Paper and Cardboard Under My Raised Bed?

[coll]

I'm not doing the Lasagna Garden, just Square Foot; but I still hear things about putting newspaper etc under the soil/compost I will fill my raised bed with, to prevent weeds. Any thoughts? I'm still not even sure about roughing up the existing soil first or leaving it be. Can't put it off much longer!

[sparrowgrass]

Put a single layer of cardboard or about 5 or 6 layers of newspaper--make sure you cover every bit of the bottom. If you can, lay the cardboard out first, and put the frame over the top, to keep weeds from creeping under from the outside. A heavy layer of mulch around the bed will help with that, too.

I don't have raised beds, but I do use tons of cardboard in my big garden, covering all the paths and spaces between plants. I hold it down with straw or leaves. By fall it is mostly gone, and I till it in. The cellulose in the paper is organic material, and it just makes your soil better and easier to work.

In a raised bed, it will also break down, but it will last long enough to keep those weeds from getting into your garden.

Mulching with straw will help keep weeds out of your soil and will retain moisture--which is sometimes a problem with raised beds. 3 or 4 inches will do it. Next spring, spade it in--don't go too deep, because you don't want to bring weed seeds up from the underlying soil.

Happy gardening to you!! I hope you have discovered your local extension office--they (we!) are the ultimate authority on gardening, with lots of FREE info. Finding the number/location in the phone book is sometimes not easy, but if you google (your county, your state, Extension) your office should pop up.

[coll]

Thanks for all this great advice. I have printed it out for my files.

We are lucky that our Cornell Cooperative Extention is 5 minutes from my house, and I have used them to analyze my lawn. Although they do charge for testing now, but only $5 or so. Also used them for a mysterious plague that invaded our neighborhood, which ended up being artillary (or military?) fungus , it comes from cheap compost and flings black gook for hundreds of yards. The same landscaper did most of the neighborhood when we all moved it together, and I guess tried to cut corners. I expect to be a frequent visitor at the Extention once again this summer.

[sparrowgrass]

Artillery! Good to know that you know about us--sometimes we joke that we are the best kept secret in the courthouse.

If you really get into this gardening thing (be careful, it can be an addiction!) look into the the Master Gardener program.

[coll]

If I manage to stay "retired" that's a great idea! We not only have the extension, but also up by the farm fields they have research gardens where they grow all kinds of unusual local plants. I have used their services since the 1970s with our first garden (then a long time in between) even though I had to mail things to them they were so prompt and knowledgable about everything. Before the days of the internet they were a Godsend.

[dfrostnh]

I agree with sparrowgrass. You don't need to rough up the soil first. I made my beds lasagna style on top of thick sod (old meadow) and also cover paths with a thick layer of newspaper covered with grass clippings. When I dig, I find lots of earthworms. We accumulate a lot of newspapers so I think it's also a good way to use them. If I change a bed to remove a path, I fork the old newspaper/clippings into the beds. Usually they are well decomposed.

[coll]

Thanks to both of you! I started a pile of newspapers and cardboard in the garage and I can see it won't take long. I will be glad to not have to dig the soil up, although I'm going to have to check where the sprinkler heads are and try to use them to my advantage.

I am also going through my shelves, looking for appropriate little cups to start the seeds in, rather than buying them (since I just sprang for a $100 tumbler composter as I see signs that the racoons have finally discovered my pile back in the woods). Next is to figure a way to make the raised beds by myself, since my husband won't be able to help me this time around. I have a really good Mini Farming book with a lot of tips, and am checking Craigslist periodically in case something shows up. The book tells you every alternative, including cinder blocks, and rebar and PVC piping for the trellis, so I will try to be a bit creative there; although I will be jealous of my neighbors who have a perfect raised garden with a white picket fence and white trellis, Martha Stewart style. Maybe someday I'll get that far. Mine will be Survivor Man style for now.

So everything I read is saying 8 inches is deep enough, but I remember my husband doing 12 inches. What do you recommend? The deeper the better I'm sure, but don't want to spend more than I have to on the fill either.

[sparrowgrass]

Be sure you have plenty of light if you are growing plants from seeds--I use 4 foot florescents, no need to buy special lights, the cheap bulbs work just as well as the grow lights.

An oscillating fan will also help make stronger seedlings--the motion makes the stems sturdier, and there is less shock when you take them outside.
Bigger cups (8 oz. is fine) are better than little ones--egg cartons are often suggested for starting seeds, but they are just too small, and dry out too quickly. Yogurt cups, paper or plastic soda or coffee cups are good.
I don't know where you are, but I planted my tomatoes mid-February. I will plant them about the middle of April, depending on the weather. (I will put them on the porch pretty soon, so they get the breeze and some sun. I can bring them in if it gets cold.)

[coll]

I have a full spectrum floor lamp that I bought my husband this fall for his SAD, but he only uses it sporadically. So thought I'd just put my seedlings right behind where he sits on the couch and get two for the price of one!

Glad you said that about the size of the cups, I first pulled out some tiny ones I had used in the past for jello shots, then realized once they got going I'd probably have to transplant to something else. So now I found a couple of sleeves of 6 or 8 oz styro coffee cups in the garage (samples from my old job) and also have been saving all my empty yogurt cups, all I have to do is figure what to hold them in to catch the water. Might have to break down and buy the commercial trays, but I'll put on my thinking cap first. I do have some clear takeout covers set aside because I KNOW my kitties will be investigating once the greenery appears.

I am on Long Island, which is Zone 7 b; except right where I live is zone c. I looked up when to plant each vegetable, but also remembered St Patricks Day being the general time when I used to do this, which is why I have a sudden flurry of questions. I always planted outside around Memorial Day. But with the change in zones..... I only got around to getting the seeds a week or so ago, better get in high gear! I have Big Daddy tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, hot and cooking peppers, radishes, string beans and maybe one or two other things. Nothing heirloom this time around. I will stick the tomatoes in sometime today and check my chart for what's up next. Thanks for the kick start!!