What can I throw in these garden beds ?

Excuse. I'm a gardening idiot.

I've making 3 garden beds up for the misses. 3 sleepers high, to save her back a bit. I'll lop off the top of those posts a bit and slap on some loooovely turned knobs.

I'm gonna get some topsoil from a mates farm, for the top few inches........but what do I put in it first to get its height up. Ideally something cheap or free.

I've got a big pile of sawdust and shavings behind the shed. But my wife thinks she heard somewhere that your not supposed to throw that into garden beds. Which doesn't make sense to me.

Does it really matter what I put in it ? Drainage an issue. Any ideas ? Thanks.

Newspaper down first as much as you like stops the weeds coming through
that means paper recycling has to missout
Straw from a barn or horse stable
Vegi scraps

There is another thread with details regarding saw dust and compost
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...ht=coming+ears

No bodies though:D :no:

It depends on what you are going to grow in it and how deep the roots will go.


Newspapers on the bottom, hay and sawdust for filling or any compostable items and manures that are free draining and then topped with soil to at least the depth of the roots.


Peter.

i would not put too much sawdust down as it will make the soil dry out to quickly and waste watter.

as long as there is no treated pine or camphor in your sawdust then you could mix it 4 parts soil/compost to 1 part sawdust. also horse manure is good.

Thanks for the suggestions and link.

Their just for veggies. Point taken on not putting too much in. Shame, cause it be perfect. Just move it a few metres and the beds are full. uno.

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Originally Posted by wheelinround

No bodies though:D :no:

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:U Got me thinking. There just the right size too.

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Originally Posted by apricotripper

Thanks for the suggestions and link.

Their just for veggies. Point taken on not putting too much in. Shame, cause it be perfect. Just move it a few metres and the beds are full. uno.



:U Got me thinking. There just the right size too.

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:doh::o:no: There goes another fine woman ....mother in-law

Now for a stupid novice question?

Would putting newspaper down not be the equivalent of inviting the local termite population to move in?

Jake the problem with putting sawdust in is that when it breaksdown it robs nitrogen from the soil.
To fix the problem make sure that you have a lot of N in your mix to start with as well as plenty of organic matter. Lucerne is good for this.

If it seems like a good rich mix...it probably is!

Then let the whole lot sit for a while (about 2 weeks should do) to settle in before adding plants. I would suggest getting a pH test kit from your local nursery because your biggest problem besides pests is getting the pH right (not always).

There are a few problems with putting sawdust or any other non-decomposed organic matter at the bottom of your planter boxes.
1. Anything organic breaks down, and loses mass, so the whole lot of soil will sink and it will be even more of a hassle to reach inside the boxes to garden, than if you were gardening on the ground.
2. The sawdust pulls nitrogen out of the soil as it breaks down.
3. The sawdust is likely to compact down into an impenetrable layer, and not allow water to drain out. (Speaking of this, you should consider putting some ag-pipe drainage at the bottom with a hole exiting the side of the box, to prevent water logging)

So, my suggestion is to find some sort of non-organic filler to fill up the bottom half. e.g. Subsoil dug from somewhere else onsite that doesn't need it (like if you've dug a pond or flattened some earth for a retaining wall); or pebbles.
Another option, if you are only planning to plant annual vegies, would be to use the No-Dig gardening method, which layers different materials like newspaper, straw, compost, dead leaves etc, and plants the veg straight into that. (You'll find plenty of info by googling this)
I agree with the idea about putting newspaper (wet) at the bottom to stop weeds coming up.

One last thing - if you want to be extra kind to your Mrs, maybe add a plank around the top of the box for leaning or sitting on while gardening. :)

Things like spuds will grow in grass hay without any soil.
And you get nice clean spuds out of it too.

Jake,

Try here for no-dig information by the ton. It's a ripper way of getting into gardening too!
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com

Cheers,

P
:D

Put a compost heap (including some sawdust) in one of them,
when its rotted down mix a bit of soil &/or sand in it and youve got one nice gardem ready to go.

BTW stable manure with plenty of straw in its a good thing to fill one right up with, grow almost anything in it.

The obvious answer is whatever you can get your hands on in large quantities - if you've got three of these to fill, you're going to need quite a lot of material. So if there's stables, farms, roadworks, new swimming pools, etc,etc.

If you're growing veggies then only the top 30cm is useful. Underneath you could put almost anything, but drainage is a key issues, as almost no vegies grow with wet feet. Clay is not good. Everything else is ok, but remember that it will sink, so you should over fill, and have more to add in six months or a year.

As for the sawdust, you could mix it with something high in nitrogen like grass clippings, turn it every fortnight, and you'll get a low quality compost in a few months. Chook poo is good too.

At the end of the day, with the quantity you're going to be limited to what you can get hold of cheap!

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Originally Posted by rhancock

The obvious answer is whatever you can get your hands on in large quantities - if you've got three of these to fill, you're going to need quite a lot of material. So if there's stables, farms, roadworks, new swimming pools, etc,etc.

At the end of the day, with the quantity you're going to be limited to what you can get hold of cheap!

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:doh::no: Not the road works not in NSW if you get caught a big fine and or prison as its regarded as stealing. I knew fellow took his trailer down to a dumping site from roadworks he got fined quite heavily and was taken away leaving his car & trailer behind till he could return. Even picking up RTA tree loppings can have the same effect aparently.

I hadn't thought of that... I was wondering the other day if my neighbour can be done for trespassing if she keeps dumping her grass clippings under my tree...

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Originally Posted by rhancock

I hadn't thought of that... .

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I didn't know that it was that bad either.

thanks everyone for the info. :)

Doing a similar thing myself (except don't have lots of sawdust!)
I am building a garden bed 2 sleepers high 2400mm x 4800mm. We've been doing a bit of reno work so have a few varieties of different quality soil from various holes. Have found areas in the garden with good soil that don't really need it, ie: small area between a shed and fence, and have removed this and replaced it with the poor quality soil.
I have a large compost bin that is getting full, will stop filling it soon so it has time to break down before spring (maybe you could mix your pile of sawdust with variety of organic matter over next few weeks then leave it for a few months). I also have broken down some of the heavy clay in water and add this to the compost. Clay has a lot of good stuff in it, but plants can't get to it in solid lumps, but broken down can be used a little like a fertiliser.
Once I have built the frame I will dig up existing soil in that area, taking off any good topsoil. Will then mix most of the compost with the soil I have. Then on top of this mix will put some straw, cow manure and chook manure and the rest of the compost. Give that a few weeks then dig over, then plant like buggery:U .
If I had a little more time I would grow a green manure crop like peas or mustard, then dig it in, then plant a few weeks later. Probably won't have time this year, but usually do this prior to planting in spring (I usually don't grow winter vegies, too cold and can't be bothered, gives me time for indoor pursuits!)
I will also put some sleepers around the top so they are like bench seats, don't know where your beds will be but maybe offer this as an idea to SWMBO, could do some gardening, then sit down with some boiled water, pick some fresh peppermint from the garden and have a cuppa, maybe put a table out there as well. People love vegie gardens and I can't wait to be sitting down amongst my 'erbs.
Cheers
McBlurter

only 2 sleepers high ! ..... mine are better. Their 3 sleepers high. :wink:

we look forward to quality fresh veges too. Finding the time to manage them will be the tricky bit.

Gardening Australia show ABC http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/ has plenty also the main gardens in Hobart's Botanical gardens are all raised.
The tomatoes are fantastic we have tried them.

Yes, definitely the best place to go for info - the programs on Sat at 6.30pm, and Sunday at 1pm, and if you've got a Digital box, ABC2 shows it again on Monday at 3pm and then old programs at 3pm the rest of the week. The magazines really good too - my local library has back issues. And there's lots of fact sheets on the website.

Their slogan is "Down to earth gardening" - none of the makeover crap the other do - if its going to be hard work, they'll tell you! Most of the gardens they feature are lifetimes' work.

BTW another good program is Vasili's Garden on SBS Tuesdays 8.30pm and Fridays 7.30pm. http://www.vasilisgarden.com/ The guys a nutcase, and he finds the strangest gardeners, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

3 sleepers high would mean a lot of extra soil, an extra 2 cubic metres!! Plus 400mm is a okay height for a bench seat and not too high for my kids to fall off.
Vasili is great, has been on in Melbourne's Channel 31 (Community TV) for years. SOme of the old Greek and Italian gardeners are wonderful, making use with what they have around the place and using gardening techniques passed down generations. Plus they know how to cook the stuff too!!!
Cheers
McBlurter

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Originally Posted by rhancock

Yes, definitely the best place to go for info - the programs on Sat at 6.30pm, and Sunday at 1pm, and if you've got a Digital box, ABC2 shows it again on Monday at 3pm and then old programs at 3pm the rest of the week. The magazines really good too - my local library has back issues. And there's lots of fact sheets on the website.

Their slogan is "Down to earth gardening" - none of the makeover crap the other do - if its going to be hard work, they'll tell you! Most of the gardens they feature are lifetimes' work.

BTW another good program is Vasili's Garden on SBS Tuesdays 8.30pm and Fridays 7.30pm. http://www.vasilisgarden.com/ The guys a nutcase, and he finds the strangest gardeners, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

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Gardening Australia does podcasts now so anywhere anytime you can have them in your ear or online.

My 2bobs worth is no dig gardening, see Bitingmidge previous page. We have done this for years.
Thick layer newspaper 2", layer of pea straw or lucerne hay, layer of organic stuff, stable horse dung not field horse dung or sheep poop.Then repeat till over full leave few weeks to settle and go organic man.
Yeah grow ya own stuff, no herbisides, insectisides or stuff, just smoke the pure opps sorry getting blown away here.

My patch is 8 sleepers long by 3 to 5 sleepers high x 800mm wide. runs across a slope on the bottom side of a retainer wall that is 2 sleepers higher.

Filled it with drainage rock for 200mm at bottom, and then clay and topsoil from earthworks around it. To this I have added about 8 6x4 trailer loads of horse poo and shavings. Go out to local horse track and they will almost help you fill trailer they are that happy to see it go. Every year I just top it up with more poo and shavings, though this year I have got a good compost heap happening, so will use that instead.

Started the compost mix with...you guessed it...poo and shavings.

Took a good couple of years to get a great mix, but my tomatoes, strawberries and zuccinnis are superb.

Not real good for carrots, too rich apparently as all of them had 3-6 main roots

Beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli and capsicums all love it as well.

The shavings really seem to help break the clay down after a couple of seasons.

this got me thinking, so I have just been and pulled all the weeds out and dumped another 2 trailer loads of poo in today.

Should be just right in a week or 2 for some baby beets, peas and caulis I'm thinking.:U :U