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Bed Gardening
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cswitch11Tags: None
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Mostly Harmless
- Oct 2012
- 908
- pragmatic monism
- DC area, US
- "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" - TH White
Re: Bed Gardening
The best advice I have is to never make a bed less than 12 inches deep or you will be overrun with weeds. Be certain to cover the bottom with plenty of newspapers and a couple of layers of weed cloth before adding your planting mix. Mel's mix is awesome (1/3 compost, 1/3 peat, 1/3 vermiculite -- and you'll do better buying these end of season at a farm store). I would go for beds no more than 3 feet across for easy working. If you are middle aged like me you may even want to get the beds further up off the ground, though bear in mind that they can be easily converted for winter cold frames with bails of straw if they are closer to the ground. Start your compost immediately because you will need to replenish the soil every time you plant; the book Let It Rot is a good treatment of the subject if you need. As for tomatoes I caged them. Cucumbers want to be off the ground and so vertical growing can be a good option. Don't plant squash and melons where they can be cross pollinated or you'll have bitter melons, and plant flowers in with your other plants -- not only is it beautiful but it helps them. Also, google companion planting and mind what you read. Happy gardening!
"No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr
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