I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening, however
the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised beds - by which
I mean building boxes and raising them about three feet off the ground
because neither of us can bend over for regular weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds would
you recommend?

Thanks!

--
The word "urgent" is the moral of the story "The boy who cried wolf". As
a general rule I don't believe it until a manager comes to me almost in
tears. I like to catch them in a cup and drink them later.
-- Matt Holiab, in the Monastery

There were some built on the Martha Stewart show. They were shallow for
things like lettuce and such which is how they kept the weight down.
Here's the article:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/salad-table

I have a friend in a wheelchair. He had raised beds built on his patio
so his chair would easily roll around the concrete between beds. These
beds were about counter top height. However they were soil from ground
up - just really tall raised beds. Again, you don't have the weight
problem because there aren't legs holding anything this way...just lots
of soil to fill something this big. His beds weren't huge - 4 feet
square? He had to be able to reach the center from his chair.

marcella


In article ,
Cipher wrote:

I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening, however
the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised beds - by which
I mean building boxes and raising them about three feet off the ground
because neither of us can bend over for regular weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds would
you recommend?

Thanks!

In article ,
Cipher wrote:

I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening, however
the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised beds - by which
I mean building boxes and raising them about three feet off the ground
because neither of us can bend over for regular weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds would
you recommend?

Thanks!
My raised bed is 16' X 4' X 24". There is a 4" X 4" redwood post at each
corner, and mid way on the long sides. Attached to the posts are 2" X
12" redwood planks. Never had any trouble from it. Occasionally I've had
to replace a post and a couple of planks (once each), which isn't bad
for 25 yr. of service.

You may want to investigate keyhole gardens. They take less space for
paths and leave more space for gardens. They are particularly good for
difficult to reach corners of the yard. Whether inside the garden or
out, the useable portion of the garden shouldn't be more than .6m from
the path. Using this reasoning, a raised rectangle with access from the
perimeter, should be no more than 1.2m across. The length depends on how
much garden you need.

If your garden is a meter tall, only the top .5m need be garden soil
(30% - 40% sand, 30% - 40% silt, 20% - 30% sand, and 5% - 10% organic
material)
http://www.raw-food-health.net/Raise...bleGarden.html
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug

g'day cipher,

yep as high as you want them really, 2' & 3' been done before, keep in
mind you still need to reach into the bed. an consider plants that
need staking like tomatos etc.,.

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/straw_bale_garden.htm

same process only you need more material to create the medium, so
would suggst you have all that organised.

On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:00:03 -0500, Cipher
wrote:
snipped
--

Matthew 25:13 KJV
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh"

Mark 13:33 "Take ye heed, watch and pray:
for ye know not when the time is".

len

With peace and brightest of blessings,

"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

Cipher wrote:
I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening, however
the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised beds - by
which I mean building boxes and raising them about three feet off the
ground because neither of us can bend over for regular weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

It could be more. Three feet (90cm) high obviously would be more. The
higher the sides the stronger they need to be constructed and the more
carefully you have to arrange drainage. The sides have to be strong enough
to contain the soil but also to hold your weight as you likely to sit on the
edge. For that purpose finish the top with a board that is broad enough to
be comfortable. The materials will not be cheap.


Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds
would you recommend?

Thanks!

I haven't built them that high but people do build them. They are built
that way for the reason that you give - gardeners who cannot stoop and bend
easily. I am not sure that 90cm high is necessary, probably 60cm (2ft)
would do. See:

http://www.spinalistips.se/tip-raise...-beds-471.html

David

Billy wrote:
In article ,
Cipher wrote:

I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening,
however the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised
beds - by which I mean building boxes and raising them about three
feet off the ground because neither of us can bend over for regular
weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds
would you recommend?

Thanks!
My raised bed is 16' X 4' X 24". There is a 4" X 4" redwood post at
each corner, and mid way on the long sides. Attached to the posts are
2" X 12" redwood planks. Never had any trouble from it. Occasionally
I've had to replace a post and a couple of planks (once each), which
isn't bad for 25 yr. of service.

Here that much redwood would cost a bomb, especially 12" planks. I would
use the right class of eucalyptus. Clearly price and availability will vary
with your location. Ask your timber merchant for a grade that is rated
durable for continuous contact with soil. Or consider concrete blocks etc
instead of timber.


You may want to investigate keyhole gardens. They take less space for
paths and leave more space for gardens. They are particularly good for
difficult to reach corners of the yard. Whether inside the garden or
out, the useable portion of the garden shouldn't be more than .6m from
the path. Using this reasoning, a raised rectangle with access from
the perimeter, should be no more than 1.2m across. The length depends
on how much garden you need.


You may want them narrower than that if you are short of stature and/or not
very flexible.

If your garden is a meter tall, only the top .5m need be garden soil
(30% - 40% sand, 30% - 40% silt, 20% - 30% sand, and 5% - 10% organic
material)
http://www.raw-food-health.net/Raise...bleGarden.html

David

On Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:00:03 -0500, Cipher
wrote:

I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening, however
the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised beds - by which
I mean building boxes and raising them about three feet off the ground
because neither of us can bend over for regular weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds would
you recommend?

Thanks!


Another approach may be to use a garden cart to sit on while working
in a lower raised bed. My beds are about 8" high and 4' across. I
can pretty well reach the half way point while sitting on a cart.
These were built before arthritis hit my lower back. Now I would
probably go for about 3' across.

I have the first cart pictured from Amazon.com and it works well.
TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/2uav288

If you don't trust the TinyURL here is the complete URL:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...l=search-alias
%3Dgarden&field-keywords=garden+cart+with+seat&sprefix=garde
n+cart+with+seat

Amazon.com search is "garden cart with seat"


I am sure that you can find one in many other places. I think I
bought mine at Lowe's.

--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Billy wrote:
In article ,
Cipher wrote:

I've asked a similar question back a ways but I thought I'd ask again
with a twist.

The coming year we're looking at starting vegetable gardening,
however the soil is all dense-pack clay. We're looking at raised
beds - by which I mean building boxes and raising them about three
feet off the ground because neither of us can bend over for regular
weeding easily.

My back-of-the-envelope calculations show a 1m x 2.5m x .5m box, when
full of wet soil, weighs in at just over 1400kg!

Has anyone here raised growing beds this high? What sizes of beds
would you recommend?

Thanks!
My raised bed is 16' X 4' X 24". There is a 4" X 4" redwood post at
each corner, and mid way on the long sides. Attached to the posts are
2" X 12" redwood planks. Never had any trouble from it. Occasionally
I've had to replace a post and a couple of planks (once each), which
isn't bad for 25 yr. of service.

Here that much redwood would cost a bomb, especially 12" planks. I would
use the right class of eucalyptus. Clearly price and availability will vary
with your location. Ask your timber merchant for a grade that is rated
durable for continuous contact with soil. Or consider concrete blocks etc
instead of timber.
As luck would have it, I'm surrounded by redwoods. The lumber isn't
nearly as good as the old heart wood but it still last a fairly long
time. Forever, compared to pine which rots away in a couple of years if
exposed to the ground. I'm not sure what the 2 x 12s go for these days.
Couple years back I bought some 4 x 4s for a project, and they were
about a dollar per foot.


You may want to investigate keyhole gardens. They take less space for
paths and leave more space for gardens. They are particularly good for
difficult to reach corners of the yard. Whether inside the garden or
out, the useable portion of the garden shouldn't be more than .6m from
the path. Using this reasoning, a raised rectangle with access from
the perimeter, should be no more than 1.2m across. The length depends
on how much garden you need.


You may want them narrower than that if you are short of stature and/or not
very flexible.

That's why I have colleagues to fill in what I over look ;O)

If your garden is a meter tall, only the top .5m need be garden soil
(30% - 40% sand, 30% - 40% silt, 20% - 30% sand, and 5% - 10% organic
material)
http://www.raw-food-health.net/Raise...bleGarden.html

David
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug