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Edited on Tue Apr-05-11 11:58 AM by robdogbucky
I only built one, 4 X 8, but man, you can pack a lot of crops in there. I use bird netting, mainly for the squirrels, which is amazing in its own right, as there is more than enough food of every kind for the animals that have lived on this property for generations. In that regard the only damage the squirrels manage to do is to tear down the finch birdfeeder socks I have (have to find a new branch to hang it from). The local crow contingent is always very interested in my choring out there and give constant comment as I go about tending the garden in the morning all summer long. I'm sure they don't appreciate that bird netting.
The first year I was marginally successful, but learned I do have to amend the soil, even if it is the best a landscape outlet can provide. I did that this winter by adding a bag of "Amend," recommended at the local hardware store and they have not steered me wrong yet. First year, great tomatoes/beans and peas. No squashes (!?) which was a surprise because in every other garden I had before the raised bed, those little suckers went nuts, but not in the raised bed for some reason. That is too bad as I have a killer lemon/zucchini soup that I like in the summer. I deduced that they don't do well in the bed, they only blossom and then any effort to grow little zucchinis die quickly before getting 5 inches long. So this year my change in tactic is to put my vine vegetables like squash, outside the bed in dirt I turned and amended and have already put some in. I also have been putting corn around the perimeter of the raised bed. I intend to put other crops in this newly tilled soil outside the bed, just to see what can be produced that won't interest the squirrels and birds and racoons too much. It will increase my work to do, but I think I will enjoy it if it pays off in some added, new crops. I will try strawberries and some melons outside the bed to go with the squash and corn.
Inside the raised bed last year I had a bonanza of tomatoes (5 varieties) with the little ones for salads most prolific. Had plenty to freeze for use all winter long, which we did a lot this holiday season. This year I have expanded my tomato plants to 7 varieties. I also have put in a lot of lettuce and peppers, as the lettuce was great last year so I am increasing what is successful and like the outside seek to improve the yield each year. I have had no success with onions or carrots and have only gotten little anemic looking excuses that I could not eat. It was suggested it was due to poor soil, hence the amendments over the winter this season.
I use mulch as well, give everything a Miracle-Grow shot every couple of weeks (this really made the difference last year) and religiously water and patrol for pests. The only pests I get have been horned tomato caterpillars, which have voracious appetites and can decimate a plant's fruit overnight. They are very alien-looking. I also have healthy populations of ladybugs and mantises in my yard and they love the garden, which I encourage. It seems that I get colonies of little ants that propagate their little livestocks of aphids, but they don't seem to be interested in what is growing in my soil.
I plant peas at each support strut for the netting and that is a natural climbing habitat for the peas and it provides a great look for my "jungle," once July rolls around and everything is going gangbusters. Last year some green beans were added late and they did quite well also liking to climb all around the netting.
I get so much joy from propagating this garden and then eating every single thing out of it. Along with the fig and apple trees, we are busy in the mid-summer putting things in the freezer for winter and it feels really satisfying to go out each day then and come back in the house with a bag of fresh veggies from my own garden every day. I make salads for my wife with these homegrown veggies and that is the best. Especially when homemade vinagrette dressing is used. Yummmm.
I do not know the impact of the burgeoning radiation problem coming our way from Japan, and I know radiation does not go away once it is in your body, it just accumulates over time. I have had some horrific visions of late about none of our water or air or soil being free from radioactive contamination, making ours a slow and uncomfortable death. Heaven help future generations that may have to deal with this problem. I see no way out of it, and the reactors are still spewing into the ocean and into the air. Now it will be spread even further than the winds take it when it is in the ocean's fish.
California, Ahhhhhh. Sunshine now for about the next 6 months straight.
Hands off my Social Security! Hands off Latin America!
rdb
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