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+--- Thread: Bed size? (/showthread.php?tid=831)
RE: Bed size? - Admin - 24-01-2021
I am a fan of edged beds made from 22mmx150 sawn timber, the wood needs replacing ever 7/8 years. The bed edges are lined with DPC which significantly increases their life span. I have all sizes of beds and all paths are least 600mm wide as I like to kneel when planting.
I used to have beds of equal sizes but looked like a cemetery
RE: Bed size? - Broadway - 24-01-2021
(24-01-2021, 08:09 PM)Vinny Wrote:The reason I asked this is because my main beds last year (1st year on the plot) were 3 x 1.5 metres, 3 of them. They did me proud but I found them a little large to manage easily.(24-01-2021, 07:24 PM)Broadway Wrote: Would knowing what you want to grow for the next 5 - 10 years dictate the sizings?Not really. I think 2 foot is a good width for any crop either in a single row ie brassicas, tatties or in double or treble rows for onions leeks etc.
Feel free to shoot me down if it's a stupid question
I like to grow a bit of everything and can't see a problem. As i said, this is just me thinking about what I am going to do and exploring options.
Because I want to try and grow a lot of perennial veg I'm going to use them for this, my thinking is once planted I shouldn't have to work them as much as annual beds?
As mentioned in other threads my annual beds for this year are a number of 120x80cm pallet collars, easy to manage (me thinks), I've left a wheelbarrow width between them. Granted I've probably wasted as much area as I plan to use but for now I think it's more then enough for me, I'm sure time will tell.
RE: Bed size? - Spec - 24-01-2021
I now have 3 raised beds 2 of them 6ft wide and 1 3ft wide but against a boundary fence, all have 2ft high sides which saves me having to bend and allows me to reach 3ft easily, the narrower one if I have something like potatoes planted in it, has drier soil possibly due partially to the fence shielding from the rain though the foliage acts as an umbrella shedding the water, in an average year I don't need to water the wider ones as the rain water gets to the soil, in the past I have found that the narrower beds are generally dryer, not a problem if you practice watering anyway, but that is not something I have to do, though last year was an exception (which I hope happens again
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RE: Bed size? - Spec - 25-01-2021
(24-01-2021, 04:38 PM)Vinny Wrote: First of all, for the younger readers I apologise for using imperial measurement as even though I can work in both imperial and metric I THINK in imperial.
Apologies accepted Vinny
RE: Bed size? - mcdood - 25-01-2021
If you use the no-dig system then the theory is that the compost you put over the top and the undisturbed soil underneath is less affected by compaction when stood on so bed width in theory becomes less of an issue. Personal experience: my beds have been established for quite some time and are in good nick so I don't worry about standing on them on occasion to make life easier and I do sometimes actually tread in the brassica beds to give the plants a firmer hold. Not sure how this would go with claggy clay underneath though.
RE: Bed size? - Bren - 25-01-2021
My beds are none raised 3ft 6in wide so I can easily reach from both sides, I don't dig apart from getting parsnips and JA's out of the ground.
RE: Bed size? - JJB - 25-01-2021
Definitely old fashioned here. Two big unedged patches approx 22' x 15', two narrow ones 20 x 6 ish. I use second hand scaffold planks to create moveable walkways on big beds when needed. Pathways are wide enough to let P now easily and corners of beds are rounded off to once again aid mowing. Whole lot gets dug where possible.