Ooh thanks for that. I’ll have Pumpkin out every morning to check for new ones.
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I’m working on upgrading my seed starting set up! As I am in the cold of Minnesota only onions are started so far. This should keep the cats from munching on things I do not want them to munch on.
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HELLO EVERYONE! I’m new to this thread and have not read all of the way back yet but I’m excited to finally be joining the garden chat!
Has anyone used the hugelkultur method to fill a raised bed? (Picture below).
This is what I wanted to do for the bed I just purchased (17” tall). I don’t plan to grow root veggies, just squash, peppers, and tomatoes) so I don’t think there will be any issues.
I’m hoping to learn a lot from all of you and I’ll post progress of my first ever raised bed experience.
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That will absolutely work for most any plants you want to put in there. Just be aware each year you will need to add more soil to the top as the logs and things break down.
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That makes sense! That seems worthwhile too instead of buying all of the soil now to spread out the cost.
How many layers of cardboard should I be putting down? 2? 3?
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What kid of ground are you putting it on? Grass, bare dirt, rocks, or lots of weeds?
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I was going to dig up rocks and put it onto the dirt. There are some weeds that grow through the rocks every year
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Don’t worry about putting rocks on the dirt. That’s more work than it’s worth. I would do at least 3 layers of cardboard or newspaper(whatever is easiest to get for you). That will keep weeds at bay really well. Just make sure you don’t use anything that has a glossy coating.
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I wanted to use the rocks in another part of the yard but that’s good to know! I’ll only dig enough to cover that area.
Thanks for your help!!
I started seeds indoors on Thursday - onions, leeks, parsley, and three types of peppers. We’re in Zone 5B. Last frost date can be anywhere from mid-May to beginning of June!
I bought a row cover and hoops to cover one raised bed this year. We are seeing if we can extend the season by a couple of weeks.
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Just out of curiosity how does your answer change for each surface? Just in case I want to start somewhere else.
If it were gravel or bare dirt you wouldn’t need quite as much weed barrier. So fewer sheets of cardboard or newspaper. Same with really rocky soil. Grass I would put an extra layer because it doesn’t want to die and will put seeds in upper layers.
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yes, except that our wood level was more sticks than logs, and plant waste was a mix of leaves and kitchen scraps. We add more every spring and fall
the cardboard kept out the maple roots for maybe 2 years, but we haven’t had issues with weeds coming up at all (just ivy & periwinkle spreading horizontally)
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I’m going to experiment with a hugelkulture bed for my red raspberries – there is a spot on the W side of the house that has had a flourishing blackberry crop and has issues with creeping buttercup. Hopefully if I cover everything enough it’ll supress both (I will try to get as many roots out as I can.
Basically it will be a berry patch, but what distribution of berries remains to be seen.
I had a big branch come down off my lodgepole pine in a storm last week so that will be my base layer.
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We did some tree trimming today to get the dead branches off and the ones over the house pulled back. This is maple 
I need clarification on the rules: if this doesn’t fit into one bed, I need to get another bed right? Hehehe
I am also the queen of efficiency and environmental stewardship. We didn’t pick up most of the leaves in our yard from the fall so those will go into the beds too.
Here is my plan for the 4x8 bed that comes on Tuesday:
Bed Orientation
-
Long Side (8’) Facing North
- Tomatoes (4-5 plants) – Staked/caged, spaced 18-24” apart
- Companions: Basil & Marigolds planted around tomatoes
- Spacing from Peppers: Leave 24-30” between tomatoes and peppers
- Spacing from Basil & Marigolds: Plant basil 10-12” from tomatoes; plant marigolds 12-18” from tomatoes.
- Distance from Bed Edge: Plant tomatoes 12-18” from the north edge.
-
Middle Section
- Bell Peppers (4-5 plants) – Spaced 12-18” apart
-
South Side & Edges
- Zucchini (2 plants) – Planted in corners, spaced 24-36” apart
- Distance from Bed Edge: Plant zucchini 12-18” from the bed edge to allow room for growth.
- Butternut Squash (1-2 plants) – Planted at edges to trail over the bed sides
- Distance from Bed Edge: Plant butternut squash 6-12” from the edge so vines can spill over.
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Keep in mind zucchini and squash leaves get BIG.
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Bed is assembled! Will move everything into it soon, it’s going to rain/snow here over the next couple of days.
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i finally started my sweet peas today! i don’t know why, but i always resist starting seeds … i think maybe because i’m just limping through the end of the winter, and i have a big loss anniversary in march, and february in pittsburgh is literally the worst.
it’s almost like you have to have a little spring/summer energy to get the seeds started, when spring hasn’t even arrived yet. it’s a leap of faith and those are not always easy for me! so today i celebrate that i have started two of my favorite flowers (snapdragons a few weeks ago and sweet peas today), and tomorrow i will start my first ever ranunculus and anenome corms!
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I got two varieties of snapdragons! The mango twist I am exceptionally excited for.
I’m sorry for the hard hurdles to seed starting, and really excited for you to have beautiful flowers soon! 
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This is so funny to me because I’m the complete opposite. By January I am chomping at the bit to start some seeds even though it’s too early. I start my peppers in February and my tomatoes in March, and those are the only things that keep me from going crazy as winter continues on into spring. This year is looking pretty nice actually and I may sow my snap peas, lettuce and chard outside soon.
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