raised bed question

[daddylonglegs]

I am building my beds to be 12 inches high with some chicken wire on the bottom to prevent critters from burrowing up. But, I had another idea

What if I set it atop a a layer of cinder-blocks, solid side up. That would make them higher and easier on my back. And, maybe keep any burrowing critters out as well. Do you think that will work?
Thanks
DLL

[MoniDew]

if your legs are as long as you say, daddy, then why not? sounds like a good plan to me! :D

[mmandjsmom]

My only thought against putting the cinder blocks under the raised bed is that this limits the depth that the roots of the plants can grow down. The roots can grow around the chicken wire, but not through the cinder blocks. If you use the cinderblocks, I think you would need to make your beds higher and fill with more soil. I have an old sandbox (homemade) set on cinder blocks that is almost 2 feet deep, so I am going to use it to grow herbs and plants that don't need much root depth, but I don't think it would work for larger plants.

[daddylonglegs]

True. I just had my beds built and they are only 6 inches high mostly because lumber is so expensive. The guy filled them with compost and soil, but left the plastic underneath. That doesn't make much sense to me, you? He said vegetables have shallow roots. I think he is giving me a line of baloney. What do you think?

Thanks
DLL

[MoniDew]

in our backyard, we double-stacked them, for a depth of 24". We used a desodder over the area first, then covered the area with weed blocking fabric. We built of beds on-site. Then we lined the bottoms with 6" of pebbles. Then a foot and a half of organic garden soil mixed with compost.

It's been kind to both back and knees. No weeds. Very easy to plant. Still building up my soil, however. (I didn't like the stuff sold to me as organic garden "soil." More like twigs, bark, MULCH, than soil, I say!)

[paul wheaton]

which critters are you having trouble with?

Are you in town or on acreage?

Remember mollison's thing about how you don't have a slug excess problem, but a duck deficiency problem: most problems can be solved with more diversity.