Comments on: Raised Beds: Preparing your Garden Beds for Spring

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Hi Stephanie,
Bamboo is not hazaradous or toxic to your vegetables. However if left to grow and spread, it will crowd out your vegetable plants and deprive them of nutrients.
Bamboo shoots coming through the ground can be hazardous if you go barefoot or wear thin soles. You might consider trenching around your vegetabe bed to cut invading roots, and you might want to consider a second effort at removing the bamboo for good.
Greg

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 05:13:00 +0000

Hello Greg,

i hope you’re off to a great season. In follow up to my post in late April, i went ahead and tried to eradicate the bamboo right around my raised vegetable garden, but unfortunately it was not successful. Just about a month into the growing season there are small bamboo shoots popping up in my veggie garden, i pull them like I would weeds but i can tell they are part of the larger root system in the surrounding area, so they will just keep coming back. My question is, other than it being a nuisance.. is it hazardous or toxic to my vegetables? or does it just deprive them of nutrients?

Many thanks!

Stephanie

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Yes. the rear uprights are a foot taller to give slope to the roof.
The roof is made first, as a separate unit. It uses 1 x 2s. You cut the two length and two width pieces and screw (or nail) them into a simple frame. Then put in the “rafters” which are just more 1x2s spaced about 18″ apart.
Once this is finished, cut the uprights and screw the triangles onto both top and bottom ends, extending 2″ beyond the ends of the uprights. The 2″ overlap is what meets the bed sides and inside of roof frame for the screws to attach to roof and secure the structure to the beds.
Once you attach the upriights to the bed, get a friend to help hold the roof in place while you screw the triangles to the roof frame. Then add a couple 1x2s (or any thin wood) cut to about 3′ length for diagonal bracing (so the structure doesn’t sway). Attach these to the tall uprights in back, and diagonally to the roof.
Once the structure is done, then drape the plastic over the roof and staple in place.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Hi Therese,
The structure for the tomato shelter is built using the same basic method used for my pole bean trellis, the key being the small triangle pieces which connect the roof to the uprights, and also connect the uprights to the bed. Here is a link to see how the bean trellis is made:
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2013/04/how-to-build-a-bean-trellis-for-raised-garden-beds/
The uprights are 1x2s (full dimension rough lumber). If you can’t get rough lumber then use 2x2s. Use screws to attach the triangles, this way it is easy to move or to replace the triangles when they eventually degrade. This design also makes no marks on the outside of your raised bed.
Here is my personal email if you need to ask additional questions – greg@eartheasy.com

By: Therese

Therese — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:05:00 +0000

I love the tomato shelter. Could you possibly tell me a bit about how you built it. Is the top flat or on an angle? I know you send it’s simple, but how did you make it? And how did you attach the structure with the plastic sheeting to the upright posts? Are those posts 2x4s or 4 x 4s? I’m from LI originally too but clearly didn’t get the instinct for these simple structures.

Thanks so much for doing this work

Therese

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Thanks Dan. I’m going out to put the strings on right now, the young beans are ready to climb.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Thanks Dan, great comments, eloquently stated.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:23:00 +0000

Either way, just try to keep the soil dry since it will be easier to work with.
If you plan to store the soil outside of the truck, find a spot (maybe in the driveway?) and lay a tarp down first, then add the soil and put another tarp on top. This makes the clean up easy.

By: Leeann Shawn

Leeann Shawn — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Help! I have a truck load of left over organic potting soil that I just picked up. I will be using in a couple weeks. Should I leave it in the back of my truck? It is covered with a tarp on bottom and on top or should I lay a tarp down in the yard and cover it. Thank you!

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:58:00 +0000

What a lovely comment. Your father would be proud. Thank you for this.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:42:00 +0000

You’re welcome Stephanie.
We keep our bamboo in large clay pots. They look great and can’t spread.
Have great gardening season!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:07:00 +0000

Greg,
Thank you very much for the tip, I will be looking into eradicating the bamboo at least around the garden. Happy gardening!

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0000

Bamboo can be a nightmare to gardeners. It is extremely invasive and the new shoots can be hazardous when they first poke up from the ground.. In your situation the best alternative would be to eradicate the bamboo and transplant it into large pots if you want to maintain some bamboo. Otherwise, you will have to dig a trench around your bed and line it with something impermeable to the roots. We have used sheets of HDPE plastic in our gardren to block invasive roots. We got the sheets free from a feed supply which uses them between pallets of feed.
At the very least, you should track back the roots and cut them close to the source. This will only be a temporary fix.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:13:00 +0000

Hello Greg, thanks for this wonderful website. This is only my second year having a raised bed 4′x 8′ for vegetables and herbs. i live in SE PA. I am having a problem with bamboo shoots that line the perimeter of the property, in the area where my raised garden is the bamboo is just about 3 feet on either side (it is the sunniest part of the yard) Through the winter and late last summer the bamboo roots have traveled and made its way into the bed, though it is sparse, Im concerned that it will deprive my vegetables of nutrients when i begin planting for this season. Any tips on how to control the bamboo around and in the garden? Many thanks!

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:18:00 +0000

It is advisable to check soil pH every few years regardless of bed construction. The presence of moss is a simple indicator of acidity, but having your soil tested is ideal.
As we get older, the taller beds are appreciated. If you have the blocks, my suggestion is to go with the taller beds.