5 ms·

Slightly off topic, but what is it about raised beds? Why not till and fertilize the soil you already have?

by qq4 5y ago

lwb 5y ago
Texas checking in -- the dirt in my backyard is full of clay and totally unsuitable for growing anything other than grass and weeds. Many places are like this.
- qq4 5y ago
  That makes sense, and maybe I'm sweeping aside many places similar without thinking about them. In the Midwest I've always had good luck in the ground.
  - f-securus 5y ago
    The back loves raised beds compared to the alternative.
- afrodc_ 5y ago
  Finally got a home and am finding the same thing here in central Texas. At least with the crap soil the builders use to form the land around the foundation. My plan is to attempt to grow more deep rooted plants so their roots can break up the soil and die off when I trim them. Then aeration and topsoil composting. Still a work in progress so I have no idea if it'll work.
  - elmolino89 5y ago
    The clay soil usually has a low organic matter content. So bringing mulch, grass clippings etc. does improve several key factors for the plants to thrive. The problem with putting a layer of rotting grass/weeds on the top is that at least in some locations it will make a perfect slug/snail farm. So I prefer to burry it in shallow pits/trenches. Also probably any preferably dense plant cover protects the top layer from being backed by the sun and becoming brick-like.
bluGill 5y ago
There are a few advantages: the beds are raised do you don't have to bend over as far to tend them. The beds make it obvious where the place to walk is. The beds mean instead of rows of plants you have a contained solid mess which in turn means more plants per area (this is good for some plants, bad for others). Tilling is bad for soil and should be avoided whenever possible, the beds make it easier to not disturb the soil in ways that need tilling to fix. The beds allow you to have the type of soil best for the type of plant you are trying to grow - fertilizer doesn't change soil types. Nothing magical about it, there are some advantages to raised beds, but other than the ergonomics everything can be done in any other type of garden if you try.
- afrodc_ 5y ago
  Why is tilling bad for the soil? Genuinely curious as I've seen it as an option for my terrible salty clay soil at my house.
  - bluGill 5y ago
    Because it destories the root structure built up in the ground over the years. Those roots then break down quickly, and in turn the whole microbe profile is different. Sometimes tilling is still the best thing to do, but it isn't a good thing and should be avoided. On a different note, tilling also costs large amounts of energy. The less tilling your do, the less CO2 you are putting into the atmosphere (even if you do the tilling by hand with a shovel you are still emitting more CO2 than if you just sat in your easy-chair)
    - 0xffff2 5y ago
      >Because it destories the root structure built up in the ground over the years. Those roots then break down quickly, and in turn the whole microbe profile is different. Sometimes tilling is still the best thing to do, but it isn't a good thing and should be avoided. Does this still apply when talking about farming? I just started growing food this year, but once I've harvested the first crop and am planting the second crop of the season, the roots in the ground are surely going to break down quickly in any case, because I've harvested all of their tops, no? >even if you do the tilling by hand with a shovel you are still emitting more CO2 than if you just sat in your easy-chair I'm sorry, what? By that logic I should also never exercise.
blagie 5y ago
I live in an area which has been urban for ages. The soil, more than a few inches down, is full of toxic chemicals, including but not limited to lead. Raised bed, you know what you get.
teclordphrack2 5y ago
The last place I lived the house had been around for close to 100 years. Thats 100 years of humans using a 1/2 acre plot to fix cars, wash cloths, have sewage over flows, car mechanic mishaps, etc. The soil was not one that I would want to get food from. Also, when I moved to my current location if you watch the builders you see they first put down a foot or two of red clay/dirt/rock. Its no good for growing. Even if it was, after they get done building the house they have to grade the outside and have all kinds of construction debris that gets mixed in and covered up. You can't trust what you don't know.

Slightly off topic, but what is it about raised beds? Why not till and fertilize the soil you already have?

by qq4 5y ago

Slightly off topic, but what is it about raised beds? Why not till and fertilize the soil you already have?

lwb 5y ago

Texas checking in -- the dirt in my backyard is full of clay and totally unsuitable for growing anything other than grass and weeds. Many places are like this.

qq4 5y ago
That makes sense, and maybe I'm sweeping aside many places similar without thinking about them. In the Midwest I've always had good luck in the ground.
- f-securus 5y ago
  The back loves raised beds compared to the alternative.
afrodc_ 5y ago
Finally got a home and am finding the same thing here in central Texas. At least with the crap soil the builders use to form the land around the foundation. My plan is to attempt to grow more deep rooted plants so their roots can break up the soil and die off when I trim them. Then aeration and topsoil composting. Still a work in progress so I have no idea if it'll work.
- elmolino89 5y ago
  The clay soil usually has a low organic matter content. So bringing mulch, grass clippings etc. does improve several key factors for the plants to thrive. The problem with putting a layer of rotting grass/weeds on the top is that at least in some locations it will make a perfect slug/snail farm. So I prefer to burry it in shallow pits/trenches. Also probably any preferably dense plant cover protects the top layer from being backed by the sun and becoming brick-like.

bluGill 5y ago

There are a few advantages: the beds are raised do you don't have to bend over as far to tend them. The beds make it obvious where the place to walk is. The beds mean instead of rows of plants you have a contained solid mess which in turn means more plants per area (this is good for some plants, bad for others). Tilling is bad for soil and should be avoided whenever possible, the beds make it easier to not disturb the soil in ways that need tilling to fix. The beds allow you to have the type of soil best for the type of plant you are trying to grow - fertilizer doesn't change soil types. Nothing magical about it, there are some advantages to raised beds, but other than the ergonomics everything can be done in any other type of garden if you try.

afrodc_ 5y ago
Why is tilling bad for the soil? Genuinely curious as I've seen it as an option for my terrible salty clay soil at my house.
- bluGill 5y ago
  Because it destories the root structure built up in the ground over the years. Those roots then break down quickly, and in turn the whole microbe profile is different. Sometimes tilling is still the best thing to do, but it isn't a good thing and should be avoided. On a different note, tilling also costs large amounts of energy. The less tilling your do, the less CO2 you are putting into the atmosphere (even if you do the tilling by hand with a shovel you are still emitting more CO2 than if you just sat in your easy-chair)
  - 0xffff2 5y ago
    >Because it destories the root structure built up in the ground over the years. Those roots then break down quickly, and in turn the whole microbe profile is different. Sometimes tilling is still the best thing to do, but it isn't a good thing and should be avoided. Does this still apply when talking about farming? I just started growing food this year, but once I've harvested the first crop and am planting the second crop of the season, the roots in the ground are surely going to break down quickly in any case, because I've harvested all of their tops, no? >even if you do the tilling by hand with a shovel you are still emitting more CO2 than if you just sat in your easy-chair I'm sorry, what? By that logic I should also never exercise.

blagie 5y ago

I live in an area which has been urban for ages. The soil, more than a few inches down, is full of toxic chemicals, including but not limited to lead. Raised bed, you know what you get.

teclordphrack2 5y ago

The last place I lived the house had been around for close to 100 years. Thats 100 years of humans using a 1/2 acre plot to fix cars, wash cloths, have sewage over flows, car mechanic mishaps, etc. The soil was not one that I would want to get food from. Also, when I moved to my current location if you watch the builders you see they first put down a foot or two of red clay/dirt/rock. Its no good for growing. Even if it was, after they get done building the house they have to grade the outside and have all kinds of construction debris that gets mixed in and covered up. You can't trust what you don't know.