pumpkin patch.

robin303 · May 3, 2009

When I build my my raised beds I put down newspaper 20 pages thick then what ever bags of leaves I have then several inches thick of the peat moss water in real well then I buy all the broken bags of Garden soil and Garden Mix from Homer and Lowe's with several bags of Black Kow. This is one of my established beds of two years.

huntoften · May 3, 2009

Robin...love that rock work! Eventually I'd like to do the same with the native limestone on my property...eventually.

As for filling them. I till the existing soil...it was grass at one point in the past. Then I cover with a layer of compost...I buy it by the yard from recycled yard waste...leaves, sticks, grass etc. Then I till it again to avoid a stratification layer. Then I fill the rest with a 8-1-1 ratio of compost/perlite/vermiculite.

robin303 · May 3, 2009

Thanks huntoften. The reason I do what I do is it is weed and disease free.

feldon30 · May 4, 2009

I love raised beds. I know they are not cheap to build unless you can get the materials recycled.

I would do multiple 12-16 foot long beds. I would not do a 40 foot bed or you'll drive yourself nuts having to walk around it to get to the other side.

creister · May 4, 2009

Raised beds are great. I also like them, as you only have to concentrate your efforts and amendments in a small area, as opposed to one giant chunk that doesn't always grow stuff.

Amigatec · May 4, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldon30

I love raised beds. I know they are not cheap to build unless you can get the materials recycled.

I would do multiple 12-16 foot long beds. I would not do a 40 foot bed or you'll drive yourself nuts having to walk around it to get to the other side.

It would next to the fence, so a walk around to the other side would take several minutes.

newgardener_tx · May 4, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldon30

I love raised beds. I know they are not cheap to build unless you can get the materials recycled.

Sometimes in the lumb cutting area in HD there are sales. Most time it is the a little off sized piece maybe from a wrong cutting. Once I saw at least 100 2'x6'x6 for $20. Since we are not make furnitures we don't care if it 5 feet 8inches ot 6 feet 2 inches! Just have to check regularly.

I would do multiple 12-16 foot long beds. I would not do a 40 foot bed or you'll drive yourself nuts having to walk around it to get to the other side.

If your bed is onle 3 feet or 4 feet wide you can jump over! I remember when I made my first raised bed I was planning to make a 4x6 then I figured If I can extend only 1 feet wider and two feet longer (5x8) I can almost double my planting area. It is a pain to try to reach the middle of the the bed

May 3, 2009	#3
kevokie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 157	A few years ago, when I lived somewhere else, I had four 2x12 raised beds for tomatoes and it worked great. The area that they were in had really horrible rocky soil. The plants all looked really good and made really good maters. It sounds like a good idea to me. __________________ Kevin "A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."- Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking

May 3, 2009	#6
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Nice greenhouse...is that the Harbor Freight kit? As for raised beds...I've almost got my entire garden turned into raised beds now. Some are 10 foot long, some are 14 and some are 16 foot. My paths are covered in landscape fabric and a layer of mulch...I refresh the mulch a little each year. I haven't fired my mantis tiller up once this year. The only time I plan on using it is for the remaining section of the garden I still have in the ground and walk on. All of the beds have amazing soil...a huge worm population, light, fluffy, very fertile soil. All I do is remove the mulch, run a rake over it and I'm ready to plant. Having as many beds as I do makes it easy to rotate crops from year to year. Beds are dedicated to a particular group of plants each year and I never have to plant the same thing in the same bed from year to year. They are a lot of work to install and fill, but once they are established...they are extremely low maintenance and highly productive. The only changes I can see me making to them is to raise the height over the next few years...as I get older, it would be great not to have to bend over so far If I had that big patch of yours next to your greenhouse, I'd have it covered in 3-4 foot wide raised beds! __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

May 3, 2009	#10
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Robin...love that rock work! Eventually I'd like to do the same with the native limestone on my property...eventually. As for filling them. I till the existing soil...it was grass at one point in the past. Then I cover with a layer of compost...I buy it by the yard from recycled yard waste...leaves, sticks, grass etc. Then I till it again to avoid a stratification layer. Then I fill the rest with a 8-1-1 ratio of compost/perlite/vermiculite. __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

May 4, 2009	#12
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I love raised beds. I know they are not cheap to build unless you can get the materials recycled. I would do multiple 12-16 foot long beds. I would not do a 40 foot bed or you'll drive yourself nuts having to walk around it to get to the other side. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 3, 2009	#2
Amigatec Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 208	The space I have layed out will be 40 feet long.

May 3, 2009	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	If you have good soil as it looks like you do, I wouldnt waste my time. An option would be to put a border around the garden and just add compost to it every year. The reason I say this is because in my area a raised bed invites root growth from the trees and once the roots are in the beds the only option is to romove the beds and get rid of the roots. I cant even set a planter on the ground without out the roots from the elms growing into it. If you do, put something down first to stop the outside roots. Worth

May 3, 2009	#7
SteveS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bloomington, IN Posts: 123	I am another raised bed gardener. It is easier to improve the soil in raised beds & not walking in them keeps the soil from becoming compacted. I admit I am greedy for the growing space, though. My raised beds are 5 ft wide separated by 3 ft walkways. The width is at the upper limits for being able to reach comfortably into the middle of the bed from each side. Any narrower & I am fighting the various squash & melons constantly for growing into the aisles & sometimes they win! Steve

May 3, 2009	#11
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	Thanks huntoften. The reason I do what I do is it is weed and disease free.

May 4, 2009	#13
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Raised beds are great. I also like them, as you only have to concentrate your efforts and amendments in a small area, as opposed to one giant chunk that doesn't always grow stuff.