My New Raised Beds

[mdvpc]

My wife and I have moved to San Antonio, and my son is having some 4x2 raised beds built. Because of the threads here about contaminated compost, and especially Checker Kitty's (who lives in San Antonio), I am pondering what to put in the beds.

He will start Bokashi composting, so organic matter will be able to be put in the beds in the future, but we are faced with a March plant out for the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Actually, the tomatoes in March, hopefully early March, and the peppers and eggplant after that. I may be able to get my hands on some rabbit poo, but don't for sure know that yet.

So my question really is, how many plants in a 4x2 would you recommend? I am used to gardening in containers, and would put one plant in a 5 gallon container. Most likely, the tomatoes we will be growing in the beds will be our beloved dwarf project varieties. Since this will be my first season growing here, I may put one bed of hybrids in obtained locally, just as insurance.

So what do you think?

[tlintx]

For what it's worth, I found a 4x4 box with staked (mostly determinate) plants in three rows of three worked well, but the middle row was kind of a pain to reach and deal with. I intend to try one per square foot with dwarfs this year.

For dirt, you could just buy a couple of bags of good potting mix per 4x2 and plant directly in them (for the early stuff, while you build up your compost stash). I guess it depends on how deep they are!

I'm weird, so I'd mock up a 4x2 and fill it with 5 gallon buckets to see what kind of spacing to use.

[KarenO]

You will be shocked how much soil or garden mix will fit into a 4x2 bed. For large indeterminate plants, I say no more than 3 and strongly staked and pruned. for smaller dwarfs or determinates, maybe can get away with 4 in a zig-zag or offset formation. My personal philosophy is I don't get more tomatoes by crowding but I do get more problems... If you prune up the bottom of the plants to the first truss, you will have enough light under your tomatoes to tuck in a few herbs or shallots etc.to make more use of the small space.
As to what to fill them with, depending on your budget I would go with a good quality bulk delivered garden mix from a reputable dealer/garden center and then add a little composted manure for good measure. It will pay in the end to spend the money and get a great quality product right from the beginning.
I am in a solid deep freeze up here so I envy you warm climate folks and hope you have wonderful success with your new garden beds.
KarenO

[mdvpc]

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions.

I pm'd CK and she gave me the name of a place that has mix with only veggie compost. It looks like I will need a little over a half cubic yard of soil for each bed, so I am going to get 2.5 cubic yards.

I guess the number of plants is going to be determined by my final selection.

[mdvpc]

Photo of the raised beds that were built. These are at my oldest son's house, thats where I will be gardening in the Spring while our house is being built. They are 4'x2' by 30." I put layers of leaves and mix with plastic on top to heat things up and help break it down. Going to get some worms this next week or so hopefully and put them in to start breaking things down. Then will fill them before we plant out. Hope to plant first week of March. One bed of eggplant, one of peppers, 2 of tomatoes.

[feldon30]

4x2 beds limit you to 2 plants per bed.

4x8 beds would allow you to put 8 plants in a grid pattern.

3x12 beds would allow you to put 9 plants in a zigzag pattern.

The larger beds allow you to take advantage of plant overhang, as with richly amended soil, plants do not need 4 cubic feet of soil to grow in.



Those 4x2 beds you posted above are really quite beautiful, but the planting density for materials and effort expended wouldn't be enough for me.

[mdvpc]

Feldon-Thanks for your post and diagram. Thats what my son wanted-he is just getting into it. At the house we are building, I will have 5 4 x 12 beds.

[feldon30]

They do look very attractive. Much nicer than my beds which are just 4 2x8's fastened together and hope for the best.

[mdvpc]

He wanted them made out of cedar-they are also lined with some plastic to hopefully keep them in good shape longer.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by mdvpc

Feldon-Thanks for your post and diagram. Thats what my son wanted-he is just getting into it. At the house we are building, I will have 5 4 x 12 beds.

I would re-think the 4X12 beds.

I would go with the 3X12 beds and stagger the plants in a zig zag pattern as feldon said.

Reason is it is a pain in the butt to reach into the middle of the beds.

I think if you buy 14 2x8x12's and put an extra 3 foot brace in the center of each bed you will have a 3 foot board left over.

I would also suggest the 4x4x5 posts in the corners and in the middle so you can have extra support and something to put covers over.

You would need 15 4X14X10's and cut them in half.

Pick up a few 2x4's and use them as angle braces on the bottom of the posts.
Cut 45 degree angles on the ends and attach accordingly.

You can also use these posts to put up a lattice for snow peas in the winter and cucumbers in the summer.

As far as the soil I would use 50% compost and 50% sandy loam.
Don't let them tell you otherwise that is what Suze used and it worked great.

Just a thought.

Worth

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by feldon30

4x2 beds limit you to 2 plants per bed.

4x8 beds would allow you to put 8 plants in a grid pattern.

3x12 beds would allow you to put 9 plants in a zigzag pattern.

The larger beds allow you to take advantage of plant overhang, as with richly amended soil, plants do not need 4 cubic feet of soil to grow in.

I agree that 4x2 beds have too much perimeter for the quantity of plants within.

With regard to root volume, it is a tenet of crop science that the volume of roots is proportional to the volume of fruit harvest. And as you point out, the proportionality depends on the quantity and rate of nutrients supplied to the plant.

I expect a lot from my tomato plants. They receive at least 8 cubic feet per plant and the nutrient application rate is near the maximum. By the time the third phase of harvest comes around they resemble dwarf citrus trees.

[amideutch]

They receive at least 8 cubic feet per plant and the nutrient application rate is near the maximum

So we are talking a 2x4x1 foot tall bed per plant. What type of ferts are you using? What do you consider a maximum nutrient application rate per 8 cubic foot bed?


Ami

[mdvpc]

Thanks for all the posts.

Worth, great idea on the posts, I will work on that. Also on the compost/sandy loam.

Remember, I am planting our dwarf varieties from the Dwarf Project. I am going to try 4 plants in each bed. Of course, I will report back. I grew our DP plants in 5 gallon buckets several times in the El Paso dry heat and they did great-both outside during the summer and in a greenhouse during the winter.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by Hermitian

They receive at least 8 cubic feet per plant and the nutrient application rate is near the maximum.

Originally Posted by amideutch

So we are talking a 2x4x1 foot tall bed per plant. What type of ferts are you using? What do you consider a maximum nutrient application rate per 8 cubic foot bed?
Ami

Actually we're talking about a minimum of 2' x 2' x 2' root volume per plant. I fertilize with a water-soluble injected into the irrigation water. These plants are in soil with a long outdoor growing season, so I use NPK ratios of 2:1:3, with a full array of minor and micronutrients. The injection rate is set so the potash concentration never exceeds 250 ppm. I'll post more about it later today on this thread: fruit maniac.

[drew51]

I myself like 4x12 beds. i don't have a problem reaching in 2 feet, my arms are longer than that.
If you are worried about compost buy a premium brand. Like Fafard. At their site is a store finder. Many good nursery centers sell premium compost. Another option is mushroom compost. No herbicides likely in that.

Fafard's organic premium compost:
Description:
Formulated for organic gardening, our Premium Organic Compost is a rich blend of peat humus and mushroom compost with the added nutritive benefit of shrimp and seaweed. It will enrich any garden bed or landscape planting, from bedding annuals, perennials and vegetables to trees and shrubs
Ingredients:
Canadian Sphagnum Peat Humus, Mushroom Compost, Seaweed, Shrimp

I myself have various size beds