Heavy duty landscape fabric stops them for me so far. My beds are 4 years old with no moles yet.
better quality vegetables
- Thread starter Eli103
- Start date
Some pictures of my raised beds and grow bags.
this is some pontiac red potatoes, I learned to put a plastic trash bag under the grow bags to slow the evaporation and drainage of water.
I also learned to place the grow bags together to help retain moisture.
The full garden before I put the chip gravel down.
Early romaine lettuce
Brussel sprouts, start them early to get full production. The stalks get huge.
Newley Planted tomatoes with the trellis cattle panels
The beds from the other side.
I dont have pics but the squash, rhubarb, tomatoes and peppers from these beds are incredible. One bed grows 100 vidalia onions and I start long season plants among the leaf lettuce.
I really want to add 2 more beds for test crops and 1 stair step bed for everbearing strawberries.
EDIT; These are built of sawmill cypress
this is some pontiac red potatoes, I learned to put a plastic trash bag under the grow bags to slow the evaporation and drainage of water.
I also learned to place the grow bags together to help retain moisture.
The full garden before I put the chip gravel down.
Early romaine lettuce
Brussel sprouts, start them early to get full production. The stalks get huge.
Newley Planted tomatoes with the trellis cattle panels
The beds from the other side.
I dont have pics but the squash, rhubarb, tomatoes and peppers from these beds are incredible. One bed grows 100 vidalia onions and I start long season plants among the leaf lettuce.
I really want to add 2 more beds for test crops and 1 stair step bed for everbearing strawberries.
EDIT; These are built of sawmill cypress
Chapman
Well-Known Member
Looks really nice. Do you use the same soil mix in the grow bags and raised beds? What is your preferred mix?
Thank you.
The raised beds are a mix of compost, clay, top soil and a small amount of sand. Getting river sand right is a little difficult as too little in ineffective and too much will dry your beds out. Over time you will need to top beds up and I use bought humus compost and bagged garden soil.
In the grow bags I use humus compost, pine bark compost and top soil. This keeps the soil moist and soft. I have grown many things in the bags but have the most success with potatoes. I just pick the bags up and dump them out in a wheel barrow seperate my potatoes and put it all back in the bag including the vines. They both serve their own purpose but if I could do it over again I would add hardwood mulch to the beds because I still have some compaction. With all of this decay going on you have to remember to lime.
Ive grown lots of peppers in fabric pots. On average you will get larger plants and higher yield vs a hard pot. I just got another 20 pack of 7gallon bags off Amazon. They were around $26/20. I only get around 3yrs out of a fabric pot. A really cheap way is use the blue Walmart bags. They work fine for a year or more. I never put soil in any pot. Potting mixes only.
I used "onion sacks" for shade cloth. They are good for about a season.
These Walmart bags were 50cents each. The tubs from Dollar Tree were a buck. Just drill a hole in the tub about 2" from the bottom so it can drain.
I used "onion sacks" for shade cloth. They are good for about a season.
These Walmart bags were 50cents each. The tubs from Dollar Tree were a buck. Just drill a hole in the tub about 2" from the bottom so it can drain.
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The reason to use fabric pots is they are self pruning. The roots "air prune" at the end and more roots grow from the center. In a hard pot the roots swirl around the edge of the pot. Pull a plant out of a hard pot and look at the root ball. Its nothing like the root ball from a fabric pot. The only negative to a fabric pot is more care has to be given to the potting mix. Cant be too heavy or too light. They dry out faster so some shading and a drip pan will help a lot. Not a huge deal since peppers like soil a bit dryer. It would be a huge deal for a herb i grow that hates drying out. Vietnamese coriander has to stay wet or it dies fast in the heat of the summer.
There is a product called Panda film. Its also available as a bag but i dont use it. Its white on one side and black on the other. Plain old burlap works just fine as a shading material for fabric pots and a little EZ-Straw on top of the pots helps them stay cooler and wetter.
There is a product called Panda film. Its also available as a bag but i dont use it. Its white on one side and black on the other. Plain old burlap works just fine as a shading material for fabric pots and a little EZ-Straw on top of the pots helps them stay cooler and wetter.
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Man, I like the idea of the fabric pots too. Do you prefer those green pans or the tubs to set them in GMB54? For the potting mix, the local place here has a mix you can buy that's $45/yard. It a blend of mushroom compost, pine fines and sand. I also plan on adding some ashes from the fire pit to that blend.
Those green ones are EXPENSIVE right now. They are Hydrofarm 16" across the bottom and about 18" across the top. When i got them they were about $25/10. They are double that now but they are very good quality drip pans.
Amazon product ASIN B008XOSH78
The new bags im trying are Delxo grow bags. The first ones i got where Winners Outfitter brand. They went up too so im trying another brand.
Amazon product ASIN B086DHF34J
Root Pouch brand are even better and available in lighter colors but they are WAY more expensive too.
Amazon product ASIN B008XOSH78
The new bags im trying are Delxo grow bags. The first ones i got where Winners Outfitter brand. They went up too so im trying another brand.
Amazon product ASIN B086DHF34J
Root Pouch brand are even better and available in lighter colors but they are WAY more expensive too.
The local growers mix i can get is compost, aged pine fines and rice hulls. It dries out fast so it needs some peat moss added plus lime to sweeten the peat moss. I think its about $50 a yard if i go pick it up. Ive grown in it straight but a drip pan and daily watering are a must in the summer heat.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Gotcha. When you put them in those tubs and drill holes 2" from the bottom, do you keep water up to that 2" line (I'm guessing not due to root rot)? I have used 5 gallon buckets before and drilled holes in the bottoms and the sides.
In my climate and amount of normal rain the hole 2" from the bottom works fine. They are just white wash pans from Dollar Tree? They are a little too small for 7gal grow bags but the Walmart bags fit good enough. They are about 14"x11"
Yes i bottom water when needed. Just run a hose in the pan.
Yes i bottom water when needed. Just run a hose in the pan.
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Nimrod777
Well-Known Member
One of the best tips I can give you is not to overwhelm yourself. You've already heard from dozens on this thread, each of whom has a different plan, approach, and squash hill to die on.
Determine what things you really want to grow. YOU want, not you keeping up with the Joneses.
Research UT Extension's recommended varieties and cultivars. They're recommended because they were extensively tested in Tennessee.
DO get a soil test. Will cost $15, and your local UT Ext guy will have the kits.
Start composting; never stop.
Add new crops as you desire the harvest. Or, if you prefer, the "kill". Nothing like killing a truly homegrown garden raised tomato!
BetterDaniel
Well-Known Member
This year I did raised beds with a mix of topsoil, straw, and about a cup of 13-13-13 per 3 bags of top soil. Its my first time doing raised beds and so far I can't complain.
