I headed out to do some weeding and prep in the main garden area. Just to get the beds ready for planting, and for adding more permanent walls around the low raised beds.
Of course, things turned out to be more than I expected, so I decided to set up the tripod for a future video. Here is a preview.
The plan is to have the beds in uniform sizes in this area, to match the trellis tunnel beds that will also be added. We don’t have a lot of time left to prep before things need to get into the ground, so we need to shift focus to getting these existing beds ready.
Part of the problem with the existing beds is that they are bordered by shorter chunks of logs, just laying on the ground. They don’t do a very good job of keeping the soil in place, and some of them get knocked out of position more easily. Plus, the crab grass rhizomes just grow right under them.
What we’re working towards is beds that are 4′ wide from the outside, with 4′ paths in between. They will also all be 18′ long, so each bed could fit a pair of the 9′ x 3′ covers we’ve been making (taking into account the width of the logs, the growing space will be closer to 3′.
Using the high raised bed as the starting point, I marked out the 4′ distances for the paths and the beds.
You’ll notice that the markers don’t line up with the existing beds. We never measured anything when we laid those down. To get the sizes and distances we are after, they will all need to be shifted over. Some more than others.
The photo above, however, was taken before I realized my mistake when I first started measuring them out.
My brain was thinking about using those covers on them.
The 9′ x 3′ covers. The ones made to fit over 9′ x 3′ beds built out of 1″ x 6″ boards, so they fit exactly right.
I had marked the rows at 4′, but the beds at 3′.
Thankfully, I caught my mistake early enough and reset them all 4′ apart.
At the far end, I only marked out the two beds closest to the high raised bed. Which required digging out some rocks, so I could push the markers into the ground. Since the high raised bed is shorter, I used the end of the first trellis bed as my guide. It doesn’t have to be exact. Just within an inch or so.
I got most of the bed with the Red Wethersfield onions in it done – I was originally going to just weed that one, but when I saw how much things needed to be shifted, I decided to transplant the onions and get it done right from the start. I paused for a break when I was working at the far end – the one closest to that row of trees – when I started breaking new ground, and hitting larger roots and more rocks.
So I paused to take a break, transplanting the onions I pulled out, into the first trellis bed.
Then it started raining.
So I too a longer break!
My daughter, meanwhile, has headed out to process logs for the beds. If we get them framed just one log deep this year, that will do. We can add more logs to make them higher after that, but we really need to get them ready for planting. Something that it taking far longer than it should!
I won’t be able to work in it tomorrow, since I’ll be helping my mother with shopping, so I’ll head back out in between the rain to keep at it. It’s not supposed to start raining hard until 7pm, so I should get at least a couple more hours in.
But first… food. It’s 2pm as I write this, and I forgot to have lunch!
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 