Hi Everyone - need some help!

[Producer]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and new to gardening. Im hoping some of you could help me and sort of guide me through things! Ive also joined another forum but not sure if it very active, so have joined this which seems to have a lot of members.

BACKGROUND STATUS - I got an allotment a couple of months ago - it is in quite a state as it was simply an overgrown area on the allotment site until I got it. And its also next to the railings, so as well as loads of weeds, there is lots of glass and litter. So I've got it covered with some black sheeting given from the bloke who runs the site. Also made a start at clearing it.

With Christmas over, Im going to get back to it and try get the whole thing cleared. But I have a few initial questions:

- I want a shed on it and the bloke said to try keep some of the rubble I come across to make a foundation. Well so far I havent cos its all intermingled with litter and glass! When I have the bit cleared (next to the railings) cant I just put paving slabs down and plonk the shed on that or do I have to make a foundation. If so, HOW DO I DO IT? Where else can I get rubble? Ive never really done DIY so do not have much knowledge. Any help will be appreciated! 

- Secondly, can someone explain to me the reason for raised beds? I understand the reason of compartmnetalising things for ease of moving around them. But do the beds have a bottom put in? Is it to stop weeds growing in them? Why do they need to be raised? Sorry if I am being stupid! Can the beds simply not be raised and be defined by paths of say straw? Im no doubt missing the point!!!

Any help is really appreciated! Thank you!

[Producer]

[cornykev]

Hi Director and welcome to the madhouse, on the raised bed question they are raised by choice, mine are not, but many on this forum have them. Some lotties have bad drainage so raised beds are a way round this, also the bed gets warmed up quicker ,hence crops going in that little bit earlier, no treading on the soil so not having to dig up. Others will be along to tell you more, so happy digging.  ;D ;D ;D

[jennym]

To respond to the raised bed question - people do it for many reasons, some of which are: to make their garden look pretty, to garden using the no-dig method, to garden in a place where there is no good topsoil, to be able to grow where the soil is waterlogged often.
My garden has very heavy clay soil which got waterlogged badly in winter, and no topsoil to speak of when I started it. I built an extensive  number of raised beds so that I could grow something straight away. They got taken out after about 3 years, as I found that the amount of manure, kitchen compost, leaf mould etc I was able to put on meant that the soil level had raised enough to prevent waterlogging and the soil had improved vastly. Also, I got irritated because I couldn't dig it over properly, the wooden sides hampered me. If I had my time again, I wouldn't do raised beds, but just raised mounds of soil, this is easier to manage when you have a fair size of garden to contend with.

[saddad]

Welcome to the Madhouse, Director... ?Herr Direktor!
;D

[caroline7758]

And no, they don't have a bottom put in, it's basically giving extra depth of soil. That's about all I know, as I don't use them, mainly because there's usually a cost involved, and to me part of the fun of allotmenteering is not spending money unless it's absolutely necessary. (But I know peeps on here have managed to scavenge everything they need to make raised beds!)

[Eristic]

can someone explain to me the reason for raised beds?

I've been waiting for an answer to this one for years. Such a waste of time, space and money.

As for shed bases, all you need is a firm foundation that raises the shed above the soil level. Some people use slabs which can be laid directly on the leveled ground or bedded on cement. Rubble is useful if there is a slope or hole to fill out. Being King of the deep pockets short arms fraternity I used old timber joists from a handy skip and laid these like decking.

[Tee Gee]

Thanks Eristic your comments saved me a lot of typing...........your thoughts are mine exactly.

But just to keep the pot boiling I wrote this about raised beds; http://tinyurl.com/2sdptf

Welcome to the site Director; If you want to see how I set my plots out have a look at the link I have just put in the 'Under glass' section in the 8x6 greenhouse thread.

[glosterwomble]

Hi director, welcome to the group, I've learnt SO much from this forum it's fab!Don't feel down about clearing an overgrown plot, ours was a total state when we took it over in November '06 but we were able to clear it enough to have a good year last year.

Not sure about the foundation question, the guy who says you need a ruble foundation may be right but I would think that's quite  a lot of work for an allotment shed which I reckon would be fine on a bed of old slabs.

Good luck  ;D

[inski]

Hi and welcome

You may find this helpful for your shed base

http://www.garden-sheds-online.co.uk/info/buildbase.shtml

[grotbag]

hi,and welcome.foundation for shed depends how much efort u want to put into it.either a concrete base,(a lot of work) or lay some slabs level and stand shed on em ,that is how i did mine ,easy to do and not to pricey.

[morton]

Regarding the shed base on an allotment. From experience the most important thing is to keep the shed floor well above ground. It needs to be 12 to 18 inches to deter rats and mice from getting inside. If you use a concrete base or slabs then rats will eventually undermine it. The height above ground also helps prevent dampness from getting in.
I would just set the shed up on breeze blocks or similar. I would sit them straight on the soil [which has never caused problems on our sandy soil]. If you do get any settlement on one block then get some of your neighbours to prise the shed up with a scaffold pole or similar and pack the shed back up again.
Any rubble /glass or whatever that you have cleared already could be spread out in the gap under the shed which again will deter rats.
Hope this helps

[Jeannine]

We  have two lotties, 1 is flat and is used for squash, corn, and big stuff. the other is mostly raised beds and soft fruits. The rasied beds are primarily for me because I have problems bending on the flat. I cannot weed  or plant on the flat lottie but I do well on the raised ones. The beds are about 12 -15 inches deep, bottomless  approx 10  feet x 4 feet and filled with potting soil and sand mostly. It was very expensive to do but I have no problems growing anything in them and I can maintain them mostly without much  help, I would suggest them for anyone who has mobility problems but the expense is really too much if not needed I think. We add more each year. My husband maintains the flat one.

Most things that go in them are seeds, transplants mostly go in the flat one.

Our shed is on raised breeze blocks, as our ground can be very wet in the winter I think it protects the wood to be raised.

Good Luck with your lottie, XX Jeannine

[natasha]

Poor thing, it  is horrible to collect broken glass mixed with mud.
:-\
I stopped doing it, we covered this area with black cloth and pots on top, but a friend of mine put raised beds there with clean purchased compost, it is about 50 cm high, she doesn't dig so glass stays deep underground and she can safely work. I think it is a terrific idea.

For all your gardening needs Do Freecycle!!!
It is an email list where people give away things that they no longer need for free. Spring is the best time, lots of gardening stuff goes spare: we've got our paving slabs, shed and pots from there, also kid's slides and swings. It is important after all that all of you enjoy being at the lottie and it is a comfy place.

[Producer]

Hello all!  Thanks for your warm welcomes.  Surprised by how helpful and cheerful you lot are!

Your responses were really helpful.  Just to clarify the points made it seems that in terms of raised beds, the advantages are better drainage, easy access for those with mobility problems, can look prettier, can alter / change soil type easier, no need to dig over as it never gets trampled on,

However it seems to me that I can still alter the soil type without raised beds and that plenty of people get on without them.  Im thinking that I can still compartmentalise the sections of my allotment just by using paths of straw, thus I wont need to walk on them and I can easily add compost and stuff.  As some one has already said, they can become sort of raised anyway without wodden borders, thus helping drainage.  Also there is no mention of raised beds stopping weeds coming through (for some reason I imagined they would have had a bottom in them like a sheet.  Also there seem to be issues with the wood rotting or contaminating the soil, plus snails are attracted to these wodden boundries.

So am I right in saying that I can still have beds but just not raise them? 

As for sheds, seems as though I may as well just buy some breeze blocks or paving slabs and pu them down on levelled ground! Easy!  Where can I buy these from and how much will they cost, and what size do the slabs come in.

Havent been back to the allotment since Nov, always raining!  But going tomorrow to start clearing again.  What do you lot think about fold up wheelbarrows? and do some wheelbarrows not rust if you leave them out?

Cheers again everyone!  There is so much to learn, especially for some one like me who has never had a garden, grew up with a yard, and has no DIY sense whatsoever.  Your help is appreciated!

[kt.]

Not intentionally stealing ideas but This current thread show a fabulous base that would do well for your shed.

Whatever you decide ensure it is approximately 1ft off the ground to stop rats etc nesting underneath. Easy enough to throw bags of rat poison under too.

[Producer]

Not intentionally stealing ideas but This current thread show a fabulous base that would do well for your shed.

Whatever you decide ensure it is approximately 1ft off the ground to stop rats etc nesting underneath. Easy enough to throw bags of rat poison under too.

Not sure slabs will give me 1 foot... Also someone mentioned laying rubble in the space between the shed floor and the slabs - will there be a space to fill??

[Pesky Wabbit]

Are there anyother GH on the lottie?

You can always go and study how these are put down.

[kt.]

Not intentionally stealing ideas but This current thread show a fabulous base that would do well for your shed.

Here is the link I meant to attach ::)
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,38217.msg380469.html#msg380469

[Producer]

Are there anyother GH on the lottie?

You can always go and study how these are put down.

whats GH

[Baccy Man]

whats GH

A greenhouse.

So am I right in saying that I can still have beds but just not raise them? 

Yes. I have never bothered making raised beds & my beds are now (after several years of hardwork & adding plenty of organic matter) almost weedfree the soil is easy to dig & well drained.