Each week, gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi shares his expertise and answers questions about gardening, house plants, veggies and more. This week, he suggests several new raised bed materials for people who want to grow plants but might not have the space (or time!) for a full-blown, traditional garden plot.
The basics ...
Your raised bed can be as eclectic as you wish, but traditionally, raised beds rest about six inches off the ground and are made from wood. This helps them warm up faster, which means they dry out quicker, and there's less weeding to do.
Cedar or hemlock wood at least two inches wide will provide a sturdy structure. Refrain from using softwoods or pressure-treated woods: They rot more easily.
Experiment:
You could also construct a raised bed using any outdoor-proof, study materials, such as brick, stone or even galvanized metal. They'll last a long time, but the metal will heat up sitting in the sun, and it could cause problems for your soil and plants.
Raised beds can be any shape and size you'd like, but usually they're between three and four feet wide to ensure you can reach your plants without having to step in the plot. Less trampling keeps the soil loose, which aids in drainage and weed control.
Or shoot for the stars!
Perhaps you've driven by someone's home and seen a curious structure that looks like it walked out of the latest Star Wars movie: The four-legged, elevated raised bed. This type of structure helps save your sore back and knees.
Another plus: A raised bed three feet off the ground keeps the pests away, unless the woodchucks and rabbits in your neighborhood are particularly determined and athletic.
Don't forget the filling.
Now that you have created a frame made from your favorite material, the next step is to choose the best soil mixture. You'll want a combination of top soil and compost. A 60-40 mixture of the two will provide plenty of fertility and drainage. You can also lighten it up even further by adding in some potting soil.
Save yourself some time by finding a pre-mixed, all-purpose soil at your local garden center.
Q: I have successfully grown the five-to-six-foot tall lavender-colored Veronicastrum over many years. In the last two or three years, however, the plants have suffered from a disease that leaves them largely black and slimy. I consulted a local resource who suggested copper, which didn't help. I have cut them to the ground in the late season, just after flowering. — Jillian, Marlboro
This is curious because Veronicastrum is a native wildflower. It's a great pollinator plant — great for bees, insects and butterflies — and is a hardy and easy-to-grow plant, either as a wildflower or in your garden.
Usually, it has few problems. What might be happening in Jillian's case is the wildflower could be showing the effects of a fungus that is attacking the plant. This could be due to not having good enough air circulation around the plant, which creates a perfect environment for fungus to grow.
To remedy the situation, Jillian could move the plant or clean around it so the leaves and stem dry out faster in humid conditions. Cutting it back was a great idea. As a last resort, she could spray a fungicide other than copper, called Serenade.
The fungicide is known as bacillus subtilus, a bacteria which fights a fungus, particularly powdery mildew or downy mildew, which may be one of the causal agents here.
Come spring, as soon as Jillian begins to see the black slime again, she could try to spray this fungicide to get ahead of it. Spraying won't kill the leaves that are already infected, but it will prevent the infection from spreading.
All Things Gardening is powered by you, the listener! Send your gardening questions and conundrums and Charlie may answer them in upcoming episodes. You can also leave a voicemail with your gardening question by calling VPR at (802) 655-9451.
Hear All Things Gardening during Weekend Edition Sunday with VPR host Mary Engisch, Sunday mornings at 9:35.
