Hi all,
I have read your postings with great interest but this is the first time I have posted so please be gentle!!! ;)
I took on a 10 rod plot about four weeks ago and have been studiously clearing the six foot high grass and 10 foot high brambles ever since (bonfire ban on allotment takes affect tomorrow so desperate to get job finished!). Anyway, I am now nearing the end of the task and stating to plan my beds. The question I have is this: My plot runs North/South (along its length) and I had been thinking of laying the raised beds in the same direction. Is there an suggestions or rules of thumb that provide guidance on the orientation of the beds?
Thanks
The sun will shine on them anyway you lay them out. Unless there is a tall hedge or boundary to your plot. If there is, orientate your beds to get the maximum light down the rows.
Fingers crossed for a good bonfire day.
The only disadvantage to having beds running east-west is that a row of tall plants will cast a lot more shade on the smaller ones to the north of it.
Hiya, Mark-T, glad you've joined us, have fun ;D
Welcome aboard Mark_T , happy time ahead for you ;D ;D. not experienced enough to advise on the orientation thingie, there will be many along later that can, but I can speak out loud in favour of raised beds. Not quite finished mine yet, all that double digging takes a long time ::) but it really is worth it. Happy digging ;D ;D
Welcome to the forum Mark-T. I have two plots - one with beds east to west (which I inherited) and one north to south (my design). There isn't a huge lot of difference between the two, except that what Robert B says can be the case e.g. a row of tall runner beans can take the light from smaller things like carrots or beetroot in the east west beds.
Check the gradient. If there is a slope your raised bed will end up like a ski jump. My raised beds were the only plantings to survive the flood.
Good luck.
Jack
I made 17 raised beds last winter and am very pleased with results so far, the only big problem is controlling the weeds on the paths between. I have had carpet laid which doesn't last long one , weeds grow through it and on the sides, so I have pulled the carpet up. Can't afford bark, thought about bales of staw, £2 a bale. Has any advice for me please.
Cardboard, and keep walking on it.
Thanks all for both the greetings and the advice. To CockneyCarrot: I intend on using cardboard however I found a website the other day by a lady in London who has used straw for her paths, although she did have to put a wooden border around the plot to prevent the strimmer from throwing straw everywhere when she cut the grass on the boundary paths.
I think I am going to run my beds North-South and see how I go!
Got the plot cleared and all the rubbish burnt before the bonfire ban came into effect! ;D
cockneycarrot call your local tree surgons you might be able to source some free wood chips. Thats where we get ours from. Most tree surgeons will give it away but some charge either way its much cheaper than buying wood chips.
Even weed membrane with wood chips has the weeds growing though and on it so i would suggest adding cardboard under the weed membrane.