Back-Saving Raised Garden Beds

Back-Saving Raised Garden Beds FARM HOME Miscellaneous “My back was badly injured in an accident last year and I needed to find a way to garden without bending over So I came up with a new approach using treated lumber and blemished steel roofing ” says Harold Gallaher Farmington Mo He recently sent FARM SHOW photos of 2 raised gardens he built that are 30 in tall – much taller than conventional 6 to 12-in tall raised gardens Each bed measures 16 ft long by 4 ft wide and 30 in tall The bottom is lined with galvanized chicken wire to keep moles out The bed is filled with topsoil enriched with compost Cross braces inside the bed are covered with scrap sheet metal to minimize soil contact with the treated lumber After building the wooden frame Gallaher boxed it in with sheets of blemished metal roofing that he got from a local supplier Only the white back side of the metal is visible Vertical wooden posts on each side of the bed support a shade cover made from a 16-ft wire cattle panel that’s topped with plastic lattice It provides about 60 percent shade The lattice attaches to the cattle panel with nylon wire ties The cover is held in place by a pair of 8-in long spikes that fit into slightly oversized holes drilled into the posts in 8-in increments One hole is spaced 1 in above the other so that one of the spikes fits below the cover and the other fits above it “To raise or lower the cover I simply change the position of the spikes The spikes on top of the covers prevent wind uplift ” says Gallaher Another cattle panel arched between the 2 beds forms a trellis for cucumbers and other climbing plants The only non-treated lumber used was the 2 by 6 top lip that will be in contact with the gardener during use This board will be easily replaced when it eventually rots away “I’m really happy with how it turned out ” says Gallaher “The shade provided by the lattice allows my lettuce to keep growing even in the hottest part of the summer In dry weather I put a soaker hose on top of the lattice to form a cool soft rain for the plants ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Harold Gallaher 1247 Hwy 00 Farmington Mo 63640 ph 573 701-5633; hdgfarm@gmail com

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