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Raised bed question.
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We moved into our new house with a lovely garden. Efforts thus far have gone on general garden maintenance and the house. However, I really want to get back to growing my own veg, which I’ve always done in pots.
However, the new house has a big greenhouse and a decent sized raised bed. However, the raised bed is super weedy and hasn’t been used for a few years due to the ill health of the previous owner. So my question is, what should I do to prepare it for growing next year? Also is there anything in particular I should do to the greenhouse to get that ready?
I know these are pretty basic questions, but I just want to make sure I do what I need to do to give myself the best shot at growing things successfully.
Then I need to think about what to grow. Tomato’s, peas/beans, potatoes are all obvious ones for us. We love all of those. Carrots would be another good one. Then I need to think about what we’d want. 🤔
Any help or advice gratefully received right down to must have gardening tool essentials.
However, the new house has a big greenhouse and a decent sized raised bed. However, the raised bed is super weedy and hasn’t been used for a few years due to the ill health of the previous owner. So my question is, what should I do to prepare it for growing next year? Also is there anything in particular I should do to the greenhouse to get that ready?
I know these are pretty basic questions, but I just want to make sure I do what I need to do to give myself the best shot at growing things successfully.
Then I need to think about what to grow. Tomato’s, peas/beans, potatoes are all obvious ones for us. We love all of those. Carrots would be another good one. Then I need to think about what we’d want. 🤔
Any help or advice gratefully received right down to must have gardening tool essentials.
Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 37
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 37
0
Comments
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Congrats on the new house. For the raised bed, I'd get as much of the weeds out as possible, then cover for the winter. Hopefully one of the knowledgable allotmenteers will be along with some better pointers, but I understand old carpet is quite good (so long as the backing isn't coming off). For the greenhouse, I'd give it a bit of a clean now, then a good going over with something like Stardrops in Jan/Feb/Mar before you put your tomatoes in.
Something I learned to my cost when I moved here - on your initial greenhouse clean, make sure there are no glazing clips missing. Assuming you have those W shaped wire clips, then you need four per pane (not two). Replacement clips available online or pretty much every gardening centre. If you have panes missing, they significantly reduce the integrity of the structure, so I'd get them replaced asap. Glazing is usually standard sizes and most local glazing companies should be able to supply
Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?0 -
As above but I would suggest sowing a green manure over winter to dig in in the spring just to increase nurtrient level and to save having to cover it. |Clover or field beans would do it and would have the hopeful side effect of limiting weeds because nature abhors a vacuum.
Greehouse, check the door moves freely, adjust if it doesn't and same, wash well, clean any pots. Is the greenhouse on a hard standing or is it earth inside?
Garden tools wise, do not buy cheap ones, they will fall apart with any heavy or sustained work. Look for old tools at car boots or online, ebay for example, they last much longer and while you may have to replace a wooden handle, the metal will be of much better quality and easier to work with. Don't bother using newfangled or tools that claim to be time saving etc, they won't be, but do try new types if you think they will be helpful, such as a mattock, or ho-mi.Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi0 -
Also, you can plant garlic in October/November for pulling in June/July if you fancy which will give you a head start...you might even get away with kale now.Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi0
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Is the greenhouse on a hard standing or is it earth inside?
Thanks taff. The greenhouse is on earth with flags down the middle as a walkway.
I'm very excited. When I dig out the raised bed is it worth taking off a layer of top soil? To replace with something to enrich the soil as a top layer?Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
No, earth is earth, the nutrients need to be deeper down anyway because there's not much with shallow roots that you want to grow unless you grow onions or similar.
Start composting, there's nothing like your own because you know what's gone into it.
You will need to add nutrients to the soil in the greenhouse though as that's like a very limited raised bed, almost like pots, so that probably would benefit from having the top layer taken off, but don't chuck it, put it in the raised bed.Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi0 -
I'm going to ask my own post for advice over what type of green house to go for, but in planning your greenhouse I'd do as I am and get hold of some rotted manure, dig it into the greenhouse borders and let it over winter. The worms will do the rest and create a decent soil for direct growing. My uncle used to grow tomatoes using bottomless buckets so their roots went down into the border and used the nutrients whilst all he did was water and feed into the buckets direct, saving wasting water and tomato feed.
Over winter you could grow spring onions, sow sweet peas and early spring plant potatoes in the border they'll be out by the end of May.
Raised bed I'd get rid of as much weeds as I could, plant overwintering onions, sow broad beans and plant garlic.CRV1963- Light bulb moment Sept 15- Planning the great escape- aka retirement!0 -
Thanks guys. I’m sure I will have so many questions. When I finally get going.Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370
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