2024 Garden Thread

SAM said:
I'd be happy to give you a tour anytime. Let me know.

I have four 4x8' cedar boxes and a little 3' octagon box I bought as kits in 2017. I added a 2X16' cedar box I built myself in 2018 (the one with the snap peas, among other stuff). So, this is the 8th season of soil contact on the cedar and all the boxes are in pretty bad shape now. I'm holding them together with stakes on the sides and hardware cloth in some of the worst places. Some cedar planks have completely rotted and soil is leaking out at the corners in most of the boxes.

So, if I had it to do over, I'd go with a corrugated metal design. Something like @olegbabich posted looks good: corrugated metal boxes. Boxes can be built with longer lasting pressure treated 2x3 or 2x4 frames so that only the corrugated metal touches soil (and the soil doesn't touch the wood). This is an ideal design for long lasting boxes.

If I try to squeeze another season out of the cedar boxes, my raised beds will be piles of dirt and rotted wood. So, I'm looking at designs on YouTube (there are lots) and plan to build the replacement boxes this fall.
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I might have to take you up on that.

My YouTube guy is James Prigioni - comin to you live from Jersey! He's got a bunch of different garden beds. This was the latest



I like the boxes he can rest a cheek on, with a 2x6 or 2x8 ledge.
 
Weed block fabric has Soaker Hose underneath. The weeds still grew underneath, causing the weed block fabric to elevate. I've weighed it down the best I could with the bricks I had, I just never got around to putting mulch down on top, which would still propagate weeds.

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Did however, get this harvest last night.

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The other thing I may or may not have mentioned...earlier in the Spring (March) I took a soil sample to Rutgers. For the $50 or $75 it gave me an understanding that I need to lower my PH and I do not have to fertilize much at all.

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ekuhn said:
Weed block fabric has Soaker Hose underneath. The weeds still grew underneath, causing the weed block fabric to elevate. I've weighed it down the best I could with the bricks I had, I just never got around to putting mulch down on top, which would still propagate weeds.

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Did however, get this harvest last night.

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The other thing I may or may not have mentioned...earlier in the Spring (March) I took a soil sample to Rutgers. For the $50 or $75 it gave me an understanding that I need to lower my PH and I do not have to fertilize much at all.

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I like that they make a recommendation on how to bring the pH down.
 
ekuhn said:
Your garden tour was perfect. Plenty of ideas!

Square foot gardening seems to be very productive for you.
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Thanks. Square foot gardening in raised beds does work, but I tend to over plant a little.
 
SAM said:
I like that they make a recommendation on how to bring the pH down.
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Well worth the $50 or so. Easy to get to and drop off. Right by Route 1/Route 18 interchange.

Soil Testing Laboratory | Rutgers Cooperative Extension

The Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory provides New Jersey citizens with mechanical analyses of soil to meet the increasing agricultural and environmental needs of NJ.
njaes.rutgers.edu njaes.rutgers.edu
 
Luckily, I installed drip irrigation and it's just a one minute walk. Still hard to go out there when it's near 100º.

I ended up give away nearly everything I picked yesterday. Texted three neighbors with above photo and all wanted some.
 
Tried these Medium Rare Hybrids for one of my plants this year. A pink variety. Pretty good, so far.
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More Unagi cucumbers. From the pots in the garden and the pots on the deck.
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Picked some more onions and beets for roasting.
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