March 10, 2024 My elevated beds have taken themselves down 😦
I am a steadfast believer in re-using, restoring, re-purposing pretty much everything, just because that is the way I was brought up. Everything can be salvaged…to a point. After 10 years of loyal service to our homestead it is time for replacement elevated beds.
When the bottoms started to fall out, I removed the soil and put it into grow bags which enabled me to move them around if I chose to. This system worked well all last season with two out of the 5 beds that were falling. This past winter one more collapsed on me, and today after completing my cleanup I watched (in horror) as one bed totally took itself apart-luckily all the soil filled grow bags plopped down without spilling soil all over the gravel!
Lesson and cautionary tale: as I was filling bags, I noticed that over time the soil had gotten a bit dense, so as I set up for a new season, in new elevated beds I will restore the mixture to a lighter, nutrient enhanced mix. I will continue to use the grow bags because I like the flexibility they offer. Looking forward to a new season of growing!
Grafedie in the Library 