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To dig or not to dig?

I was lucky enough to get a load of fig trees growing away from prunings in a compost heap similar to a clamp...kerching! Money for nothing!
 
Kublai said:
Going to try growing peanuts this year. nothing ventured nothing gained an all that.
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Keep us informed of the results. It's a crop I've thought about growing.
I'm trying Sweet Potatoes for the first time this year.
 
Im thinking of using raised beds for same reason as my soil is very wet in winter and to be honest im planning ahead and dont think i will want to be tending at ground level when im older, plus i have dogs.
I have seen that the beds can be made out of pallets(wich i already have stored 20 i think, from new),i was wondering if anyone else has done these and how big they went?
i was thinking of just using the pallet as is but then making a small removable cloche or polly tunnel type thing for each one, but im now thinking that will be to high and thus effected by wind wich would damage the tunnel on top.the actuall beds will be 2 pallets long and 1 wide(now thinking half pallet deep).

any one done this?

sorry for jumping in on no dig but it similar
 
Hi edd, any chance you could start a new thread for your raised bed question? Cheers.
 
The only problem I can see with laying brush under a raised bed is creating a harborage for mice/voles and maybe too much drainage in the summer and needing a lot of watering,I'm on heavy clay so always looking for ideas.
 
Offgrid hero said:
The only problem I can see with laying brush under a raised bed is creating a harborage for mice/voles and maybe too much drainage in the summer and needing a lot of watering,I'm on heavy clay so always looking for ideas.
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I have cats so I don't see many mice, except dead ones in the porch :) The beds with the brash underneath don't need anymore watering than the others, the main reason I used them was the steady supply of nutrients and the fact that they filled the bottom of the raised beds without needing lots of soil. I did them two years ago and they are doing fine.
 
I have quite a lot of problems with mice/voles and I like cats,if they left the birds alone I'd keep a couple.
 
edd5322 said:
Im thinking of using raised beds for same reason as my soil is very wet in winter and to be honest im planning ahead and dont think i will want to be tending at ground level when im older, plus i have dogs.
I have seen that the beds can be made out of pallets(wich i already have stored 20 i think, from new),i was wondering if anyone else has done these and how big they went?
i was thinking of just using the pallet as is but then making a small removable cloche or polly tunnel type thing for each one, but im now thinking that will be to high and thus effected by wind wich would damage the tunnel on top.the actuall beds will be 2 pallets long and 1 wide(now thinking half pallet deep).

any one done this?

sorry for jumping in on no dig but it similar
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From what I have read, raised beds and 'no-dig' are a really good combination (take a look at the link I added at the start of this). All kinds of methods, such as the different types of containers for growing spuds in, the principle of adding soil/compost as a top layer being the key thing.
 
Offgrid hero said:
I have quite a lot of problems with mice/voles and I like cats,if they left the birds alone I'd keep a couple.
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Voles are a serious problem for me even with the full quota of cats, dogs and raptors eating them as fast as they can. Voles love buried vegetation, bark on young trees and soft roots, they create merry hell in my orchards. If my cats ever learn to fly I'll start worrying about the birds....until then the more the merrier.
 
Denidoom said:
From what I have read, raised beds and 'no-dig' are a really good combination (take a look at the link I added at the start of this). All kinds of methods, such as the different types of containers for growing spuds in, the principle of adding soil/compost as a top layer being the key thing.
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think i got the composte bit covered with horses and chickens, plus hpe this year to start breeding rabbits for meat.
 
ystranc said:
Voles are a serious problem for me even with the full quota of cats, dogs and raptors eating them as fast as they can. Voles love buried vegetation, bark on young trees and soft roots, they create merry hell in my orchards. If my cats ever learn to fly I'll start worrying about the birds....until then the more the merrier.
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Made me laugh... our cat is hopeless at catching mice, has had a couple of birds but comes home with loads of voles. Until reading your post, I have belittled her feeble attempts at easy prey, but I didn't realise how much of a pest they were.
 
They're really destructive, I'm putting poles for owls and other raptors to perch on all over the place
 
When I had rasied beds the little barstewards tunnelled under the boards and caused all sorts of problems. I like the raptor pole idea. I'll try that at the lake.
 
I haven't seen any damage from voles, but the cats bring plenty home dead. Are you sure they aren't rats doing the tunneling?
 
hodgson said:
I haven't seen any damage from voles, but the cats bring plenty home dead. Are you sure they aren't rats doing the tunneling?
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Absolutely positively sure, my cats and dogs like nothing better then a voling expedition around dusk. In all my time here I've seen 3 rats but the number of voles is beyond counting.
 
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