Veggie garden (forum)

Yuri starts with ...
I want to develop a veggie garden and was wondering what is the most suitable material for the retaining walls. The most common answer from the likes of Bunnings is untreated hardwood half sleepers. Does anybody have any other suggestions please?

Time: 21st June 2007 8:56pm

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About the Author Yuri
Gold Coast
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Matthew Gray says...
I have built a raised veggie patch using recycled bricks. I'm no bricklayer (just ask my wife!) but the garden edge is up to five bricks high, and forming a robust, water proof and termite-free edge. Every piece of timber lying in our yard has termites in it, including all the hardwood sleepers that made up the previous garden edges. One of the tricks is to put no mortar between the bricks, just butt them up close; this allows any excess water to drain away without rotting the plants, extra important in our hot wet summers (or at least the hot wet summers we used to have!).

Time: 21st June 2007 9:50pm

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About the Author Matthew Gray
Caboolture, Qld
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Kath says...
I did this the other way around as I needed a retaining wall and split it in two to include a raised garden bed in the middle of the walls. Rocks were our choice of material, at $16 per tonne they work out about the same price as bricks by the time they are laid. Termite proof and gorgeous. It is fantastic, has excellent drainage and weeding is no longer a back breaking chore as there is no bending and in the summer there are plenty of strawberries to enjoy along the length. I grow lots of greens, lettuce, cabbage and herbs, with my strawberries and flowers. The added bonus is that my frogs love it, I have at least six different types of ground dwelling and tree frogs in residence.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Picture: 2

Time: 22nd June 2007 9:45am

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About the Author Kath
Cawongla
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Correy says...
That is a fantastic idea Kath. Your place is coming along great. Rocks look a lot better then bricks and I bet they will age well. eg when rocks are old they will still look good.

Time: 22nd June 2007 11:13am

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About the Author Correy
Woolloongabba
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Gibbo says...
We have raised garden beds. Saves on the back later on. We used 1/2 garden soil and 1/2 mushroom compost. I tested the soil out on two 20m rows of murraya plants I planted first. I have included the pictures so you can see the difference. Both were planted at the same time and were the same size given the same amount of water and are 4m apart.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 22nd June 2007 2:30pm

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Jan says...
In response to Yuri. My garden beds are made from 200 x 50 mm treated hardwood sleepers. Treated will last longer than untreated. I've used 100 x 75 treated hardwood on the inside corners that I have drilled and bolted to hold them together. I have the corner uprights at 600mm high. The beds are one sleeper high at the moment but after each crop I will raise them by another sleepr with more compost and soil. My beds will be 600mm high to help with the back problems for the latter years. The next garden beds that I do I am going to make the uprights at 1800mm high. This way I can use them as the braces for trellis work. Hope this helps. You can make garden beds out of just about anything. You just have to have immagination. I've seen one that was made out of beer bottles compoed together and concreted on the inside edge. Very effective and different. The bottoms of the bottles were facing outwards. THe person admitted it was great drinking the beer to get the empties. And there wasn't any extra cost eccept for some cement and sand. As he already was a drinker. Now he is a recycler also.

Time: 22nd June 2007 9:51pm

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld.
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Dave Lambert says...
in spite of what you may be told...remember treated timber is treated with poisons..and even in homeopathic quantities poisons can do you harm.

Time: 24th June 2007 8:51pm

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Jan says...
Dave. I realise treated sleepers contain poison to do the job of repelling pest infestation. Unfortunately, most foods grown (whether it be vegies , fruit, meat or poultry) are treated with a poison of some form to reach maturity for sale. All treated foods have a withholding period before being released for human consumption. It would be nice to be able to grow or buy all food totally organic, but as a pensioner I can't afford to. As I said in my previous notes, garden beds can be made out of anything. Only limited by our imagination or pocket.I think if treated sleepers were going to poison us, it would have been found out by now and they would no longer be able to be sold to be used in our vegie gardens. Look at what they show about cigarette smoking and that doesn't deter many people at all. There are are a lot of things that people don't agree with in this world and this will probably be one of them. We can only try to do the best for ourselves. Everyones opinion helps each other to reach their own decision. Whether it be right or wrong.

Time: 25th June 2007 6:40pm

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Bundamba
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DellDGM says...
With regard to the treated sleepers - I spoke to the nurseries here (including a few stating to be organic friendly) when I went to make my vegies patches I had some old treated pine boards from a retaining wall that we took down when we extended our house and the general consensus (it only differed by the amount of years) that after being out in the weather for more than 2 years there would be no poisons left in them. Ours are about 13 years old now so well and truly poison free but yeat no sign of rot or breakdown - Old treated pine is quite cheap to pick up at garage sales and demolition sales so there is a cheap way to build a raised vegie patch.


Time: 29th June 2007 12:10am

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About the Author Delldgm
Adelaide
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Jan says...
Hi Dell. Thank you for your input. I think timber is treated with different types of poison depending on what their use is going to be. Garden timbers Usually state CCA Treated. What the CCA stands for I don't know. I worked for a tile company 20 years ago and the wooden pallets that came in from overseas had to be treated against bug and vermon infestation. We were warned about these pallets not to use them in any fires not even for fireplaces and definately not in Barbys. The poison used in the pallets was very harmful to humans if the smoke when burned was breathed in. I've seen people have aviaries made from treated timber without any problem to the birds. As long as the birds are not of any of the hooked beak varieties. Hooked beak birds tend be chewers of timber. Pointy beak don't have a problem with it. But if anyone is worried about using treated timber, the easiest way is not to use it. I use the CCA treated sleepers and have no worries about doing so.
HAPPY GARDENING EVERYONE.

Time: 29th June 2007 8:42pm

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld.
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Gourd says...
CCA stands for the three ingredients it is made up from, Copper, Chromium, Arsenic. the cromium and arsenic are carcinogenic to humans so using it in a wet area like a vege bed is probably not a great idea :)

a good alternative is redgum sleepers you can buy at bunnings or any recycled untreated hardwood timber, with so many options, why one would go for CCA is beyond me.


Time: 9th July 2007 9:33pm

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About the Author Gourd
Victoria
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Suzy says...
Hi there,

This is directed to Matthew Gray (re the use of bricks as the walls, 5 bricks high) in the hope you might still read this a few weeks after your post - sorry to be a derr, but could you explain how you mean to 'butt them up' against each other? How does the wall stay upright, with the soil pressing against it from the inside of the garden bed - I'm sure there is a simple answer, but I would love to know a bit more!
We have veggie beds that we built with untreated hardwood 4 years ago. Termites haven't got them yet, but I am sure either they, and/or the weather, will eventually break them down over the next 2 or 3 years. When that happens, it would be good to replace them with something as practical as reclaimed house bricks or similar.

Thanks!

Time: 25th July 2007 2:43pm

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About the Author Suzy2
Coffs Harbour
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Scott G says...
(Suzy, I too would like to know how the bricks say up!)

My vege garden is on a gentle slope so I hold the soil back with sleepers like a stair case with each step only one sleeper high. The sleepers are held back with stub star-pickets.

Leeching of the poisons into my soil was a concern of mine so I bought old railway sleepers. I also like the rustic look of them. As an added bonus these old sleepers don

Time: 27th July 2007 12:55pm

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About the Author Scott G
Gold Coast
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Kath says...
Bricks would need to be stuck together with some morter to keep them stable and safe unless they are retaining wall bricks which step back and have a lip at the back to hold them in place.

Time: 30th July 2007 12:15pm

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About the Author Kath
Cawongla
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Katrina says...
Where can you get the old sleepers from?

Time: 31st July 2007 3:44pm

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About the Author Katrina2
nundah
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Jan says...
Hi Katrina. You could try Sapar landscaping supplies or any of the larger landscape supplies and if they can't help, you could give Queensland Railways work dept a try to see who they offload them to. Regards Jan.

Time: 31st July 2007 11:13pm

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld
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Scott G says...
I Might have got some 4 years ago from Preston Landscape Supplies. A year ago I got sleepers from Builders Depot (in Molendinar on The Gold Coast). They haven't always had them in stock. I would think it is just a matter of ringing around. When I bought 2 a year ago they had gotten very expensive and I had to wait for them to "come in". I was told they had become very popular and QLD rail had very little to distribute. The lot that I got some from had to come from NSW. They were longer and in very bad condition.

Time: 1st August 2007 2:50pm

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About the Author Scott G
Gold Coast
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Paul says...
I am interested in what people are saying about built up gardens. I am about to commence this method of gardening and I would like to know the best ingredients along with the Red soil from Alsonville. I intend making a base of sand with a black plaqstic over the top on a gentle slope to capture the excess water after it has perculated past the roots of the vegetable plants and being captured for re use. Has anyone ever used macadamia husks(ground) to include in the soil.

Time: 10th August 2007 3:49pm

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About the Author Paul3
Alstonville
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ashe says...
great idea kath where did the bricks
come from and who laid them


Time: 10th August 2007 7:01pm

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About the Author 12
bilambil hgts
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ioian says...
I used old railway sleepers from the cane train that was stopped when they closed the sugar mill on the sunshine coast - I was looking for ages for untreated sleepers and ended up buying them direct from the farmer who owned the tracks. Some timber places get them every now and then, but they are scarce. There are also concrete replicas they make now - $20 each though for about a metre long - ouch!

There is an interesting US study into CCA. The conclusion of which is below. They say that the levels should be ok for adults but long time ingestion could be a problem.
I don't think I would want to be ingesting Arsenic from home gardens - especially when growing vegies at home is mainly to avoid chemicals.
Apparently CSIRO says that lining the garden with plastic is the way to go if you have CCA timber.

---
Chromated copper arsenate

Time: 27th August 2007 11:44pm

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About the Author ioian
sunshine coast
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Bazza says...
For Katrina/Jan,
You will not have any success approaching Qld Rail. I retired as a Station Master from QR in 2000 and was still receiving calls of that nature after we had been running Trains on "cement" for many years. Even the old sleepers in my photo are not available here now but you will notice "off cuts" which i use from country saw mill at 3 bucks a piece. The other photo shows what is plentiful from garden supplierss

All The Best Bazza
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Picture: 3

Time: 28th August 2007 1:17pm

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About the Author BazzaBundaberg1
Bundaberg Aus
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Tom says...
I too, was looking for a cheap alternative to build a backyard vegie garden. After a while of looking at different methods and styles the easiest method I have come up with is the re-use of old fridges. These are cheap (cost nothing), long/deep enough for vegies and very portable.
Simply remove door/s and any internal fixtures, drill drainage holes and place in a suitable location. Eventually they will rust out, but this is a good time to renew the soil mix and discard the old fridge.

Time: 9th September 2007 8:11am

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Ipswich
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Paul says...
Thanks Tom that seems a good idea, its a great way to re-use old fridges.

Paul

Time: 9th September 2007 5:34pm

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Alstonville
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deb says...
i use plynth boards for housing they are cheper, bricks are good too

Time: 30th September 2007 12:10pm

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melb
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deb says...
what timber do you use as a surround in these pics

Time: 30th September 2007 12:12pm

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Leona says...
Our raised beds are made out of Super 6 and have the metal capping on top...this is the same as our fence so it all matches in and its relatively cheap and easy to install (just dig it partly into the ground)

Time: 30th September 2007 9:44pm

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About the Author Leona
Perth
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Jared says...
Paul from Alstonville - as for garden beds with red soil, Gbah is similar soil, we condition with horse manure (there is one guy who sells reasonable bags of it on the Ballina Highway between the Regatta estate (he is on the grass verge 100 metres past the Oliver Avenue intersection) and the Gbah 2lm centre and another place, a property on the left side of the road between the Alstonville Maze Place and the turn off to go to Rous School), also use homemade compost from grass clippings, vegi scraps, other greenery that has been clipped.

Anything else you can add to stop the red soil turning to clay everytime it rains, such as shredded palm fronds, mulched branches, farmers friends that have been stewed (get an old wheelie bin, add farmers friends and rain water, then close and leave to cook for several months, they dont sprout as the seeds have rotted by then). Cardboard and shredded newspaper break down as well, although if you want totally organic then the glue in the cardboard may be an issue.

We have used macca shells (and whole maccas that have been bored into etc) in the front garden (not all vegies there) but a warning, dont use them anywhere you or children are likely to walk barefoot. We havent had the macca shells in mass quantity (we have one mature tree) but the shells and the husks seem to be breaking down at an ok rate and none of the plants (mixture of natives, citrus, herbs, coleus and lavenders) seem to mind them.

Oh and the teatree mulch from Richmond Sand & Gravel is great, a little bit pricey but well worth it, and it breaks down really fast if dug in, but if left on top it is quite a good mulch. Warning - it can give you nasty splinters, so wear gloves when doing the original mulching.

Hope that helps!

Time: 2nd October 2007 1:44am

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About the Author Jared
Goonellabah
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Jared says...
Railway sleepers, um lets see, side of the road anywhere in NSW where there is a train track(seriously, nsw rail lets them rot on the side of the roads, I have seen many piles of them sitting for years, some are that grown over with vegetation you would think it was a natural mound (wish i had a trailer or ute!)

Time: 2nd October 2007 1:45am

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About the Author Jared
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Jared says...
CCA, well my girlfriend used to work at a plywood factory as weekend casual, they were warned when working with the treated ply and had to wear gloves at all times and report any splinters immediately. She said that on occasion a board would graze just above the glove at the wrist and would cause quite nasty rashes, even when it didnt open the skin during contact.

Also they had to wear masks to avoid inhaling any dust when working with or shifting the treated boards or veneers.

Coppers logs apparently no longer have the same "treatment" formula, but they were never recommended for contact with food producing gardens.

Time: 2nd October 2007 1:50am

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About the Author Jared
Goonellabah
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Paul says...
Thanks Jarred for that information. I am going to make a raised vegie patch by using coppers logs posts cut legthways in half and then use old 4X2 hardwood timber attached to the coppers log on the inside of the garden so that the soil only comes into contact with the hardwood timber. When done I will post a photo.

Paul

Time: 2nd October 2007 1:18pm

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About the Author Paul3
Alstonville
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Cindy says...
I came across this site in my search for raised garden bed ideas. So far I think this is the cheapest and easiest way to make the beds and will be how I plant out my veges. Not quite sure though how to keep 3 large dogs off it.....
http://www.lensgarden.com.au/straw_bale_garden.htm

Time: 4th October 2007 4:53pm

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About the Author Cin
Central Coast NSW
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Elvie says...
Well I am in the process of setting out a new vegetable garden and thought I would share with you all the process for a no dig, raised garden which I first read about in the late 70's. This can be built directly on top of the ground, weeds and all, or concrete or on a high-rise balcony without any problem. I have built this garden many years ago and you could literally see the vegies growing! Impresse the nwighbours totally. You can use whatever material to contain the bed, but I have some old redgum 250mm x 50mm planks and will need to see what is available to extend the bed sizes. Firstly, place newspapers 10mm deep and overlapping to restrict the weeds. (Easy to collect with help of friends) Next add biskets of lucerne as they come from the bale (a bit expensive at present with the drought), and sprinkle with organic fertilizer. Next spread with about 150mm straw and finally add 75-100mm good compost/manure about 450mm width in growing rows. Seeds or seedlings can be grown directly into this. After the summer crops it all will have broken down somwhat so just add more compost ready for winter planting. It doesn't require any digging so is easy on the back. Planting a combination of vegetables, herbs and flowers, if liked, works very well. Good luck.

Time: 7th October 2007 7:15pm

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ioian says...
I thought I would share with you all some pics of my raised garden beds since it is spring and the plants are starting to come alive! I used salvaged sleepers from an old cane train track. Concreted in the posts and then just slotted in the sleepers - cutting them to size of course because these sleepers were all slightly different lengths. Getting everything level was certainly a challenge - especially since the beds are located on a slope to one side.
I also installed an integrated watering system with a computer tap at the house to give them water every second morning. Seems to work well for a full-time worker who doesn't always get the time in the garden he wants :)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
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Picture: 3

Time: 24th October 2007 9:03am

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About the Author ioian
sunshine coast
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Rev says...
I just thought id mention that weve had great results this year using biochar

which is essentially fine charcoal made from any organic matter

manure is hard to get, even in the country - as in you either need a car and trailer and time, or you need many times more effort and a strong back to lug it home in the hot sun

so were using 50:50 char with compost
and add to this either organic or synthetic fertiliser as needed.

Charcoal is quite extraordinary in its long term stability and effects on plant and soil fertility. and in the immediate term it improves soil structure and water reteteion while not messing with the Carbon nitrogen ratio. so you can char sawdust and dig it in, whereas digging it in raw would ruin the soil for years.

i make the char in an ex oil drum or as earth covered charcoal mounds
if you are interested look into it. here are some leads. expect youll hear more anyway as the whole issue heats up due to biochar being a low cost long term carbon sink that improves the environmnet at the same time

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/biochar/Biochar_home.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
http://sciam.com/article.cfm?articleid=5670236C-E7F2-99DF-3E2163B9FB144E40

Time: 20th November 2007 9:31pm

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About the Author RevNQ1
Tabulam
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Rev says...
one other important thing - it makes weedy mulch a non issue

once its roasted to char the seed is long dead

Time: 20th November 2007 10:09pm

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Tabulam
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Sharyn says...
This is a query for Jan of Bundamba: as we live in the same local area I am wondering how your vegies cope in the summer heat. My husband and I want to start a garden but are clueless to how it will go. Everything I read says to plant just about everything at this time of the year but will it grow! Do you use shadecloth for sun protection or do the plants manage to withstand this dry, hot heat? We moved here a few years ago and I would really love some local advice. Cheers

Time: 27th January 2008 4:28pm

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About the Author Sharyn
Riverview
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Jan says...
Hi Sharyn.
Iv'e given up with my veg garden purely because of the water shortage. I felt guilty each time I bucketed some water on the garden. I decided to put in a good variety of fruit trees. All doing quite well. Without having to water on a daily basis. When we can afford a water tank, then We will start up the veg again. My email is janek57@optusnet.com.au if you would like to contact me. Regards Jan.

Time: 28th January 2008 7:53am

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld
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kim says...
Hi Sharyn,
I used to live in Redbank Plains but moved to Greenbank about 3 years ago. Have been growing amaranth,snake beans, bitter melon, angle luffa, buttercrunch lettuce, okra, kangkong, and some other asian vegies. If you require more info, my email is hakimchiew@yahoo.com.au
regards, Kim

Time: 28th January 2008 9:15pm

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About the Author kim2
greenbank, Qld
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Sharyn says...
Thanks to Jan & Kim for your friendly offers of help. I'm very eager to start my patch, once the weather cools off that is. If anyone would like to help a newbie with advice please do so! My email is sih37@optusnet.com.au. Thanks again and Cheers to all

Time: 29th January 2008 2:53pm

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Riverview
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Paul says...
Well thanks you lot (said with a smile) after reading all the comments on treated pine for raised garden beds and having just paid fo 100 250x50 treated pine boards to make my new gardens I'm feeling rather sick now.

I think I will be double lining them with black plastic.

Thanks for the interesting reading.

Time: 1st February 2008 2:19pm

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About the Author Paul7
Sydney
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Jan says...
Hi Paul.

Black plastic lining sounds a good idea. Even let it go under the sleepers. I think it would help retain moisture fairly well. And still be able to drain through the earth below. Good luck with the patch.

Regards Jan.

Time: 2nd February 2008 2:07pm

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld
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John says...
Hay Jan, the reason the pro's stopped using black plastic is that it basicly destroys the ground underneath.

Time: 2nd February 2008 5:06pm

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About the Author John10
SB South Australia
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Jan says...
Hi John.

I was meaning to line only the insides of the sleepers and go just under the edge of the sleepers at the base. Not to cover the bottom of the garden as well. That would make a pond. The bottom to be kept just as bare earth. Plastic on the sides only, would slow down the evaporation from the surrounding air. And allow the moisture to go down deeper into mother earth.

Regards Jan.

Time: 2nd February 2008 7:17pm

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About the Author Jan5
Bundamba Qld
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Neil says...
Hi Jan i have just bought some railway sleepers from a place next to the Big Orange on the wat to Toowoomba they have 3 grades available they have done the trick for me

Time: 24th March 2008 4:09pm

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Minden
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garry says...
I am looking at a small vegie/fruit tree/herbs garden bed 10m long by 1.3m wide & was going to use sleepers; as it's close to the house I am concerned about termites so was going to buy treated but now I am trying to work out how Matthew Gray (21/6/07 entry)built a wall with household bricks butted up & no mortar. Does anyone have any ideas?

Time: 7th April 2008 10:11am

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Palm Beach
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Kathryn says...
The best product is Ozlogs, it is made on the Gold Coast to look like old weathered sleepers but it is actually made of cement. It comes in various lengths and can also be used stacked for a retaining wall. It is a bit pricey but looks very realistic, lasts a long time and does a good job.


Time: 8th April 2008 2:53pm

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Paul says...
Regarding the use of treated pine, I can't see any problem if you line the side with two layers of black heavy duty plastic. Not only would it stop any contemination but also reduce evaporation


Time: 8th April 2008 10:32pm

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Alstonville
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Dekka says...
Paul, you could line the inside of a treated-pine garden border with twenty layers of plastic but it still won't make it safe. The CCA chemicals leach out of the timber down into the soil and then the plant roots draw these up again. Consuming produce from a home vege/fruit garden that has this kind of treated-pine border is likely to have an accumulative effect internally and cause serious health issues.

Time: 9th April 2008 8:13am

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Rose says...
Since we need only small amount of veges for home consumption, I used old tyres from a service station (free). Now that you've mentioned health issues, is there any in using tyres?

Time: 9th April 2008 1:42pm

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Dekka says...
My understanding is that tyres are very stable chemically when in contact with soil. It is when they are ignited that they become a toxic problem. The only trouble with old tyres is once you've got them there very hard to get rid of because no-one wants them. My local tip will accept tyres if they have been sliced into quarters (a laborious task, especially on steel-belted) and then charges handsomely to do so.

Time: 9th April 2008 4:23pm

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shaz says...
I agree with Dave. Why buy treated pine if we dont have too?? Why buy bleached toilet paper if we dont have to. Buy buy refined processed harmful foods if we dont have to?? It is up to each individual whether they buy into the harmful substances or not. There is a lot of stuff out there that we are able to buy because shops sell it, doesnt mean to say its right. ie windex is top on the list for toxic substances, it is allowed on the market and we still buy it!! Plastics in kids toys is harmful they still sell it. harmful carcinogens in things we buy that are known to cause cancer, they are still buyable from shops!!I dont personally. Id say to anyone dont be fooled, just because it's on the market doesnt mean it's safe for us.Thanks for the tip dave as I will be starting my own organic raised bed soon. I wont use treated pine. When we have no control over how the food we buy is treated I say.....
buyer beware. At least when we grow our own we know what is going into our food. Happy growing everyone!!

Time: 19th April 2008 10:47pm

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shaz says...
Also isnt that the main reason most of us do the home grown thing because we are dispondent about the quality/chemicals etc in the food we buy.
I know I am concerned about what I buy.

Now back to the new garden I am going to build.... When I first build the garden bed up can I do so over the grass and just put down layers of newspaper to kill it off, or do I have to dig it up??

can anyone pls advise, this is all very new to me. I am a working single mother and dont want back breaking digging-up-lawn-hardwork if I can get away with it.

Thankyou. I love this forum, it has been great reading.

Do any of you have your own worm compost/castings??? How does this work for you. I understand these little worms are an allie in any vegie garden.

Time: 19th April 2008 11:23pm

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Dekka says...
Shaz, When you use the newspapers make sure you have good overlap to stop the grass working its way thru. On the subject of worm-farms I just try to keep the ones in my soil happy. Buying and introducing store-bought composting worms merely displaces the worms that are native to your own area, i.e, you create a feral worm problem.

Time: 20th April 2008 12:58pm

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Deb says...
Shaz, I too am in Perth. I put down a very thick layer of newspaper, well wetted and then placed an metal water tank over the top (with an old hose on it if the top is sharp) then place jarrah sawdust around the outside to deter snails. Fill it up with organic soil ("gods gift to gardeners" - see gardener direct online - they deliver too) and plants and you are all done. You can be harvesting small amounts in weeks. There are a few places in Perth you can get organic seedlings and seeds from too so you know they have been loved from the beginning ... :) Cheers

Time: 4th May 2008 1:56pm

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Anonymous says...
"shaz says...
Also isnt that the main reason most of us do the home grown thing because we are dispondent about the quality/chemicals etc in the food we buy.
I know I am concerned about what I buy."

i do it for price and for flavour more than chemicals. its my impression that the chemical use in australia is sufficiently regulated that its a lesser concern
what concerns me more is watery flavourless old produce - i know this cant be good for me

"dekka says
Buying and introducing store-bought composting worms merely displaces the worms that are native to your own area, i.e, you create a feral worm problem. "

i dont think is true. i have 5 species ive counted in my garden and they all co-exist in the same matrix, but occupying and using different parts
Compost worms - reds and tigers live in the mulch, while the huge native ones go deep in the mineral soil
and the Blue worms live only near the surface

native worms are better adapted to forests and pastures, than the massively enriched and irrigated soils of a vegetable garden


Time: 5th May 2008 11:58am

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Julie says...
Some friends of mine ran a small organic market garden some years ago. They used concrete slabs (2' x 2', don't know the metric equivalent) on edge for their veggie beds.
They are large enough to put almost halfway into the ground and still be very stable. Or, don't bother digging them in, just stand on edge and hold in place with strong wire wrapped around.
You can sometimes get these cheaply when people recycle them. Also, try a 'wanted' ad in your local paper.
I also came across a picture of beds made of huge irrigation pipe, cut in half legthways.A company was giving it away (in Perth) but can't remember who. I will put the info out there if I remember or come across it again.

Time: 5th May 2008 7:56pm

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tannille king says...
hi my name is tannille king i am 14 years old and in grade 8 i have a asiment to do and i need info on gardens can you tell me a lot about it please i never made a garden

Time: 7th May 2008 1:44pm

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queensland (tully)
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Deb says...
Hi Tannille

It's sad you have never made a garden, they are great fun and you get so much out of them! What exactly is your assignment about; is it about making a garden, maintaining a garden, gardening in your state or something else? Do you have particular questions you would like to ask people or perhaps some general questions? You do need to remember what you may hear on here will be people's opinions and thoughts and you may need some facts that you can back up. Cheers

Time: 12th May 2008 6:56pm

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Yuri says...
Dekka said "Buying and introducing store-bought composting worms merely displaces the worms that are native to your own area, i.e, you create a feral worm problem.". Sorry Dekka but this is totally wrong. The imported worms only survive in a rich, wet environment such as in a worm farm. They don't survive in the environment of our natives which is much too harsh but in which our natives thrive. That is also the reason our natives aren't used in the worm farms; it's too wet and rich for them.
To everybody that has contributed to this forum discussion, many many thanks. It's been quite amazing to see the wide variety of responses and ideas. I had no idea of what I was starting when I asked the fairly simple original question.
BTW, I have decided to use untreated hardwood half sleepers bolted together at the corners to posts that will serve as corner supports as well. I will post photos once the project has been completed. But don't hold your breath waiting; it might be a while before it is done.
Once again, thank you one and all.
Yuri.

Time: 12th May 2008 9:17pm

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Gold Coast, QLD
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Scott says...
This site has been great. We have built our new home and tried to make it as eco friendly as our budget would allow when it comes to hooking rain water to the house and gardin and various other things. We also have two compost bins and at the moment and nothing to use it on. So I was just looking around the net to see how to build a raised vegie patch. I was going to head down the treated pine option, but you have knocked that on the head so im back to redgum sleepers. Bit more pricey but safer. Our patch wont be all that big only 4mx1m but it should be enough for our family.

Thanks for the advice especially the cardboard as the base as we have plenty of empty moving boxes.

Cheers
Scott

Time: 6th June 2008 5:10pm

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Adelaide (SA)
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Glory says...
Hi guys, anyone knows, what is the name of this veggie. Its leaves like an opened cabbage leaves. But the leaves are so curly and stems are so green. One of my friend said it has lots of nutrients. I stir fry the leaves, it is so tasty. Thanks Glory
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 16th June 2008 6:32pm

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Melbourne
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Anonymous says...
I believe it may be a greek mountain lettuce that we boil or steam then add some olive oil salt peper and lemon juice. If yuou drink a cup of this mineral juice after cooking, this cleans out you kidneys and liver of bad things. Works with spinch to. Sorry mums not here to get the name of it.

Time: 16th June 2008 7:50pm

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Paul says...
Have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts, particularly about treated pine. We have just bought a house and with it came multiple treated pine sleepers which the previous owners had left for us. This was not the traditional green treated pine but was pine covered with a black substance, only on the outside. Does anyone know if this contains different (more garden friendly??) chemicals than the traditional treated pine. I was thinking about covering them with heavy-duty plastic, joining them together and then using them as a raised edge for a vegie patch. Any thoughts?

Time: 23rd June 2008 9:42am

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Gawler
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Steve says...
Re.treated pine,i have used treated pine on several occations over the years and found that the large worm population has not become effected,is this a good measure of toxicity or lack of?

Time: 23rd June 2008 6:12pm

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Northcoast
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Dekka says...
Steve,
Worms are the most abundant animals on the planet and their mere presence wouldn't necessarily indicate that they they are uncontaminated by polluted soil. Just as the existence of fish can't be conclusive proof that a body of water isn't polluted or that the presence of birds means the air is clean. The point is:- Why use CCA treated Pine in food gardens when there are heaps of alternatives?

Time: 23rd June 2008 8:55pm

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Newcastle
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Glory says...
Hi I haven't got the name of this veg. Is any know where can i get the seedlings for this veg? I am so desperated. I tried in the nursery and the veg shop. No one knows the name. Thanks.
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Time: 25th June 2008 12:11am

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Melbourne
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justjuice says...
Kath: Great retaining wall. How do you make it? Do you need to cement the stones together? I'm a real newbie when it comes to landscaping, but I can't afford a landscaper so would like to try myself. Thanks!

Glory: Can you post some larger pictures - it's quite hard to see. Thanks.

Time: 25th June 2008 5:14pm

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Glory says...
Kath the photo was taken by mobile. if i have a chance to see the veg. again i will take it by camera. Sorry kath.

Time: 26th June 2008 12:37pm

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Tran says...
Hi Glory,
I have a catalogue from EDEN SEEDS. Checked the picture and yours and I am quite certain it is CHOU MOELLIER (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
http://www.edenseeds.com.au/content/seeditem.asp?id=187

Please note the website display 2 items the picture is for KALE. They do not post this vegie but in my catalogue I have a picture of it. it looks almost identical to the one in your picture.

Good luck.
Tran

Time: 26th June 2008 1:04pm

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Glory says...
Thank you Tran

Time: 26th June 2008 1:10pm

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Melbourne
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B says...
i have made my veggie patch out of the new 'lite wall' blocks that don't require any mortor - they just lock in together and are filled with sand for stability. heres some pictures. just click on them to see them. You can easily raise the height by adding another layer on top. Too easy!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 26th June 2008 1:57pm

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Perth
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justjuice says...
Wow, B. Your patch looks really great! Edible, artistic, what more could you ask for! How do they lock into the ground, though? I mean, what's to stop the whole thing falling over?

Time: 26th June 2008 10:14pm

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Melbourne
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B says...
Hi Justjuice. thanks for your feedback. You can bury the bottom layer which you would do if you were going to build a higher wall. The next layer also sort of locks into the layer underneath for stability too. they really are a great way to build - you don't need any experience at all. Just a weekend!

Time: 27th June 2008 11:40am

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Perth
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lynne says...
Re picture of vegetable - yes I think it is kale too. CERES in Brunswick and I think Morrison Brothers in Doncaster have them at the moment

Time: 27th June 2008 7:53pm

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Matt says...
All this talk about treated versus untreated sleepers for my raised garden bed has confused me alot. The timber yard said there was no problem using treated (as they would) . Even told me arsenic wasn't used anymore (despite it still being called CCA. I've been told to steer clear of untreated woods , hard or otherwise unless I want my house infested with the termites that WILL come. The concrete sleepers are 50 bucks a pop and weigh 40 kgs each, not friendly at all. I'd managed to convince myself to use treated wood and plastic but now even the plastic doesnt help. Does anybody know where I can get a diffinitive answer regarding using treated wood, or the likelihood of termites turning my house into their own vege garden if I go untreated, even those which are apparently "termite resistent".

Time: 5th July 2008 2:03pm

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Coomera
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Wayne says...
If you really want to use timber Matt try and get Stringy Bark, yellow preferably, as white ants will not touch it, do you have any sleeper cutters in your area. Old bridge timber, used bricks from a demolition yard

Time: 5th July 2008 2:50pm

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Scott G says...
Hi Matt

I am in Nerang. My neighbor

Time: 5th July 2008 3:35pm

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Robyn says...
I would agree that bricks are the way to go you do not know what treatments may have been applied to old railway sleepers creosote would be a big possibility. You can get bricks from second hand building centres and often people sell off leftover bricks from new houses.
I have also used old roofing tiles for edging.
Old roofing iron is another option but would need to cap the top with timber so you don't cut yourself on the sharp edge.
I would not use treated pine.
You can always mound up your soil and use a spade to cut an edge to keep the grass out.

Time: 6th July 2008 6:02pm

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Carolyn says...
I am wanting to turn an old pond into a veggie patch. It has been painted with grey pond paint. I realise I'd need to drill holes in it for drainage, but can anyone else think of any potiental problems? My concern is that the paint or the concrete may contaminate the soil. Is anyone in the the know about soil contamination?

Time: 18th July 2008 9:22pm

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Dekka says...
The mystery paint may contain any number of nasties depending on its age, including anti-fowling chemicals.
An acid growing media such as a vege garden may react with the concrete, producing salts but this is not as big a worry as the unknown paint.


Time: 19th July 2008 7:46am

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Newcastle
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HP says...
We are looking to build some raised vege garden beds within the next few weeks so this forum has been really interesting for us.

We are still debating the pros and cons of each building product and were worried that if we chose to use bricks they may transfer too much heat into the soil and make it dry out too much. Does anyone have any views on this??

One other note - Dekka, your advice would be much easier to take if it was put forward as a useful opinion or suggestion rather than a correction to everyone else's equally valuable posts.

Time: 20th July 2008 9:59pm

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Dekka says...
To HP of Canberra,
I am somewhat baffled by your decision to single me out among the hundreds of contributors to this forum. In fact, the only time I have corrected someone was when Yuri said I was "...totally wrong" about introduced worms and I merely offered him factual evidence to support my comment. If you don't like my comments about worm farms that's OK but, fair go...'EVERYONE else'?... Are you fairdinkum?!! All I have done is answer questions honestly and maybe try to prevent people from feeding their families Copper Chromium Arsenate.
I suppose I should remember the adage that "ignorance is bliss" and promise never to encroach upon your bliss again. Happy gardening.

Time: 21st July 2008 9:10am

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Glory says...
Hi Guys I got a Kale Cabbabge seeds from Eden seeds. I like to grow it now. Please give me some ideas. Normally the seeds easily grow in autumn weather. I don't like to wait for the next autumn. Thanks

Time: 21st July 2008 9:34pm

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Melbourne
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HP says...
Apologies Dekka, I shouldn't have used such a broad generalisation -not 'everyone else', just enough to catch my attention. I have no intentions of using anything treated so was interested in your responses there just found them a bit abrupt. Anyways, was just a bit of feedback.

I am still very interested in your valuable answer to the question in my post if you have any thoughts.

Time: 21st July 2008 9:35pm

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Dekka says...
No worries, HP.
Regarding your bricks question, there are a lot of variables.
Yes, brick, concrete and stone will warm up in the sunshine but this can be a good thing depending on what you are growing. Generally, a warm root zone will stimulate root development and subsequent plant growth unless it is a plant that enjoys very cool roots like Clematis for example.
As you live in Canberra, the heat-sync properties of brick may help keep your plants warm through cold winter nights as long as the bricks are able to warm up through the day. If this doesn't happen they can actually act as a cold sync and keep the soil cooler.
Raking back mulch on any sunny winter days will help with soil warmth and replacing mulch in the afternoon will keep heat in.
As far as drying out goes, thick mulch will easily counter any effect that warm masonry will have on the soil moisture.
One slight risk with bricks in a cold area can be that, due to their porosity, water can enter the air spaces within the bricks and then freeze. When the water freezes it expands and causes minute fractures in the bricks' structure and they can become crumbly... but for a garden bed it may not matter. Local stone is best but bricks are OK.
PS. Hope that's a little less abrupt.

Time: 22nd July 2008 8:51am

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Diny says...
To people that want to start a no-dig garden a la Esther Dean,I hope you all realise that newspaper is made of wood. To termites this is fast food and they love it!I had a vegetables bed with newspaper as a base and when I had to move it, there were thousands of termites living there and most of the paper was eaten. I had chooks at the time and threw them in their pen, they loved that. But I agree with Scott that termites are everywhere and I don't worry about them.

Time: 24th July 2008 1:20pm

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Bundaberg
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Julie says...
Glory

You are right, kale do well if sown in autumn. That is their season, and you can't change that.It is much too cold to try now, and if you sow them in spring they will shoot up and go to seed in no time.

What sort of ideas did you want?

Time: 28th July 2008 8:53pm

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Roleystone
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HP says...
Thanks for your generous post Dekka, apologies for the delay in replying.

It's a tough one, the heat retaining properties would be good here in the cold. We get lots of beautiful sunny days during winter but I think what you say about the potential for it to do the same with the cold could be a problem. My partner is also feeling than enthusiastic about the work involved in my grand brick plans!

We went on a torturous sleeper hunt on the weekend (my poor 4yo!). It is extraordinary how hard it is to find untreated options. We found some untreated hardwood sleepers but they were in poor condition and we were concerned about where they may have been sourced from.

After all that and seeing your advice, I think we will go for railway sleepers. Recycled, hopefully treated long enough ago to be benign now (let me know if i'm off there) and relatively easy to assemble.

So the work begins on the weekend...


Time: 29th July 2008 9:25pm

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Glory says...
Hi Julie, I like to try some seeds now. Give me some advise how to sow or how to grow Thanks Julie.

Time: 31st July 2008 1:30pm

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Melbourne
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Scott says...
Hi HP,

I have just finished building my raised garden beds out of New redwood sleepers. They are 2000x200x75 and cost me $25 each. Don

Time: 7th August 2008 1:58pm

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Adelaide (SA)
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Em says...
Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any experience with the galvanised raised veggie garden beds made by the rainwater tank people? I'm keen to get one that sits 800mm high (to save my back)but have no idea how long they would last? Any info would be appreciated. They were on Domestic Blitz a couple of weeks ago. http://www.tankworx.com.au/

thanks heaps
Em
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Time: 9th August 2008 1:07pm

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Hervey Bay Qld
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Deb says...
Hi Em, I have one but it is only about 2 years old. I got one for the same reason as you - my back! Mine is only 400 and I find that is high enough. I shudder to think how much it would cost to fill it if it was larger. Also I think most of your nutrients would end up in the lower zone. I covered my ground thick with newspaper and stood the tank on that (none going into the ground) and then filled it. It is open at the bottom so shouldnt collect water at all and therefore should last for sometime. Around the tank on the rest of the newspaper i put jarrah sawdust. the snails dont like sawdust and i never saw one in my garden until this winter! but the sawdust does need a top up now as even a few weeds are getting through. I love the tanks and recommend them highly. I know others who have actually got second hand tanks with holes in them and just cover those areas from the inside, I think they would last for a few decades if you care for them. Happy tanking! Deb

Time: 10th August 2008 11:49am

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Julie says...
Glory

By all means, go ahead, but don't expect much success! Don't sow all your seeds, so you have some left for the right season - next autumn.

Just sow into rich soil, improved with manure and compost. Don't sow too deep, place them about 20cms apart and put in a sunny spot. I always start my seedlings off in small pots or seed trays. That way I don't have any gaps.

Good luck

Julie






Time: 10th August 2008 6:58pm

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HP says...
Thanks Em and Deb for your advice on the galvanised veggie beds. We took one look at your posts and started the search! Thankfully we had decided to work on our clay soil for a while and think about the advice we had been lucky to receive before we built our beds.

We were not able to get them from Tankworx as they have quite a limited delivery area. We ended up ordering four 2.2m x 1.2m beds through a company called Birdies Garden Products www.birdiesgardenproducts.com.au, they were really reasonably priced as was the delivery from SE QLD to Canberra ($107!!) and so far, really lovely customer service.

They should arrive in the next few weeks. We can't wait to fill three of them and give no-dig potatoes a go in the fourth.

Time: 12th August 2008 7:51pm

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PK says...
Does anyone know of anywhere in Adelaide which supplies these galvanised beds.

Time: 14th August 2008 12:23pm

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Adelaide
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Anonymous says...
you can get em cheap in Perth from a rain water tank pl;ace. Even cheaper than syd or melb.

Time: 14th August 2008 6:55pm

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Em says...
Thanks HP
Birdies Garden Products do seem to offer a good service. Happy planting!

Time: 15th August 2008 8:37am

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Hervey Bay Qld
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Julie says...
Anonymous

I'm in Perth. Where can I get these from? Which rainwater tank place?

Thanks

Time: 15th August 2008 4:16pm

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HP says...
Julie

I found a Perth supplier in my hunt earlier in the week. It was www.gardenersdirect.com.au and their products seemed really good and reasonably priced. I was disappointed they were so far away!

I liked that the beds were 'squarish' at the ends, it seemed a better use of space than the rounder ones.

Hope this helps

Time: 15th August 2008 7:01pm

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Deb says...
I have to say that gardeners direct have been very good in my experience. i havent used their tanks yet (but the varying sizes they have will make it easier to fit them into my small courtyard garden), so it wont be long before i extend from 'god's gift to gardeners' and the eco soil wetter to the tanks

Time: 16th August 2008 10:25pm

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NoR Perth
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John says...
Why grow them like this, the ground is cheeper !

Time: 21st August 2008 12:14pm

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Perth
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HP says...
I don't know, with the ground in my backyard, the gypsum would nearly cost me more than the beds did!!

Time: 22nd August 2008 7:17pm

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Jo says...
HP- I thought that I could work on the soil in my garden until I was happy with it, but Canberra's clays are able to daunt the hardiest gardener!
We've moved into a house that's had wood chips through the garden for 30 years, and until we had some rain, it was like trying to break rock.
Everyone's been telling me to put in raised beds, but I was too stubborn to listen. Until now...

Time: 25th August 2008 6:49pm

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Canberra
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HP says...
Jo, I found a galvanised garden bed supplier in Canberra after I had ordered them from afar. The company is called Adapt2 and can be found in Mitchell or Pialligo or at www.adapt2eco.com.au

We went to their Mitchell store on the weekend to look at all sorts of eco products and found them really helpful and the prices of the garden beds were similar to what we've ordered from SE QLD.


Time: 26th August 2008 7:32pm

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Leah says...
Hi, I have been looking at the corugated beds in colourbond and here is what Bluescope steel says...

# Can I use COLORBOND

Time: 28th August 2008 11:28am

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Deb says...
Hi John, The ground is certainly cheaper, but where I am living it is has changed from regular house blocks to 3 or 4 houses on each block. I no longer have the light i used to and need to have things higher up to get the light over the walls and roofs of other houses!!! Also with having had a back injury it is a good way to avoid further injury for me. Other people will have their own reasons of course!

Time: 30th August 2008 1:55pm

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Jo says...
Hi HP. Thanks for the info. We saw some used on TV, and wondered where we could find some- they look really good. Thanks also to Leah for the info on corrosion. I had thought about using sleepers, but even they will eventually rot down. I guess it depends on how permanent we want the beds to be.
We've since also had a relative offer us a huge amount of seconds bricks that he no longer needs. Lots of possibilities!

Time: 30th August 2008 9:21pm

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KEVIN says...
I ALSO ARE BUILDING A VEGGIE GARDEN IN REGARGES TO TREATED COULD YOU JUST PAINT IT. WOULD THAT SEAL IT

Time: 1st September 2008 11:22am

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Anonymous says...
That tank add was in the paper again.

Time: 9th September 2008 12:34pm

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Glory says...
Hi Julie, I sowed only 4 seeds. Only one is growing.
Thanks for your idea.


Time: 9th September 2008 2:35pm

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Melbourne
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Cin says...
HP Thanks for the link on Birdies. I think we will be ordering 4 of their beds and finally I cn get started on my garden beds.

The plant dams look good for around the fruit trees as well so might as well get some of those - the poor CC will be getting a work out!

http://www.birdiesgardenproducts.com.au/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=33


Hopefully I can keep my dogs off the beds!!

Cin

Time: 10th September 2008 12:21pm

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Central Coast, NSW
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HP says...
Hi Cin

Our beds arrived yesterday! Very exciting, can't wait for the weekend!

They're really well made, have excellent parts and instructions, and were really compactly packaged for transporting, hence the very modest delivery cost (and hopefully lower footprint).

Birdies are now making custom nets for them to keep birds, possums etc out, which would probably work for the dogs too. We were worried about our dog (only a small spoodle!) but once they arrived we found 40cm is higher than we imagined - though I'm sure the alluring poo odours might tempt her in! The nets are around the same price as the beds so we'll just be getting one for the tomato/capsicum bed for this year. Our CC is weary!

Will try to post photos next week some time.

Time: 10th September 2008 9:27pm

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Julie says...
Hi Glory

My kale are just about to flower, so I will be saving seed for next year.

Hope you get some results from yours.

Time: 15th September 2008 7:55pm

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MH says...
Hi

I've been trying to grow chinese celery a few times but without success. Does anyone have any tips? Thanks.

MH

Time: 16th September 2008 8:31pm

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Melbourne
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deb says...
hi shaz,
just a bit of info about composting worms, they are exactly what they are called. com posting worms. you do not not put these worms into your garden, how this works is the top layers of the worm farm are where you put the worms and the food scaps etc, then the worms turn this into compost in the worm farm (no touching) then you can pour water over this and catch the waste in a bucket underneath,(fantastic fertilizer) also can use the worm castings (poop) as soft fertilizer. these worms never leave this worm farm.
hope this helps

chow deb

Time: 17th September 2008 11:26am

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brisbane
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Julie says...
MH, can you tell us a bit more, eg, what went wrong, what time of year did you grow it etc?

I haven't grown it for years, only because I no longer have any seed. I remember it as being very strong tasting, too strong to eat raw, but good for soups etc.

Time: 30th September 2008 7:55pm

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MH says...
Hi Julie,

I put the seeds in during spring/autumn, cover lightly with potting mix, I also tried covering with sand as they are very fine seeds and kept the soil moist, but they never germinate. At one time I also have the seeds just on top of the soil, as I read somewhere that it need sunlight to germinate. None germinate at all,even I waited for a month!

Do you have any suggestion? Thanks.
MH


Time: 1st October 2008 2:13pm

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Hamish says...
Hi all. Im wondering what happens to old power poles that get replaced? And if they are treated? Might be an alternative to railway sleepers that seem to be getting hard to find. THere is a powerpole that has been marked for replacement just down the road from my house - which is what maid me think of this.

Time: 7th October 2008 11:23am

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North East of Moree NSW
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Michelle says...
Would those light weight, limestone (or similar) look-alike retaining walls be OK for a vege garden surround? Don't know what they are made of? Anything possibly toxic? Had been looking at the zincalume idea, but have now changed my mind due to the corrosion factor. Any ideas appreciated.

Time: 20th October 2008 9:29am

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perth
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John says...
Ohh, yeah its empire tanks that have the beds cheep.

Time: 31st October 2008 3:37pm

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Perth
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Margaret says...
Does anybody know what grade of shadecloth to put over a veggie patch?

Time: 1st November 2008 1:39pm

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Jade says...
Hi everyone,

I just found this forum and it's really great. I have been wanting to put a vegie garden in for years, but the question of what to put around it has been ongoing for me.
I have multiple chemical sensitivity, so I can't use treated sleepers and there are a lot of white ants around here so untreated sleepers are also ruled out.

B where did you buy the 'lite wall' blocks from? They look really great and not very heavy.

Also, I've been considering building a no dig garden with sugar cane bales around the edge, however I am concerned about weeds eventually getting in. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,
Jade



Time: 3rd November 2008 1:24pm

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Gold Coast
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Bettina J says...
Hi,
I wanted a raised vege garden so I used old tyres. You can pick them up from the tyre repairer for free. Just stack them as high as you want your garden but make sure you get tyres thet dont have any metal showing as this could cause an injury.

Time: 7th November 2008 12:43pm

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Bargo NSW
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Cherie says...
Hi Guys
I was hoping someone could help me out... I'm looking at starting a vege patch and we've treated the area with weed killer and to kill the weeds which it has done. I've removed a lot of the weeds but there are still quite a few left in which i have just covered with soil and mulch... Is it still safe to put my seedlings in?? Is there any chance the poison from the weeds can contaminate the soil and veges??? Hoping someone can give some advice on this matter..
cherie

Time: 9th November 2008 9:30am

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Dekka says...
Hi Cherie, That's a hard one to answer without knowing what weed-killer you have used and at what concentrations. If you said Glyphosate weed-killer applied according to instructions, then most would probably say you're fine but before going ahead you should try googling the words "glyphosate" and "cancer" together and consider the research that is out there. Weeds in a home veggie patch are probably best removed with a garden fork, composted or steeped and then put back in as poison-free plant food. Peace of mind makes 'em taste better.

Time: 9th November 2008 8:14pm

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Newcastle
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Carol says...
I came across your very interesting and useful forum in searching for easy to assemble raised garden beds. Could anyone comment on the untreated kiln dried cedar beds as advertised on www.naturalyards.com.au or composite timber beds or beds made from recycled plastic on www.eartheasy.com. Also can anyone help me find distributors in Australia? Thanks and look forward to future forum discussions.

Time: 15th November 2008 6:43pm

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Wattle Grove
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Di S. Gracefully says...
Just passing by and have to add my 2 cents worth! I

Time: 2nd December 2008 11:52pm

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Sydney
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Jade says...
Hi Carol, I had a look at the Eartheasy website and the garden beds look really good, I especially liked the look of the Recycled one. I've never used or seen them before, so I can't comment on how they are. Do you know if they are for sale in Australia? The website's American (I think).

Time: 4th December 2008 5:32pm

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Gold Coast
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Julie says...
MH, I see you still have unanswered questions - sorry I didn't get back to you.

Re the Chinese celery, I don't know what went wrong, but you should definitely sow it in autumn. Maybe dud seed?

Shadecloth over veggie garden - I have 50% cloth, and everything does well. It certainly saves a lot of water and stops capsicum, tomatoes etc getting sun-scorched.

Time: 4th December 2008 6:11pm

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Julie says...
Sorry, the shadecloth answer was for Margaret, not MH.

Time: 4th December 2008 6:17pm

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Scott says...
Hi everyone,

I have a problem with my veggie garden that I hope you can help me with. A few months ago I built two redwood raised veggie patch. It is 2000mmX1000mmX400mm. I filled it with layers starting from the bottom with newspaper then organic soil, kitchen scraps, then topped up with organic soil/mushroom compost mix. I use pea straw as a mulch around my plants. So to the problem. I planted broccoli and the plants grew well but the flower when eaten has a disgusting taste followed by a worse after taste. It isn
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Time: 11th December 2008 10:25am

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Adelaide (SA)
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Jade says...
Hi Scott

Did you leave the garden for a while to let the ingredients break down or plant into it right away?

If you did plant into it right away without planting the seedlings in pockets of potting mix or something that is already broken down it was probably too strong for the seedlings and may have burnt the roots.

Here are some Gardening Australia links to No Dig Gardens:
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s867068.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2214370.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1484696.htm

Hope this helps.



Time: 11th December 2008 11:52am

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Gold Coast
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Julie says...
Scott, could you explain what you mean by 'organic soil'? What sort of place did you get it from, and did it have added fertiliser?

I started raised veggie beds some years ago using a mix from a local landscaper. Everything did brilliantly until it was invaded by neighbour's tree roots - now I can't grow anything in the beds at all.

Time: 15th December 2008 1:34pm

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Scott says...
Hi Jade and Julie

We planted right away using seedlings not seeds. The Organic Soil is a pre mix from my landscaper which is a mix of Loam, Mushroom compost, cow manure and some gypsum.

Since my original post we have pulled the dead veggies out and are planing to wait until the weather warms up before planing a summer crop.

Cheers

Time: 19th December 2008 3:07pm

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Adelaide (SA)
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Carol says...
I have since bought two raised garden beds from Black Cockatoo Organic Products at Bomaderry for $56.00 each. Highly recommended. Made from zincalum and timber pegs. Cheers

Time: 28th December 2008 1:24pm

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Leah says...
Hi Scott,

I just Google beetroot and it seems that they love high nitrogen soils.

I am not sure how you measure the levels, but i do now that all of my guava plants are close to death because i feed them matter too high in nitrogen, which in turn makes the soil too salty. My citrus love the mix and thrive, but my tropical plants hate it and have all become sticks. (Sorry Daleys did such a good job raising them and i have not been kind to them.)

Another forum reader might have suggestions on how to test for and correct imbalances.

Cheers Leah

Time: 30th December 2008 2:41pm

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Melbourne
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Bridget says...
Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knew what this plant is. My mum found it in her veggie patch about 6 weeks ago and has really come on. Its the first time ever sighted in the garden in 12 years. There is no bulb and it has tiny soft prickles/hairs on the back of the leaf. The shape is a little similar to a rhubarb leaf and grows like a lettuce where it is grouped and doesn't spread, however it has come up in various spots in the garden. She lives on the Mornington peninsula.

Thanks


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Time: 2nd January 2009 3:03pm

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Melbourne
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Jantina says...
Hello Bridget, can we have a picture of the whole plant in situ and one of an entire leaf laid out flat? It certainly looks huge!

Time: 2nd January 2009 7:12pm

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Mt. Gambier S.A.
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Julie says...
Leah, what form of nitrogen do you feed your plants? Organic or synthetic? It can make a difference.

Time: 2nd January 2009 7:58pm

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Leah says...
Hi Julie,

I give them the old chicken poo. That have been rotted down.

What sort of a difference can it make. Do you know how i can fix my tropical plants that have gone stickly and get them to produce leaves again.

Cheers

Time: 3rd January 2009 9:34am

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Melbourne
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Julie says...
Leah, chicken manure can be just as damaging as synthetic nitrogen when overdone. Just keep watering and it will go - nitrogen is quickly used up.

I suggest looking online for the individual needs of your plants. You can have the soil tested, but it is very expensive, and still won't tell you about what your own plants need.

Sorry not to have been more help.



Time: 6th January 2009 7:56pm

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Anonymous says...
HI Julie,

You were right. The chinese celery seeds were dud. I bought another lot and they sprouted in a week or so. The leaves are rather pale, wonder what should I feed it to improve the colour. The flavour is as it should be.
MH

Time: 11th January 2009 8:59pm

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Jon says...
Is it possible to grow Butternut pumpkin in Melbourne?

Jon

Time: 14th January 2009 6:18pm

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Melbourne
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Adam says...
Yes, and other pumpkins also. Too late in the year to begin from seed really though and they are quite water demanding. I'm growing some pumpkins in a lazy bed and they are doing fine this year with out additional watering.

Time: 14th January 2009 8:18pm

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Melbourne
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Barry says...
Raised garden beds and cheaply. I did this when poverty stricken, a more or less permanent affliction. Old corrugated iron sheets and self drilling screws such as Tek screws are the materials. Tools are tinsnips (or an angle grinder) and a Tek gun.
Decide how high you want the garden beds and cut the sheets of corrugated iron (across the corrugations) to that length. Fasten the sheets together with the tek screws to form a circle. 4 sheets fastened together will give you a circle just under 1m in dia, 8 will double that. You will want to be able to reach the centre of the circle to tend your plants. You can now proceed to use the circular form as a compost bin. It will not need staking as it is is self supporting especially as it fills up. It can be lined with plastic if desired, I havent bothered to do this but it should extend the life of the iron. When the bin is full, let the composting process get to work and make another enclosure. When the compost is ready, grow something in it. You will, of course, have to top-up the bin as the compost rots down.
This does work, is dirt cheap and the corrugated iron will last for at least a couple of seasons depending on its state of repair when you start. (Smaller circles made in this way, with one or two sheets make very effective tree guards but will need some staking as they are not filled with composting material.) Self drilling metal screws are cheaper in large quantities. If you lay irrigation piping before you start under the formwork with a vertical riser up to a convenient height to later mount a spray jet you can simplify the business of watering when you establish the garden.
A garden made from several of these circles is practical and can look quite appealing especially if surrounded by herbs or if the outer plants have a trail over the edges.

Time: 21st January 2009 11:27am

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Jan says...
Hi Carol from Sydney.
Have you got a picture of your new raised garden beds that you bought to show us please.
Regards Jan.

Time: 21st January 2009 7:55pm

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margro says...
What a great forum I've stumbled into!

I'm also about to go down the path of the raised garden bed...anyone have a view on using hebel rather than brick? I was originally going for hardwood sleepers but have found it difficult to source some in Adelaide. Having read this forum, people are also using bricks (which I thought was a no no), so I'm back on the brick/hebel road, rather than wood. So...questions are 1) is brick/hebel ok for raised garden beds? and 2) anyone have somewhere to recommend to get hardwood sleepers in Adelaide? Thanks all!

Time: 21st January 2009 10:01pm

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bob says...
hebel is porous and algae and scum would grow on outside of bed.

Time: 23rd January 2009 2:02pm

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Andrew says...
Hi, was having a good read and noticed heaps of good idea's. I have been looking at building some raised garden beds this weekend and have looked into a heap of options. In the end i think i will try to make one out of Zinc alum for the walls with a external treated pine frame and a rim around the top of some sort of hard wood as it may come into contact with the soil. I was planning on cutting the zinc alum in half long ways and estimate i can build 2 3mx1m beds for under $120 or so.. Any suggestions before i do this? will post pics when im done anyway!

Time: 23rd January 2009 7:08pm

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Melbourne
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Sue says...
The House with No Steps at Alstonville use Maca Husks as a mulch over their gardens. They look great & obviously work well.

Time: 30th January 2009 3:02pm

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Glenreagh
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don says...
what was the exact name of the bricks that u used i like them and would like to use them in our garden edge but cant seem to find them regards don

Time: 2nd February 2009 5:31pm

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qld
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none says...
http://www.buckos.com.au/Details.html

Time: 11th February 2009 8:07am

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Adelaide
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Greg says...
Using second hand rail way sleepers is ok to use. they need to be water blasted and the water and rubbish disposed of. All railway sleeper contain high amounts of Asbestos and metal from the brake pads on the trains.

Time: 13th February 2009 5:26pm

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Largs NSW
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Craig says...
I used masonary blocks seconds for my garden bed worked a treat and were pretty cheap as well.

Time: 22nd February 2009 12:02pm

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denise says...
I made lots of tyre gardens. You need to cut the walls off to make best use of them. Someone uses a power jigsaw tool but I use a sharp garden knife. I took a while to get the skill and learnt the hard way to keep the blade facing away and keep the knife well in to avoid a harsh slip. At about 3cms away from the tread the rubber is thinner-cuts easier. I cover the ground with weedmat and space out the tyres and fill them with good soil/mix. It is great for winter especially as it keeps the soil warm.

Time: 4th March 2009 11:11am

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Lees says...
Hi everyone. Have enjoyed reading your thoughts. Here is a different one for raised garden beds. At one of our local nursery's I saw a veggie bed display by one of the seedling companies and it was done as no dig garden in a harwood box. Think old potato/apple bins used on the farms and orchards, and that is what I have used. I have lined the boxes with weed mat and filled them half full with free draining soil. Have then filled the remainder with the no dig layering system. Our first planting was last October and had a fantastic result. This was done at my daughters Primary School and the kids have loved planting, watching produce grow and then tasting the end result.The bins we first planted into were 1.1m x 1.1m wide by inside depth of 600mm. Very surprising amount of produce to one bin and plants were very healthy, which I have put down to good preparation and great air flow due to being a raised garden bed.We have now started preparing soil in new bins that are 1.8m x 1.2m wide and 600mm inside depth, ready to plant even more. We are going to attempt growing fruit trees in them as well. All plantings done as companion planting and NO chemicals have been used at all. Not sure how long bins will last, but has been a great exercise for everyone involved.

Time: 25th March 2009 4:36pm

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au0rey says...
Craig, u mention about using bricks, can i know if you need to use cement to hold them together?

Time: 28th March 2009 4:27pm

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deb says...
I agree with shaz, Why buy items with added chemicals that you are actually told about. I have studied chemical buildup in the body and what happens is this. When we are young we are exposed to all sorts of chemicals, our body however has enough enzymes to remove these effectively. however as we age we are subject to more chemicals which remain in the cells of our bodies and the enzymes decrease with age. hence we get aches and pains and problems which plague us all as we get older. so the more you can eradicate chemicals from your lives, the better you will feel, even ordinary cleaners,moisturisers,etc they all contain petrochemicals.hope this helps..

Time: 2nd April 2009 10:55am

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Australia
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Kath says...
these were all grown using no chemicals in Perth's terrible sandy soils fertilised with composted chook & horse poo & worm casting-got a few bumps & scars & my hubby calls the carrots ' Chernobyl carrots' but they taste great!!!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 8th April 2009 7:18pm

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margro says...
hey there...can anyone comment if it's ok to use recycled oregon as a garden bed? Cheers Mark

Time: 8th April 2009 9:29pm

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au0rey says...
Kath, cool picture of your harvest. I am trying to be as organic as I can as well. Two questions. Manure and worm casting all these contain NPK, but how about the trace elements such as zinc, manganese..etc that the vege/fruits need? I do use manure and worm casting but I feel that I needed to use chemcial fertiliser at times for the trace elements.

Also, are yours grown in ground or pot? Most of mine are in pots. Could that be the reason I have to resort to chemcial fertilisers as even premium potting mixes may not have the trace elements found in soil.

Time: 9th April 2009 8:30pm

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Julie says...
au0rey, contact info@ecogrowth.com.au. They make a mineral mix which is suitable for organic growers. No need to resort to synthetic chemicals.

I use it all the time, and have been growing organically for about 25 years.

A lot of trace elements are missing from our soils, so growing in the ground wouldn't necessarily fix your problem.

Time: 9th April 2009 9:23pm

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Kath says...
Hi AuOrey, mine are all grown in the ground. I give the fruit trees trace elements twice a year as our soil (sand) lacks heaps eg molybdenum (?sp)but not the vegies-they just get the poo/castings plus as a treat liqid seawood/comfrey juice.

Time: 9th April 2009 10:36pm

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au0rey says...
Thanks Julie & Kath for your help! :)

Time: 10th April 2009 12:08pm

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Julie says...
au0rey, I forgot to mention the name of the product! It is Eco Prime Natural, available in 20(?) kg bags. It will last a long time.

I sent the email so you could find out who supplies it near you.

Time: 11th April 2009 6:18pm

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wobbly says...
hi i have a veggie garden i used half railway sleepers and just used wood posts to support it .it is 2.4 metres x1.20 metres bunnings cut the sleepers in half for me.
i have a worm farm so i add the castings regularly , i add blood and bone and have a large bucket with horse manure in it which i top up with water then pour the water over the vegies. iam successfully growing pumpkins, tomatoes ,beans , peppers , spring onions , squash , spinach, silverbeet, and zucchini.the intial cost was the sleepers and wood stakes . the worm farm i have had for years .

Time: 13th April 2009 7:48am

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Australia
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Galah says...

Hi,

What a great forum!

I'm getting a 3.5m x 2m x 2.1m greenhouse delivered soon( can't wait), and plan to grow winter veggies in it.

Can anyone who has grow winter veggies in southern Victoria in a greenhouse have any suggestions on what to grow?

At the moment I have some seedlings happening in readiness for the greenhouse arrival including; brussel sprouts, snow peas and silverbeet.

Any more types of veggies I can try over winter?



Time: 13th April 2009 10:16pm

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Geelong
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Tiggerbow says...
Hi All,
I have been reading the forums in regards to garden beds and the problems which people are encountering. I think I have found a pretty good solution.
I went to Tankmaster today in Midland (WA). They are producing poly 'earth rings'. These look very similar to the colourbond raised beds but seem to be cheaper and as they are made out of poly there is no rusting, corrosion, chemicals etc. They are light and seem to be quite cheap (800W x 1350L x 700H = $180.00). I am going to save my pennies and try these out.
I hope this helps and when I give mine a go I will report back.
Happy growing !!

Time: 18th April 2009 6:25pm

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Perth, WA
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wobbly says...
hi barry i want to make a compost area with corrugated iron but in a u shape so that i can access it to turn the compost.my non gardening hubby says the iron won t bend. all the water tank places sell them . they don t seem to support the shape only have stakes at the opening ? what do you think ? has any body else tried . thanks wobbly

Time: 20th April 2009 7:42am

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Australia
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Jane says...
I've stumbled across this forum and it has been really helpful to read. Thanks everyone! I'm building my no dig garden this weekend and I was going to use treated pine with plastic on the inside. I've now decided against this and I'm thinking about not using any surrounds at all. What are your thoughts on this? Is it a bad idea?

Time: 24th April 2009 12:37am

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Perth
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John I. says...
Hi Jane,
Gardening Australia did a piece on creating a no dig vegitable garden last year. They used a round design with a keyhole. As a border they simple used mulch. You can find the fact sheet on their website www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2214370.htm

Time: 24th April 2009 7:05am

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Melton
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Jane says...
Thanks so much, John! That's decided it for me. I can't wait to go and pick up some hay this morning!

Time: 24th April 2009 9:59am

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Perth
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Carol and Gary says...
We are a small business suppling and or installing raised colorbond gardens for those interested
Cheers Carol and Gary

Time: 24th April 2009 4:05pm

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Perth
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Barry says...
Hi Wobbly, the corrugated iron will bend easily because you are bending it along the axis of the corrugations and not across them as used for a normal gal. water tank. As for the open ends to access the compost so that you can get some exercise shovelling it around: make the structure in the shape of a semicircle and use star pickets at each end to anchor the sheets. Either use fairly long pickets so that there is about 500mm below ground level or use a loop of fencing wire to tie the tops of the pickets together. Twisting the wire loop will tension the pickets towards each other, as with a Spanish Windlass, If you want to use a U shape you will probably need more pickets to support the straight sides of the U

Time: 26th April 2009 3:46pm

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Iluka NSW
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au0rey says...
This winter is going to be the first for my plants. Does anyone here grow thyme or rosemary or chilli? Do they turn yellow in winter? Mine seem to have some leaves doing so. Not sure if it is the cold or some deficiency. Would appreciate some advice.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 27th April 2009 5:56pm

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Julie says...
au0rey, thyme and rosemary don't usually turn yellow in winter. Could it be a pH problem? They are both very tough plants that don't normally have any problems.

Chili will definitely 'go off' in cold weather, as it is a tropicl plant. The plant will stop producing and look a bit straggly. Give it a hard prune in August and it will take off again when the weather warms.

Time: 27th April 2009 7:55pm

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Julie says...
Duh! Should have looked at the photos before responding!

The yellow leaves are all lower leaves -no problem with the others. This is all quite normal, lots of plants do this.

Time: 27th April 2009 8:02pm

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au0rey says...
Hi Julie! Thanks! All three are in pots but the thyme and rosemary never had this happening since I grew them last spring. I do hope it is not some deficiency cos I thought they do not need much to grow. As for the chilli, the yellowing is happening to the very young leaves for now. And new fruits shrivel before developing further. :)

Time: 27th April 2009 11:23pm

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Julie says...
I don't know about your chili - do you give it enough water? Just a thought.

Could your thyme and rosemary need repotting? They are very deep-rooted plants that do best in the garden, especially rosemary, which is a medium sized bush. I have grown thyme in a pot,but it needed repotting every year to give room for the roots.

Also, although they are drought-resistant when grown in the ground, they need regular water in pots.

Time: 28th April 2009 6:35pm

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belinda says...
Great forum, has anybody tried or heard of people using recyled plastic for retaining raised gard beds. Thanks

Time: 30th April 2009 1:29am

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Bayswater WA
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au0rey says...
Hi Julie, yeah my chilli plant gets sufficient water especially in the recent rains. I grow most my plants in pots cos i am renting and will move into purchased property end of the year. Really cant wait to plant them in the ground indeed. :)

Will continue to monitor them and see what happens.

Time: 30th April 2009 7:12pm

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Julie says...
au0rey, I do the same - grow a lot of stuff in pots. I hope to build some time next year, so the pots just keep getting bigger!

Time: 30th April 2009 8:29pm

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Jim says...
Carol and Gary,

Would you be able to post some information on the colourbond raised garden beds?



Time: 30th April 2009 11:07pm

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Kath says...
I was doing a bit of research re the colourbond garden beds & came across a comment by a man who works in the steel industry that they are not suitable as being constantly moist they will rust out,-read Pomelo's comment on this link

http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=72&m=3059&ps=20&dm=1&pd=3

At the garden show in Perth there was a company with a rustproof version-the link is

http://www.tankmaster.com.au/mast_earth_rings.asp

I don't know anyone who's tried them but it would be worth exploring as neither are cheap.



Time: 1st May 2009 2:06pm

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Galah says...

Bought this on ebay and I must say I am very satisfied with the service, price and product.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Greenhouse-3-5x2x2M-Large-Green-Garden-Hot-House-New_W0QQitemZ330316941537QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_15?hash=item330316941537&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318#ebayphotohosting

I now have thriving seedlings for my winter veggies.

Will keep you all updated in a month or two on how they are going. Maybe I will own a digital camera by then and can post some picks.



Time: 1st May 2009 11:25pm

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Geelong
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Ellen says...
Hi Galah,

How strong is that thing ? I am scare that it might not be strong enough to hold it when it come to a really strong windy day, I 've bought a couple of tomatoes house, and none able to withstood Sydney windy day . :-(

Time: 2nd May 2009 12:32am

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Smithfield
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Galah says...


We here in Victoria got hit with a southerly blast last week, with wind gusts up to 90kph, and the greenhouse held up ok.

It was shaking quite a bit in the wind, but I had pinned the whole thing down with 8 long tent pegs looped over the bottom rung of the structure, and no damage at all.

I was very impressed with it's strength, especially considering the price.





Time: 2nd May 2009 9:47am

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Geelong
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barry says...
Kath, I am not speculating or theorising about using corrugated iron or colorbond to form garden beds. I have been doing it for several years. No, the sheets do not last forever. They do last for several years. You can extend the life by lining the sheets with black plastic. I doubt if any other method for making raised garden beds can compete in time, convenience or cost.



Time: 2nd May 2009 11:46am

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Iluka
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Wayne says...
Galah says...
"I was very impressed with it's strength, especially considering the price."
---
Well done, please keep us informed as to how the shelter is going, the UV factor would be interesting, however, after just a couple of seasons it should pay for itself.
=======================
For raised garden beds I am gathering up some old tractor and truck tyres from the tyre people. I'm thinking that tyres will last forever, you can get different sizes, you can stack them on top of each other to make the bed deeper, and the best part of it is that they are free. If you don't like the wide rim simply cut it off with a jig saw.
Once I get them organized I'll post some pics.

Time: 2nd May 2009 2:52pm

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Mackay
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Carol and Gary says...
Hi we seem to have a healthy debate going on re colorbond raised beds.We have been using ours for 4 years it shows no signs of wear,we know of others that have been in use longer.We agree with Barry for time cost and effort you cant beat it.The aount of money saved in the last 4 years far outweighs the initial cost.In addition they are light, assembled and eaily moved and pleasing to the eye.

Time: 3rd May 2009 3:00pm

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Caol and Gary says...
raised garden bed
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 3rd May 2009 3:14pm

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Kath says...
these are a poly version of the raised beds so in theory should outlive any of us
-it should be a one off purchase I'd imagine as they won't rust and the price is comparible

http://www.tankmaster.com.au/mast_earth_rings.asp

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 3rd May 2009 3:23pm

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Carol and Gary says...
Hi Kath,this is an alternative solution to colourbond inote however you are limited in sizes is there a reason.I see from their website they also make colorbond planters in a bigger range i wonder why.

Time: 3rd May 2009 4:22pm

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carol and gary says...
hi jim
re:information on raised colorbond beds
sizes:round from 965 diameter
to 3450 diameter

smallest oblong width 610mm length 1170mm
largest 1500mm width 3000 length

rectangular width 1000mm length 1000mm
largest 1500mm width length 3000mm
There are a large range of sizes inbetween these examples.
They are one complete unit
All have a rolled top safety edge and are blind riveted.
All come in the full range of colorbond colours
Lightweight can be moved by one person

Time: 3rd May 2009 5:15pm

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Wayne says...
I paid a visit to our local tyre dealer this morning and he was most pleased to give me these tractor tyres for nothing. They do look a bit unsightly but once I position them, level them and cut the tops out they should dress up OK.

Perhaps not for all but in my back yard they don't look to much out of place. Sort of goes with the old outhouse.

The tyres cut quiet easily with a course blade in a jigsaw
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Time: 9th May 2009 3:30pm

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About the Author Wayne
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Jirt says...
I have heard that tyres leach cadmium into the soil and are not recommended for growing vegetables - might be worth doing some research if this is the intended use.

Time: 10th May 2009 3:35pm

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About the Author Jirt
Redlands Qld
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amanda says...
I used left over colourbond sheets from building our house and star pickets - cheap n easy and my hubby used the angle-grinder on any sharp edges. Seen people use split hose for edges too. We have termite heaven here. I wouldn't use tyres for root veg (which is a storage organ) - they are full of awful chemicals that may leach under certain conditions (eg - acidity, moisture, bacteria)Perhaps a question for BC gardening australia guys?

Time: 10th May 2009 6:58pm

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geraldton WA
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Wayne says...
Good comment Jirt, so I did some research.

http://tireprojectsforhawaii.com/gardening.aspx

Time: 10th May 2009 7:01pm

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amanda says...
PS - railway sleepers are treated with creosote. Might not be nice for your veg? I don't know much about it.

Time: 10th May 2009 7:01pm

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amanda says...
I wouldn't use retaining bricks in a dry zone - we find they are like terracotta pots and cause excessive loss of moisture thru evaporation. The mortar on the great wall of china is made with rice flour i believe? it's still there!

Time: 10th May 2009 7:10pm

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richard says...
I am planning to use untreaded hardwood sleeper from bunnings. Intended to have a 600mm high raised vege plot. To overcome termite infesting the hardwood, I believe that by raising the bottom stack by 200mm with bricks shouls be able to overcome the problem. That means bottom 200mm is brick and top 400mm is hardwood sleeper. Just wonder has any body tried it yet?

Time: 15th May 2009 11:06pm

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victoria
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Wayne says...
Hello Richard
I'm afraid that the termites will still be able to reach the hardwood by climbing up the inside of the beds. What sort of hardwood will you be using, normally termites will attack only the sap wood part of hardwood but if you can get iron bark or stringy bark they will not touch them at all.

Time: 16th May 2009 7:02am

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amanda says...
Can u use termimesh? maybe it might rust though?)

Time: 16th May 2009 11:50am

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Wayne says...
It wouldn't be practical I'm afraid Amanda, Let's see what Richard says about the hardwood variety. Personally I would just use the hardwood straight on the ground or make the complete bed out of bricks, but I feel appearance could be important here.

Time: 16th May 2009 6:08pm

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Kaye says...
Hi Kath,
This forum has helped me to build my first raised veggie garden out of 1/2 an old metal rainwater tank. I am now wondering what would be the easiest vegies and herbs to grow at this time of the year in Perth. I intend to also grow some marigolds to deter pests.

Time: 16th May 2009 7:06pm

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richard says...
Hi Wayne,

Thanks for highlighting. The termite can still attack from inside of the beds. The sleeper I saw at bunnings is Red Gum. Is it a good choice of timber to use for raised garden bed? Iron bark should be good but I think it is expensive and rare to find.

Time: 16th May 2009 9:30pm

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victoria
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amanda says...
Richard - maybe you should speak with your local pest controller first.
The termites eat our railway sleepers and jarrah stakes here(it is a myth that termites wont touch jarrah) and when I asked ours why - he told me that they will go for anything outside their normal diet - they love hardwoods cos they are a 'treat' but more importantly they are a long lasting food source for them. Termites love moisture also - so a wet veggie bed will soon make your timber soft, dark and attractive to them.

Maybe you could try burying a piece of your chosen timber in a good spot and see what happensb4 you invest $$

Time: 17th May 2009 12:30pm

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ally says...
Hi Richard
As a novel idea, I used old terracotta pots I had laying around. They were all at least 30cm high as a minimum and then I lined around the inside with some cheap plastic edging on a roll, to stop the dirt slipping through the cracks. The pots looks natural and I also put herbs in the pots to protect my vegies in the beds.

Time: 17th May 2009 1:36pm

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sydney
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Wayne says...
Hello Richard, I'm afraid I know nothing about red gum so perhaps do as Amanda suggests. If you are really keen with time to spare you could form and pour concrete beds, I have done that years ago and found them to be very cheap to make.

Time: 17th May 2009 6:02pm

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katie says...
Hey guys new to site i use colorbond containers no probs for 2 years
Using timber seems to be a major hassle
after reading last 15 posts.It all seems to much of a problem.Might cost a bit in beginning but place fill and plant is a lot easier.Ive tried the other ways but now im a convert.

Time: 18th May 2009 4:20pm

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About the Author katie4
Rockingham WA
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van says...
I am in Melbourne and giving my first veggie patch a try - wondering whether there is anything I might be able to plant at this time of year?
Should I sow seeds in punnets and then transfer to my raised bed once established?

Time: 3rd June 2009 11:57pm

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Julie says...
Hi van. I would say it is far too late to sow anything from seed now. You may be able to buy seedlings from a nursery which would do OK.

I sowed seeds of various veg in March, then more in April. The March ones did really well, the April ones struggled.

Although the weather was warm, the day length had changed, enough to make a difference.

It won't be long before you can think of sowing summer crops. I start seeds of tomatoes, capsicum and chili inside in July - not so far away!

Maybe use the time learning and planning, or making compost!

Time: 7th June 2009 5:30pm

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wobbly says...
hi i am on my second vegie garden at the same address [22 years] the first i just used the jarrah edging and 2 years ago i upgraded and made the garden bigger and used the redgum sleepers from bunnings . i have never had any termites wreck the edging.the original garden i used lucern hay ,mushroom compost horse manure and potting mix .did not dig at all , this time i filled the area with soil horse manure , worm casting and some blood and bone, ijust dug the grass off the top about 2 inches. i put weed mat around the area and between the beds.

Time: 8th June 2009 9:13am

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Julie says...
van, I had another thought,re something you could do now in your veggi patch.

You could sow some oats(or other grasses) as a green manure. Then chop it down in spring before it seeds.This will add organic matter to your soil at little cost.

Time: 8th June 2009 4:19pm

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Brad says...
peas?

Time: 8th June 2009 4:36pm

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Galah says...
Hi all.

Just got back from an organic farm(see below link), and saw some newly planted potatoes that are thriving in a winter.

http://www.gardenfarm.biz/

They use inexpensive wire( cook wire or similar), and form a circle about 1 metre in diameter. Then lined with a generous thickness of straw, filled to about 40cm with compost and plant the potatoes in that.

The straw keeps the soil warm enough for the spuds to thrive, and if frost is a threat, they gust throw plastic or Hessian over the plot to protect them.



Time: 9th June 2009 11:17am

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Julie says...
Galah,good idea, I forgot about potatoes. Van mentioned growing from seed, so that's what I focused on.

I don't know where you live Van, but in Perth, July and January are the usual months for putting in potatoes.

I think on this forum it is helpful to say where you are, as climates are so varied around australia.



Time: 9th June 2009 7:59pm

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Van says...
Thanks Julie and others for the reponses, yes I did mention it above but forgot to enter it in the box :)

Time: 9th June 2009 10:42pm

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About the Author Van1
Melbourne
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amanda says...
Hi Van - I swear by Pete Cundalls method of growing spuds..I get bumper crops and then the soil is absolutely perfect for growing the hungry crops afterward, when the weather warms. The spuds are also nice n clean.

I grow a thick lupin crop - whipper-snipper it, put the spuds on top, a handful of soil, some blood n bone n lots potash, then a meter thick straw, water well, then chuck anything you have got on top - soil, sawdust, some manure (not too much) cheap potting mix, seaweed etc, water again...and that's it. I don't need to hill them at all - just water and watch them go.

The worms go mad and you have also conditioned your soil for little effort.

Time: 10th June 2009 10:53am

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Julie says...
Re potatoes: does everyone here grow from seed potatoes (virus tested), or just the spuds you buy from the shop?

I have never bought the 'proper' ones, and never had any problems.

Time: 10th June 2009 5:14pm

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amanda says...
Hi Julie - last yr I used shop ones - no problems at all (used white, royal blu and kipfler - my fave) This year I tried the same thing and they went rotten (I don't think they were fresh enuf') - but the 1/2 doz organic one's (King edwards) ok.
I replanted the same plot with seed spuds and they doing very well (I rotate the bed each season) Others I know use shop one's with no prob's too.

I drool over the Diggers selections..another quarantine no-no :((

Time: 10th June 2009 6:06pm

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amanda says...
Using tyres in the garden - there is an article on this in the July/Aug edition of Organic Gardener for those who may be interested.
(the gist is that they are best avoided until the research has been done with the leaching issues)

Time: 11th June 2009 6:26pm

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scott says...
If you can get to a timber yard- that being a place they actually saw the timber you can get cut sleepers 8x2inch by about 2.4 meters for about $12 each. I built my garden from these 2 rows high and 3 sleepers long.

Raised bed on weedmatt to stop any growth up.

Hope that helps

Time: 2nd July 2009 10:47am

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About the Author scott8
coffs harbour
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Esther says...
Hi all,
It's been interesting reading. I'm in the process of building a raised vege garden and never really thought about all the options.
I did read recently on the internet about a guy using boric acid, which is virtually harmless I think, to "paint" his untreated wood with which makes it unpalatable to termites and it won't rot. Sounds too good to be true???? I don't know. Maybe it's worth checking out.

Time: 6th July 2009 6:59pm

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Julie says...
Yes, borax will kill ants. There is a product made from this which is used for wood, but can't remember what it's called. I'll try and ask someone who knows.

Borax is the main ingredient in Antrid.

Time: 6th July 2009 7:31pm

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Dekka says...
You'll be risking Boron toxicity. In fact, I would think that by the time the resulting Boron levels in your garden bed have leached away enough to be able to grow plants in, the timber will probably no longer be protected.

Time: 6th July 2009 7:53pm

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Newcastle
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MindfulMama says...
Great discussion - I've learnt a lot :)

Wanted to pass on that hardwood isnt necessarily chemical free - we had a hardwood fence installed presuming it was CCA free only to find out after the fact that the posts were in fact treated.

With the raised tank beds, anyone know about the dangers of the PVC / polymer coating leaching nasties like formaldehdye into the soil? I know PVC is a general no-no, just not sure about its use in gardening?

And what to do about the fact that all our garden beds will have to be near CCA treated timber fences? There doesnt seem to be any conclusive facts I can find about how far away from the fences I need to plant (& we dont have a lot of space to spare!) & what I can do to protect the space from the fences leaching.


Time: 21st August 2009 9:57pm

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About the Author MindfulMama
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Wayne says...
I must agree with you MindfulMama, any hardwood with the sap wood still attached will be treated, the borers will not touch the heart wood of most hardwoods but will eat out the sap wood.

The only exception to that rule that I know off is Yellow Stringy Bark, the borers do not touch any part of the tree. Perhaps Turpentine is the same. I used to like building houses with the Yellow Stringy but it is very hard to come by now.

The coal miners up here strip clear huge tracks of it and other good hardwood be we are not allowed to touch it. Better they burn it rather than put it to good use.

Time: 22nd August 2009 6:46am

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About the Author Wayne
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Wayne says...
"anyone know about the dangers of the PVC / polymer coating leaching nasties like formaldehdye into the soil?"
----------

I know nothing about this MindfulMama and I really don't have a problem with CCA treated pine around garden beds. Very little if any poison would leach out in my opinion and what does would be so minuscule that it wouldn't be worth worrying about. I have worked with treated timber all my life with no side effects.

My "tyre garden" has progressed with Tomatoes, Beans, Zucchinis, Eschallots, Cucumbers, Silverbeet and Cos Lettuce.

I gave the Mango tree a prune with the chain saw hoping to try help control the Anthracnose but you might be able to see the dying flowers on top where I can't reach with the spray.

Notice the deformed Zucchini flowers in the last photo


Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4
Picture: 5

Time: 22nd August 2009 8:25am

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Wayne says...
My "tyre garden" has progressed with tomatoes, eschallots, zucchinis, beans, silverbeet, cucumbers and cos lettuce. Note the deformed zucchini flowers.

I know nothing about "PVC / polymer coating leaching nasties" but I have worked with treated timber all my life and don't have a problem with it.


Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 22nd August 2009 8:34am

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amanda says...
Hi Wayne..they are weird flowers n all! Are they grown from seed saved from previous crop?

Time: 22nd August 2009 10:49am

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Wayne says...
Hello Amanda
They are bought seeds and it's happening with just one bush, all the others are OK

Time: 22nd August 2009 11:09am

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amanda says...
Oh...do u think it might be a virus or something? (mosiac viruses make cucumbers n zucchinis go all wierd...) If the leaves are the same then probly ok..keep eye on it tho' ..maybe just a mutant too...
There's a picture of one on this link:

http://www.annettemcfarlane.com/diseaseID.htm

Time: 22nd August 2009 11:15am

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Wayne says...
Thank you Amanda, the leaves are not deformed but I will keep an eye on it and post more pics later.

Interesting photo of that Tahitian Lime with Stylar end rot, my fruit developed that and I cured it with Epsom salts, now I let the fruit yellow and drop with no problems
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 22nd August 2009 2:06pm

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Julie says...
I had forgotten all about this, but my Tahitian lime used to have a sort of brown rot at the tips in its early years. I did nothing (because I didn't know what caused it) and for the last few years it has been fine. A puzzle!

Time: 29th August 2009 7:11pm

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bob says...
ohh no, i just finished my first raised veggie garden and have enough for a second in C.C.A. H4 from bunnings
and im so thrilled not , now i have
stumpled on this forum maybe the black
plastic on the insides will help, or do i cart it all to the tip and start again,
i was here to ask what was best to use
underneath to stop weeds and not feed the white ant population and soil type
etc

help !!






Time: 30th August 2009 3:32pm

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Wayne says...
Simply carry on Bob in my opinion, I wouldn't worry to much. By all means line the inside with black plastic, or possibly paint it with a water based paint ?????? or perhaps line the inside with hardiflex????? How deep is it?

You shouldn't need to use anything to stop the weeds, as far as the white ants go, they won't hurt much. Soil type?? the best you can afford from what's available, plenty of mulch etc.

Good luck

Time: 30th August 2009 3:44pm

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Wayne says...
Here's a couple of pics of my beds today. I find that the tyres attract heat and keep the beds warm, OK for when it's cold but as summer approaches I think I might paint them white, then build a shade cloth roof over them.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 30th August 2009 3:59pm

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bob says...
thank you wayne i took your advise

and used the black plastic, on the sides

its 400mm deep,im also debateing on

using the weed mat i purchased or just

dig the turf up first and work the soil before i fill it with the good soil and
mulch
thanks




Time: 7th September 2009 5:51am

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Wayne says...
Hello Bob
I don't think it's necessary to use the weed mat unless you have nut grass [I don't if it works on that]just leave the turf there.



Time: 7th September 2009 9:34am

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wobbly says...
hi i have had some great advice and help from everybody before . thank you.
i am putting a 64 metre path i have managed to get 3 trailer loads of bricks and a load of fine road base i am planning to put the cement the bricks end to end as the edge and put the road base as the path. my questions are
1. do i have box the bricks in ? so when i put the gravel in and compact it down the bricks will stay put.
2. if i cement the edging and leave it for aweek or so will the cement be off and i wont have to box it in?
3 . i am trying to do this a cheap as possible, but i do want it to last !is the easiest way to compact it with a machine or is there some thing i have at home that will do the job ?
next problem ....
my broccoli and cauliflower heads are not happening i read some where to much some thing ?? cant remember what it was , i use aged horse manure , worm casting , blood and bone, and seaweed liquid regularly . what am missing or am i putting tooo much ?? thanks again everybody .

Time: 15th September 2009 12:32pm

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clematis
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Wayne says...
Hey wobbly, a 64M path is one big job, that's over 200ft long. I have done 100's over the years so here we go.
[1] You need to de-grass the site first
[2] Lay a minumum of 100mm of road base and screed roughly to the required height.
[3] For a better job hire a whacker packer or you can make your own stomper. If you can weld, get a bit of 1"x1" about 5' long for a handle and weld it to a bit of heavy flat plate say 12" x 8" x 1/2". If you can't weld get a pick or mattock and fasten a bit of 2" hardwood to the end of it, leave the head on for weight.
[4]Once you've done this you should need to add another 1/2" or less to get it to the right level. Sand is best for this, screed it to what height you want and lay the bricks taping them with a rubber mallet as you go to settle them.
[5] Very important ---- Ensure that you have laid the road base at least 4" wider each side of the path.
[6] Make up a mix of 3 parts coarse sand to 1 of cement, not to wet. Lay it along the sides and taper it off to nothing in 4"

As far as the broccoli etc goes, I don't know


Time: 15th September 2009 5:58pm

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Brendan says...
Hi wobbly,
Try spraying your broccoli & cauliflower with a weak solution of Condys Crystals and a wetting agent, 2 to 3 times a week. That should help 'em form heads.

Time: 16th September 2009 6:43am

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amanda says...
Cool Brendan - I will try that - I grow great broccoli but lousy cauli's! Mine either don't form a head or go all flowery whilst they are growing it. I think sometimes it's either too warm here - or that Bunnings isn't getting the right varieties in at the right time (most likely) (or they are lousy varieties - as one professional grower told me)

Are there any varieties of cauli u can recommend?

Time: 16th September 2009 9:42am

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Brendan says...
Hi amanda,
The varity I grew was called 'Phenomenal Early'. They did take a long time to grow though.
I haven't grown them for a while, I must put some in next year, too late here now.

After planting out the seedlings, I'd put green sawdust around the plant, this keeps the slugs away.
A dressing of dolomite (or lime), helps too.
And don't forget the seaweed mulch.

Time: 17th September 2009 6:39am

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About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
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amanda says...
Ok Brendan - will do. Interestingly - I have not had slugs (or snails) up until this winter - they have finally found our oasis! I got a real shock when I shone the torch on the lawn the other night - there were hundreds of small one's. The lawn looks great.
Should I treat it for the slugs?

Time: 17th September 2009 9:00am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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Toby says...
Get some poultry and your slugs will disappear.

Time: 17th September 2009 12:01pm

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About the Author Toby
Perth
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amanda says...
I think the dogs will eat the chooks first Toby :( I only see the slugs at nite....can't see how they would get to them in the day? - the lawn is a buffaloe and very thick n dense.
Any other organic ways to get rid of slugs in lawn out there?

Time: 17th September 2009 4:51pm

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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wobbly says...
thank you wayne i wanted to use the house bricks as the edge and put the very fine road base as the path so do i have to put the sand under the road base and can i cement the bricks as the edge and pack down the road base. [like when you use lilydale toppings]
the path was meant to be simple and easy just to get rid of a slippery shaded goat track. but i have been given the bricks and the 12 ton of road base so it has changed !!!!

Time: 17th September 2009 6:36pm

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About the Author wobbly
clematis
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amanda says...
Good luck Wobbly! Sounds like **@# hard work to me :) We laid all our paths in a thick layer of cracker dust (granite dust I think) They are great - it's cheap stuff to buy in and a few hrs with an experienced bob-cat operator and the jobs done.

For the few weeds that make it thru' - just a toe kick with the boot and that's it. Great for kids on bikes etc. I love them. Can highly recommend for anyone who needs to lay a lot of path. :)

Time: 18th September 2009 9:46pm

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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Wayne says...
Sorry about the delay wobbly
You won't need sand for that job nor cement, just set the bricks on a couple of inches of the base. Spread dirt on one side to within say an inch from the top of the bricks to allow for the lawn and the road base to the height you require between the bricks, pack both dirt and base well. A stomper is enough for this job.
If you wish for a more stable edge you could spread a mix of 4 sand to 1 cement under the bricks and lay them in that, like a bricklayer does.
Have fun

Time: 19th September 2009 5:17am

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About the Author Wayne
Mackay QLD
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Jo says...
HiWayne (Mackay)

I used truck tyres stacked 4 high for my worm farm, masses of worms and I throw everything into all yard clippings and use the mower to mulch all the fallen leaves in the yard etc and throw all that in too. I have covered the tyre tower with super thick mattress protector in white but left the tyres black, the tyres are in dappled shade.
I also have seperate compost areas but I find that the tyre worm farm produces the quickest and best compost/worm castings. When I feel like it (like to get to the bottom of the pile once or twice a year mmm yum LOL) I pull the top tyre off and just start a new pile then add the second tyre from the other pile when I have used the compost that was at that level and so on until all tyres are on the new pile. The worms that are in the edges of the tyres are more than enough to start the worm farm off again.
Cutting the rims out was not easy though. The truck tyres all had steel in them. Tried with angle grinder, snips and the jigsaw but in the end only managed to cut two walls out - one wall out of two tyres. It works fine because the protected area between the walls encourages worms to bed in them and so when starting the new pile of tyres - lots of worms in there.
I use car tyres for planters and when I am able to pick up more truck tyres I will make a second worm/compost bin.

Cheers
Jo

Time: 20th September 2009 2:18am

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About the Author Jo1
Eagleby QLD
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Wayne says...
Very interesting post Jo, thank you

Time: 20th September 2009 4:28am

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About the Author Wayne
Mackay QLD
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Antz Pantz says...
Thanks EVERYONE for sharing :)

I lived 3 blocks from the beach & virtually have NO soil ~ only sand ~ & I am renting. My feeling was that raised gardens were my only option & I have been dabbling with tyres quite sussessfully. Pls see potatoes now 3 tiers high & alwast ready for another. The small square beds were made cheaply with $7 little bamboo fences (from cheap shop, lined with thick cardboard wrapped in black gardening plastic (about 60c a meter from any hardware). I have sourced mushroom compost for 50-60c per bag. I used 5 of these + 1 big bag of horse poo ($2) & semi fine cane mulch layered in both beds (same composition in tyres). I'm getting beautiful big fresh mushies every day. Seedlings have done so well using ONLY mushroom compost in handmade newspaper pots ~ the fabulous wooden tool for making these is available online at Green Harvest ~ who specialize in online ordering of ORGANIC SEEDS.
www.greenharvest.com.au
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Time: 21st September 2009 1:37pm

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About the Author Antz Pantz
Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast, Qld.
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Hillside says...
Hi Amanda,
Try putting out beer in saucers. When you come out the next morning you are likely to have a `pool' of slugs who died very happily!! It works beautifully for us.

Time: 27th September 2009 9:46am

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About the Author Hillside
Melbourne
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amanda says...
Thanks Hillside! Will do...(hopefully the dogs won't have a booze up on it!? :)

Time: 27th September 2009 10:07am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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amanda says...
Hey Julie...followed your lead and knocked up a shade-house for my veg for this summer! NO bugs NO wind and NO hot sun - yay! It's not flash but whatever...I might b able to save some water now and perhaps the seedlings won't all go straight to flower!? :)
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Time: 27th September 2009 10:44am

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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Julie says...
You have been a busy girl amanda! Mine doesn't go around the sides - it is an octagonal shape and shades from overhead sun.

Some plants get quite a lot of morning sun,like tomatoes and capsicums, but I think they need it to ripen faster.

Time: 27th September 2009 3:49pm

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Roleystone WA
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amanda says...
Oh - thanks for tip Julie - I did plant a cupla eggplants and capsicum in there - maybe it will be too shady. The material on the sides is not a shadecloth as such - it's a windbreak fabric. I might hedge my bets and put some outside. I want to grow mainly greens in there.

I think the person who invented cable ties is my hero/ine!

It's a great place to escape the bush flies tho'!! Might set my deck chair up in there too ;)))


Time: 27th September 2009 4:45pm

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
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Donnadid says...
I built 6 raised beds from besser blocks. They were seconds and I had originally purchased enough to do 3 but ended up being delivered enough to do 6 beds. This picture was taken a year ago and the 'holes' can be filled with soil and planted. I did cos lettuce out of the holes last year and this year I have garlic growing well. They are two blocks high and I have not used any mortar - they just sit nicely. I now have surrounds on top made from wood and shadecloth to protect the vegies from the chooks! (Will add a photo of that later)
We used the lasagne recipe (newspaper, hay, compost, etc) for filling the beds and I am well pleased with it a year on.
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Time: 27th September 2009 5:04pm

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About the Author DonnaB
crows nest qld
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amanda says...
Hi Donnadid..that's a great idea! Besser blocks are quite light I am told? and u can move them whenever u want? Can I ask how much they cost?
I guess u could spray the outside with sealant also - if they are porous?


Time: 27th September 2009 5:11pm

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Geraldton. WA
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Donnadid says...
Hi Amanda - it they cost $320 delivered (I live 45 minutes out of town)for 100 of them but they actually ended up giving me 200. 100 is enough for 3 beds at that height. I will take photos of our surrounds and post them up tomorrow. The thing about besser is that they have two walls rather than being a solid brick. besser blocks are very heavy and that is why I needed no mortar - they just sit where you put them (at two high anyway).


Time: 27th September 2009 5:49pm

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About the Author DonnaB
crows nest qld
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brad says...
Can anyone recommend a similar forum for vegies? My first crop of peas got spotty towards the (premature) end of their cropping. But this is after all a fruit tree forum

thanks,
Brad

PS where should i ask about my hibiscus where the top leaves are going yellow-white while the bottom leaves are happy dark green?
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Time: 2nd October 2009 5:06pm

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About the Author Brad2
Perth
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Wayne says...
We talk about anything that grows here Brad start a new thread with that pic and question, then a separate one for your hibiscus

Time: 2nd October 2009 7:59pm

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About the Author Wayne
Mackay QLD
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wobbly says...
hi thanksto everybody who has helped me with my path it well on its way [photos later] also info on whipper snippers.
i have unlimited supply of tank water for a vegie garden lately i seem to have it tooo wet or to dry , how long and how often should i water ?

Time: 3rd October 2009 8:10am

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About the Author wobbly
clematis
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Saxman says...
I finally took some photos of my berry plants (mostly blueberry varieties) and just thought i'd post them up!

Do you like my pie plant? Wasn't bad for a first try but still lookin for a great recipe!!!

Cheers,
Saxman!


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Time: 3rd October 2009 6:33pm

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About the Author Saxman
Perth WA
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