New raised bed...

by Sparhawk 10th February 2010, 4:57 pm

In one of the magazines that I get they are doing a feature on growing veg in a new raised bed to get the optimum amount of crops using various different means...

The plot they have made is 12ft x 3ft 3, I have managed to make mine a little larger at 12ft x 5ft the depth starts at 9in dropping to 13in would any of the brainier peoples amoungst us be able to tell me how much soil I will need to fill it please...

bigthink

by Compostwoman 10th February 2010, 5:08 pm

If you fill it to a depth of 12 inches you would need 60 cubic feet. (12 x 5 x 1)

which is 6.6 cubic yards. So think of getting on for 7 of the builders bags which hold a cubic yard of sand..

I could do it in metres for you, but I guess you work in feet and inches for stuff like this? (like me)

does this help?

by Sparhawk 10th February 2010, 7:30 pm

Compostwoman wrote:If you fill it to a depth of 12 inches you would need 60 cubic feet. (12 x 5 x 1)

which is 6.6 cubic yards. So think of getting on for 7 of the builders bags which hold a cubic yard of sand..

I could do it in metres for you, but I guess you work in feet and inches for stuff like this? (like me)

does this help?

Thanks CW that will help, the advert in the paper that I was using as a starting point before ringing around gives a price per ton or 730 ltrs Embarassed

....

by Compostwoman 10th February 2010, 8:51 pm

Well a bag of compost is usually around 70 l, if that helps at all to visualise/work out how much you need...
Try Freecycle, topsoil is often advertised on ours?

by Sparhawk 11th February 2010, 8:59 am

Compostwoman wrote: Try Freecycle, topsoil is often advertised on ours?

Although I do look at our Freecycle unfortunately I don't think there will be any on there its too full of "wanteds", you know

"little Jimmy needs a laptop for school urgently & I can't be a**sed to go out & buy one, if anyone has a top of the range one going spare as an old one would be too traumatic for him to use & he would be subject to ridicule at school..."

by Compostwoman 11th February 2010, 2:01 pm

Hmm was obviously MCUH tireder than I thought, my adding up etc went VERY wrong there!

You would need about 2 cubic yards of soil Spar....not the load of old rubbish I wrote yesterday..

So looking at a a bit more than couple of ton bags.....not 7!

Sorry...I was very tired yesterday and not thinking very clearly!

by Sparhawk 11th February 2010, 9:34 pm

Compostwoman wrote:Hmm was obviously MCUH tireder than I thought, my adding up etc went VERY wrong there!

You would need about 2 cubic yards of soil Spar....not the load of old rubbish I wrote yesterday..

So looking at a a bit more than couple of ton bags.....not 7!

Sorry...I was very tired yesterday and not thinking very clearly!

Phew, thanks CW, I don't know much about it but I thought something was amiss, then at work this afternoon I was swinging around with one of the cameras & saw 2 x builders bags of sand, phoned the gardener who they belonged to & asked if they were 1 ton bags & he said yes. When I explained why I was interested he said as a general rule they allow 1 ton per square yard...

So I played with the zoom & really couldn't workout how Master Sparhawk (13) was going to get 7 bags from the front to the back garden next week as his "half term project" for a 50p bonus in his pocket money Twisted Evil

, I thought I was going to have to make it £1 ... Shocked

...

by polgara 11th February 2010, 9:58 pm

Isn`t that why you have a wheel barrow Razz

by Sparhawk 11th February 2010, 10:08 pm

polgara wrote:Isn`t that why you have a wheel barrow

Yes but its my shiney new wheelbarrow & he would get it dirty...

(Edited by CW to add Sparhawk's later comment...)

Both end pieces now made from the old planters which used to be pallets, drying off after coating with woodpreserve...

Side pieces to be made next 12' long sloping from 9" to 13" hopefully complete 1 tomorrow... & perhaps some photos...

Try to order soil for delivery Friday...

by Compostwoman 16th February 2010, 12:36 am

Just in case anyone was wondering, I have split off the "Tayberry" posts into a separate thread so we can all follow what we are all up to.

Hope that is OK, haven't edited anything anyone wrote,, just moved it around a bit!

by Sparhawk 16th February 2010, 12:51 am

by Sparhawk 16th February 2010, 1:04 am

Thank-you CW,

Right, soil ordered 2 tons for delivery Fri morn (in 1 ton bags) have been told sandy soil (so good for carrots & root veg) have plenty of home made compost to mix in...

Managed to make half of one side, & "forage" the wood to complete the rest.
(thanks pol, I'm glad Dad was having his after lunch kip!!!)...

Had a quality father & son afternoon with "Master" Sparhawk, working on this & who I think now deserves to become my "Squire" & so I will try to refer to him as "The Squire" or "Young Squire" Sparhawk...

by polgara 16th February 2010, 7:56 am

Good idea CW thanks.

by Sparhawk 23rd February 2010, 12:38 am

OMG!!! I flipping ache, I've got aches on top of aches, I didn't realise aches could ache, I've also got arms like Conan the Barbarian...

For those that are interested, & even those that arent 1 ton of earth is approx 20 wheelbarrows full... I cant remember how many spade fulls to the wheel barrow but the deed is done, 1 worm per ton, loads of home made compost to put in tomorrow if I can move...

I have found another couple of lifes questions too...

Why do people always say oooh that looks like hard work or you've got a job & a half on there, instead of saying, would you like a hand?

Or why do poeple stop & say that going to take a while isn't it & then expect you to stop for a chat?

by Sparhawk 23rd February 2010, 12:50 am

Bed now settling, have dug a trench 1 spade wide by 1 1/2 spade deep & filled with fresh compost from bin, well It was more like spade fulls of worms, Very Happy

covered with fine layer of top soil, also spread complete bed with layer of compost & watered in well, covered with clear polythene & 2 glass panels from a shower cubical...

Tomorrow me thinks to start some seeds in greenhouse to transplant later...

Have also come up with plan to grow leeks in shallow end , but have to do a little more thinking before making suggestion...

by Compostwoman 23rd February 2010, 10:20 am

Well done Spar, sounds like a lot of hard work, well worth it though!

How about some pictures?

by Sparhawk 23rd February 2010, 12:55 pm

Compostwoman wrote:Well done Spar, sounds like a lot of hard work, well worth it though!

How about some pictures?

We've squeezed them out of the Young Squires camera onto the computer but we are taking a little while to workout how to put them on the forum Embarassed

I was thinking perhaps in the gallery with linky bits from the thread...

by Compostwoman 23rd February 2010, 1:27 pm

That would work OK? Would like to see piccies of it!

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