Plans for next year's raised beds....

[AbbeyLehman]

What problems do y'all see?? You can comment here or in my album.... Thanks!!

http://www.gardengirltv.com/messageboard/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=38
http://www.gardengirltv.com/messageboard/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=39
http://www.gardengirltv.com/messageboard/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=40
http://www.gardengirltv.com/messageboard/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=41

[AbbeyLehman]

Wow, that's HARD to see. I have a PDF and the original Excel file for those who want to actually be able to read it--email me via my username and I will send them to you. I can't post them, as one isn't allowed and the other is too big!

[gardengirl72]

First of all it is much easier to read if you click on Abbeys name and view it through her profile.

I love the design. My family would revolt if I planted that much Okra and Aspargus. We have a rule(keeps eveyone, including my husband) eating fresh, "If it grew here we eat it here." Which means my gardens always get the input and thus fits the tastes of a Forty year old manly man and a Ten year old girl.

Next year I am planting what I planted last year, just with a major rotation. I will post that info soon.

Cleveland Rocks.

[plantoneonme]

You are so wonderfully organized! I usually plan mine out on a dreary winter's night.

[AbbeyLehman]

You are so wonderfully organized! I usually plan mine out on a dreary winter's night.

Nah, not really--I just like Excel! :) Until I get more settled into gardening in this location, I need the visuals to keep me on track, otherwise I'll nut it all up and end up with a huge mess of low-yielding plants. But thank you for the compliment all the same! :)

[Garden Green]

That is an impressive garden! Even though I have probably eaten enough fried okra to feed a small third world country, I'm fairly certain the same would happen at my house as Patti's. There would be a serious revolt on my hands if I planted that much okra.

Not that I'll get far. The rabbits will eat it all. :(

[AbbeyLehman]

That is an impressive garden! Even though I have probably eaten enough fried okra to feed a small third world country, I'm fairly certain the same would happen at my house as Patti's. There would be a serious revolt on my hands if I planted that much okra.

Not that I'll get far. The rabbits will eat it all. :(

We LOVE okra. DH and DS can eat it boiled (I can't!), snot and all, but we all love it battered & fried and it's WONDERFUL, I repeat, WONDERFUL in soups. Everyone was excited to see the plan for next year....We only had about 12 plants this year and it was nowhere near enough.

[Garden Green]

I'm from Louisiana, so I know all about the okra in soups and gumbo. I can't make vegetable beef soup without it. And when I say I'm going to make gumbo my husband whines that I'll ruin it with the okra. Of course, this is the man who couldn't handle gator tail, frog legs or mud bugs (crawfish). So I don't think his opinion counts. ;)

[Sinfonian]

When I did my plan in excel I figured I was just wierd. Now I know I am, hehe. Naw, your plan looks great! Really small on my Blackberry though.

The great news about your planing in general is that next season when you replant you will know where things were this year for crop rotation, if you subscribe to it for home gardeners (I do). I like to keep the old plans on separate "sheets" to refer back to when planning.

Way to go!

[Cynthia]

I am new to raised beds - I am going into my first winter planting with them. I am wondering how to gauge how much to plant.

Patti, in the videos, you look like you have an impressive full garden - some of that is being in Boston and not south texas, but also, I wonder if I am under planting?

I did well with cabbage and broccoli this year - that bed looks just right. There is last spring's arugula popping up underneath and the broccoli leaves are just touching, not shading one another.

I am extremely impressed with the graphic btw - did you just fill in a spread sheet? I can do that!

[gardengirl72]

Well, I do over plant based on traditional gardens. I think Mel's book Square Foot Gardening has the best planting charts based on square footage. I think I get away with over planting because my soil is hyper infused with organic matter allowing more plants to grow in less space.

This as well will be in the Ezine comming out!

[Cynthia]

I look forward to reading it!

[MoniDew]

I can't wait, either. I'm going to have to start from scratch this year. I've never gardened in raised beds, so I'll be starting with BUILDING the raised beds. I am going to have to plan where they'll go, and how to fill them. LOTS of work (but I've got about 80 extra pounds to burn off! So that will be just fine!)

[plantoneonme]

I can't wait, either. I'm going to have to start from scratch this year. I've never gardened in raised beds, so I'll be starting with BUILDING the raised beds. I am going to have to plan where they'll go, and how to fill them. LOTS of work (but I've got about 80 extra pounds to burn off! So that will be just fine!)


Since you are in OK I am sure your weather is better than ours right now (mid 20's). You can make one 4x8 ft square to start and then just start filling with whatever organic matter you can get your hands on. Layer with compost if you can get some or even manure from a nearby farm (if any). If you can chop or shred to help decompose faster. Cardboard on the bottom a few layers thick encourages worms also as they like to eat the glue. I like to use this as "fillers" and then top with a good 6" soil/compost/vermiculite mix. I can then plant pretty much right away. Google "Lasagna gardening" for more information.

Kim

[MoniDew]

FANTASTIC, Kim! Thank you!!!

[Mary Beth]

Hi Abbey,

I love the way you designed your garden on excel. I tried to design mine on Better Homes and Gardens website but it won't let list the plants that I want to use. Can you tell me how you did yours? I have extended my garden for next year by 6x8 ft.

Mary Beth :)

[MoniDew]

Geez, I was just about to get out the graph paper! Thank you for the tip of using Excel for this purpose! (The things you learn around here!) :cool:

[Sinfonian]

I agree, because of your design. I'm going to blow up the excel version of mine and remove all the house and fence line stuff. All I need to plant are the beds. Now why didn't I think of that?!

Thanks!

[quiltygirl]

We have no natural worms here. Actually, I don't remember seeing worms since we left Wisconsin for California in the 60's (as a child). If I buy worms and but them in my amended garden, will they survive?

[gardengirl72]

I think they will if you provide food, water and shelter. If you let em dry out, they will be done, and they need to be in a super rich compost environment so they have food.

I had no idea california had worm issues, it makes sence, but I never thought of it.

[Jen's Garden]

Wow, some people get really organised with their seed planting! I just line up all the seed packets I like and then plant a bit here and a bit there according to height. Maybe I should get more organised. Lol.

We have pretty dry soil in Australia too - being in a drought. I've resorted to planting succulents in parts of my garden so I don't have to water. Sometimes we don't get rain for over a month & in Summer we get a lot of over 40 C days. It's a real struggle to keep things alive. Last year I lost quite a few plants. This year I have a tank, but I need to keep most of the water just to keep the vegies alive.

[gardengirl72]

Hey Jen, where down under do you garden? And please share with me what works well in those drought conditions, if anything? I wonder if it is like the Southern California conditions?

[new500]

Okay last year was my first year. I started small with two raised beds. I found I started to later, because I did not get a big crop they were still now ripe when the first freeze came. I can tell you what though , what did come we ate as soon as it was ripe. You do not know how nice it was to just go in our back yard and pick it fresh. Even our neighbors watched and asked questions.

So when do I start my seedins?
How do I make a good compost bin ( I think this will be a good winter project)
How much do I plant for a family of 5?
I know baby steps, but even my kids ask me every day what can we do to start for next year.
HELP!

[MoniDew]

What you plant, when, has a lot to do with what gardening zone you live in.

I live in gardening zone 6b. Our "last possible chance of frost" date is listed as April 1st. The rule of thumb is to wait 2 weeks after your "last possible date of frost", for the ground to warm up, before you plant your warm weather veggies. (tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, vine crops like cuke's and zuke's, etc.)

Things I can get away with planting before that date (after mid march) are cruciforous veggies - cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc, peas, beets, hardier lettuces, hardier potatoes. I can also plant bare root trees for various fruits, and shrub/vine fruits like blueberries, raspberries, grapes, etc.

There are MANY here with MUCH more experience than I. They could tell you what they plant and when, and little tricks they use to be successful. Patti covers her rows in chilly Boston to extend her season. Someone here has a greenhouse they start things in, then transplant outdoors when it warms up.

You just play with it until you figure it out, I guess.

[AbbeyLehman]

I have updated my Excel plans for THIS (!!) year's garden....

The file also includes planting dates for all the veggies that I'm planting, allowing for staggered harvests. All you have to do is input the dates for your last & first frosts and it calculates approximate seed starting/transplanting dates for you.

If anyone wants a copy of it, please EMAIL me through my profile--not a private message--and I will send the file to you. I created it with Excel 2003.

:)
Abbey

P.S. I'm in Zone 5b/6a, if it matters to y'all...