1
00:00:02,319 --> 00:00:06,000
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Simple Garden Life podcast, a program dedicated

2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,599
to keeping the yard of gardening simple, fun and always rewarding.

3
00:00:09,919 --> 00:00:12,640
Now Here are your hosts, Jim and Mary Competti.

4
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,199
Speaker 2: Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of Simple Garden Life.

5
00:00:18,399 --> 00:00:20,519
I'm your host, Jim Competty, along with my co host

6
00:00:20,519 --> 00:00:23,120
and wife, Mary Competti. I'm not laughing, Mary, I'm just

7
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,039
laughing because I always have to start it off that way.

8
00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:26,440
Speaker 3: I know, I know, I know.

9
00:00:26,879 --> 00:00:30,960
Speaker 2: So we are talking gardening once again today, well into

10
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,200
our sixth season. Hard to believe it, but what a

11
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,520
great topic we have because there's nothing really hotter the

12
00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,960
last few years than raised beds. Raised beds are becoming

13
00:00:42,359 --> 00:00:44,159
just huge for a lot of reasons. I mean, first

14
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,119
of all, people in apartments or small areas can still

15
00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,039
grow if you don't have a lot of land, If

16
00:00:49,039 --> 00:00:51,640
you don't have a lot of area or soil, you

17
00:00:51,679 --> 00:00:52,079
can do it.

18
00:00:52,119 --> 00:00:54,200
Speaker 4: And they're also far easier to take care of.

19
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, the order I get, the more I appreciate Rae's

20
00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:57,560
bed gardening, and.

21
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,640
Speaker 2: Will have you know that the raised beds surface area

22
00:01:00,679 --> 00:01:03,560
and our test garden here has doubled over the last years.

23
00:01:03,679 --> 00:01:05,879
Speaker 4: As Mary says, this but very very true.

24
00:01:05,879 --> 00:01:09,359
Speaker 2: But they do offer so many great ways to garden,

25
00:01:09,799 --> 00:01:13,200
you know, not bending down as far, not near the

26
00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:15,560
weeds in a raised bed. But the real question with

27
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,040
raised beds becomes how much can you grow in them?

28
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,359
What types of things can you grow them? And how

29
00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,159
productive can they be? And honestly, a lot of that

30
00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,680
all comes down to what today's topic is, which is

31
00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:28,799
how to fill your raised beds with the right soil

32
00:01:28,879 --> 00:01:31,680
mix and create great soil for your raised beds.

33
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,319
Speaker 3: Right, And I think we should also clarify this is

34
00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:34,719
not just for vegetable gardening.

35
00:01:35,359 --> 00:01:37,439
Speaker 2: No, No, we put a lot of flowers into our

36
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,519
raised beds as well. You can do perennials and raised.

37
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,000
Speaker 3: Beds, so a lot of our herbs and it really does.

38
00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,079
Speaker 4: Matter with that soil that you put into it. So

39
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:46,120
as we always like to do.

40
00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:48,159
Speaker 2: In the beginning of the podcast, remind everybody that you

41
00:01:48,159 --> 00:01:52,359
can always email us at the farm at owgarden dot com.

42
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,920
You can also catch all of the episodes on Simplegardenlife

43
00:01:55,959 --> 00:01:58,400
dot com. And if you want to know more about

44
00:01:58,439 --> 00:02:00,560
our farm and all of our websites and all the

45
00:02:00,599 --> 00:02:02,879
cool things we have going on here, make sure you

46
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,159
go to ow garden dot com and check it out.

47
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,000
Speaker 4: We have all of our.

48
00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,479
Speaker 2: Websites listed there as well as the forty six acred

49
00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:10,719
farm now that we've turned into.

50
00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:12,879
Speaker 4: As we like to tell people, we grow fun.

51
00:02:13,039 --> 00:02:18,919
Speaker 3: Right, that's right, not go vegetables, vegetables, flowers and fun.

52
00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,120
Speaker 4: That's right. That's right. So okay, let's get into today's podcast.

53
00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:24,360
That's what we're here for. So how to fill your

54
00:02:24,439 --> 00:02:27,800
raised beds? Right? It's not as simple as everybody thinks.

55
00:02:27,879 --> 00:02:29,520
Speaker 2: I mean when you come down to it, you know,

56
00:02:30,439 --> 00:02:33,599
just as in a garden setting, that soil is what's

57
00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,080
going to drive your plant growth and your productivity, whether

58
00:02:36,159 --> 00:02:38,560
it's flowers or vegetable plants.

59
00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:39,840
Speaker 3: Right, and what you put in your raised bed is

60
00:02:40,039 --> 00:02:42,719
not only going to determine how well your plants or

61
00:02:42,759 --> 00:02:45,199
flowers grow this year, but also for years to come.

62
00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,680
Speaker 2: And much do you have to think about that? You know,

63
00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:49,759
you have to think of raised beds kind of like

64
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,639
a potted plant. I mean that's really what it is,

65
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,680
an oversized potted plant. It's because you have limited soil capacity,

66
00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,560
you're not going to be able to have, you know,

67
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,560
just a massive garden that you're going to put stuff

68
00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,639
in all the time it's a limited soil, you're filling

69
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,439
it up, and to be successful, you know, that has

70
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,680
to have the same soil qualities that a hanging basket

71
00:03:08,759 --> 00:03:10,719
or a container or your garden have, and that means

72
00:03:11,039 --> 00:03:13,240
it has to be able to drain well. It has

73
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,080
to be loose, it has to be light weight and

74
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,159
allow for those roots to grow and absorb things great, and.

75
00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:20,319
Speaker 3: Also has to be packed with nutrients because it can't

76
00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,039
get extra nutrients from the natural soil on the ground.

77
00:03:24,319 --> 00:03:27,240
Speaker 2: You're absolutely right, and so it's that same formula for

78
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,159
success that works with raised beds as it does in

79
00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,599
hanging baskets, as it does in a garden. It has

80
00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,400
to drain excess water away. If it doesn't, the plants

81
00:03:35,439 --> 00:03:37,879
are going to struggle, they can rot out. It has

82
00:03:37,919 --> 00:03:40,280
to have that power, like you talked about, the nutrients,

83
00:03:40,639 --> 00:03:43,439
and it also has to be able to last a

84
00:03:43,439 --> 00:03:44,560
little bit longer.

85
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:45,680
Speaker 4: Since it's in that raised setting.

86
00:03:45,759 --> 00:03:49,560
Speaker 2: So you know it really it really all starts with

87
00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,599
people say, well, should I just go out and get

88
00:03:51,759 --> 00:03:53,319
hundreds of bags of potting soil.

89
00:03:53,759 --> 00:03:56,280
Speaker 4: Well, I mean that's a pretty expensive.

90
00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,120
Speaker 2: Venture if you're going to do that, and it's not

91
00:03:58,159 --> 00:04:00,240
always going to create the best raise beds right.

92
00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,319
Speaker 3: And then there's on the contrary, should I just fill

93
00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:03,840
it with garden soil or soil for.

94
00:04:03,919 --> 00:04:05,759
Speaker 4: My yard, And that would be a big no.

95
00:04:05,919 --> 00:04:07,360
Speaker 3: That would be a big note. Not only is that

96
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,719
super heavy, it compacts, it doesn't allow the roots to

97
00:04:10,759 --> 00:04:14,439
grow and develop, and it actually can even break your

98
00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,639
raised bed system because it just will help the sides

99
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,600
will blow out, and you know, for long term, that's

100
00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:21,680
definitely not a good answer.

101
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,959
Speaker 2: Especially if they're made from plastic or thin metal or

102
00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,120
you know, light lightweight wood.

103
00:04:25,199 --> 00:04:27,439
Speaker 3: And you can get raised beds all over the place

104
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,800
and all over different farm and garden stores online. You know,

105
00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:35,600
there's really ones that are really good and there's there

106
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:36,319
are better ones.

107
00:04:36,399 --> 00:04:37,160
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're going to.

108
00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:38,639
Speaker 2: Talk about that today and we're going to talk about

109
00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,879
how to make sure that what you're putting in there

110
00:04:41,439 --> 00:04:44,800
is strong enough and fertile enough and lightweight enough. And

111
00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,000
there's actually some great materials that we're going to go

112
00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,439
through that can really ensure all that. But it's not

113
00:04:49,759 --> 00:04:52,319
and this is really key, not just about soil. It's

114
00:04:52,319 --> 00:04:54,399
about what you put down on the base, what's at

115
00:04:54,439 --> 00:04:56,920
the bottom. And we talk about filling raised beds. That

116
00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,399
drainage at the bottom is as, if not more important,

117
00:05:00,399 --> 00:05:03,079
and what you're putting to the next levels as is

118
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:04,439
the soil that's going up.

119
00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,720
Speaker 4: So let's start marry with this raised beds. How big

120
00:05:07,759 --> 00:05:09,360
do they have to be? How thick do they have

121
00:05:09,399 --> 00:05:12,319
to be? Boy, it really depends on what you're growing.

122
00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,800
Speaker 2: There's some great raised beds out there that are six

123
00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:17,639
to eight inches off the ground. Now that's because they

124
00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,439
might have soil underneath them. Six to eight inches by

125
00:05:20,439 --> 00:05:22,879
itself not really good enough to grow a lot of things.

126
00:05:22,959 --> 00:05:24,959
Speaker 3: No, and we're talking about six eight inches off the ground.

127
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,879
That means the bottom is open to the soil below.

128
00:05:28,079 --> 00:05:31,040
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's on concrete on gravel, yeah, right?

129
00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,759
Speaker 3: Or does it have a plastic bottom that you know

130
00:05:34,079 --> 00:05:36,240
that the roots can't get more nutrients?

131
00:05:36,319 --> 00:05:39,560
Speaker 2: Absolutely, so you really want to always make sure you're

132
00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,560
having twelve to eight inches.

133
00:05:41,319 --> 00:05:42,199
Speaker 4: Of workable soil.

134
00:05:42,319 --> 00:05:46,639
Speaker 3: I think twelve to eighteen, Yes, eight, I think that's okay, twelve.

135
00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,199
Speaker 4: Eighteen that's exactly you definitely need that. And why is that?

136
00:05:50,199 --> 00:05:51,800
Speaker 2: Think about a tomato plant when you pulled up at

137
00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,800
the end of the season, or up pepper plant flower

138
00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,040
that's going to go down six to ten inches just

139
00:05:56,079 --> 00:05:58,439
with its roots, and you want to have enough that

140
00:05:58,480 --> 00:05:58,879
it can.

141
00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,360
Speaker 4: Reach out and gain power and gain foothold.

142
00:06:01,519 --> 00:06:03,600
Speaker 2: If it's only six inches, those rich are gonna be

143
00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:05,319
very shallow, they're gonna spread out, they're going to dry

144
00:06:05,319 --> 00:06:07,279
out quickly. And no matter what you grow, I mean,

145
00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,439
unless you're growing annual flowers with a very small rebol,

146
00:06:11,079 --> 00:06:13,319
you're right, twelve to eighteen inches you have to have that.

147
00:06:13,439 --> 00:06:16,759
Speaker 3: Right and anything less, especially for larger vegetable plants. Not

148
00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,639
only that they can absorb the nutrients, they're actually going

149
00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,839
to topple over in a strong wind even if they

150
00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,519
are supported. You know, it's just not ideal. So twelve

151
00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:26,040
to eighteen inches is what you're looking for.

152
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:27,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's cover some of the things to avoid when

153
00:06:27,879 --> 00:06:29,319
it comes to soil. We've talked about a few, but

154
00:06:29,399 --> 00:06:31,079
let's just kind of go over them so we know.

155
00:06:31,199 --> 00:06:33,240
So the very first thing, you know, don't don't just

156
00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,720
use regular soil. We talked about that, it's way too heavy.

157
00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,120
And then basic top soil people say, well, what if

158
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,600
I can get some pulverized top soil. Top soil in

159
00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,560
of itself is very heavy. It's more of a it's

160
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,120
not a potting soil. Can you use sum in it?

161
00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,480
Yeah you can if you lighten it up. We'll get

162
00:06:48,519 --> 00:06:51,000
to that, but you want to avoid those two. It's

163
00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,600
the best really to layer in organic materials and other

164
00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,920
soil boosters as you build these raised beds. And we

165
00:06:58,959 --> 00:07:01,839
talked about the potting soil again, Yes you can, but

166
00:07:01,959 --> 00:07:05,399
sometimes it's a little too lightweight or too much expense

167
00:07:05,439 --> 00:07:07,560
to fill. You know, if you have a thirty six

168
00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,879
inch high raised bed and it's eight feet long, you're

169
00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,480
going to spend more than fortune, more than you can

170
00:07:13,519 --> 00:07:15,000
grow vegetables for the next twenty years.

171
00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,439
Speaker 3: Right story, And eventually that potty story will pack down

172
00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,399
as well if there's not other materials in with it.

173
00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:21,600
Speaker 4: That's a really great point.

174
00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,680
Speaker 2: Even when you're potting up hanging baskets, and I think

175
00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,079
sometimes people think, oh, it's just all potty tool. It's

176
00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,079
going to pack down too because it's so fine and

177
00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,800
loose and it's going to get together. So it's really

178
00:07:31,839 --> 00:07:33,560
better and we're going to get to this here to

179
00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:36,319
fill that bottom third. Now we're talking these these are

180
00:07:36,399 --> 00:07:38,720
raised beds that have at least twelve to eighteen eighteen

181
00:07:38,759 --> 00:07:43,120
inches in height. The bottom third of your container shouldn't

182
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,120
be soil at all. It should not be at all.

183
00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:46,519
Speaker 4: No, not at all, It.

184
00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,360
Speaker 2: Should be a large organic material. And so we're like, okay,

185
00:07:50,839 --> 00:07:53,240
what does that mean. Well, we're going to talk about

186
00:07:53,279 --> 00:07:54,639
it when we come back from a break. But what

187
00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:56,560
it means is putting in some other things that over

188
00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,160
the next two or three years are going to slowly

189
00:07:59,199 --> 00:08:01,360
break down, but they're going to help you fill some

190
00:08:01,399 --> 00:08:03,360
of that void so you're not using so much just

191
00:08:03,399 --> 00:08:07,120
straight up potting soil, but it also allows channels and

192
00:08:07,279 --> 00:08:09,959
areas for water and nutrients to get down through.

193
00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,759
Speaker 3: And that draining is just super important when you're potting

194
00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:13,839
and raised.

195
00:08:13,639 --> 00:08:14,639
Speaker 4: Beds, it really is.

196
00:08:14,639 --> 00:08:16,519
Speaker 2: So we'll take a quick break and we'll be right

197
00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,959
back and we'll start talking about how to fill your

198
00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,120
raised beds for success, not just for this.

199
00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,680
Speaker 4: Year, but for years to come.

200
00:08:24,959 --> 00:08:27,560
Speaker 2: All Right, we are back talking about how to fill

201
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,600
those raised beds to perfection so that you have great

202
00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,240
years of growth, not just this year, but for years

203
00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,879
in advance. So we're talking about filling them starting at

204
00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:38,159
the bottom, Marry, And it's kind of funny. One of

205
00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:40,120
the best ways to fill that bottom can kind of

206
00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:41,000
be done for free.

207
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,000
Speaker 3: Actually, if you walk around our farm, anyone can fill

208
00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,200
their raised beds for free.

209
00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:45,759
Speaker 4: That's right.

210
00:08:45,799 --> 00:08:49,559
Speaker 2: So we look here when we fill ours for small sticks, twigs,

211
00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:51,240
even small logs.

212
00:08:51,399 --> 00:08:52,200
Speaker 4: Again hardwood.

213
00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,840
Speaker 2: You want to stay away from any wood species like

214
00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:57,840
a buckeye tree or a walnut tree that can cause

215
00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:58,759
problems down the road.

216
00:08:58,799 --> 00:09:00,480
Speaker 4: But small twigs are.

217
00:09:00,399 --> 00:09:03,639
Speaker 2: Fantastic, even pine cones, anything that's going to have some

218
00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,080
loose organic matter. I like the twigs the best because

219
00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,240
they really break down like a hardwood mult wood to

220
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:09,120
give your soil power.

221
00:09:09,279 --> 00:09:11,480
Speaker 3: Right, and I think think about the old school game

222
00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,840
of pickup sticks. That's kind of what you want at

223
00:09:13,879 --> 00:09:15,000
the bottom of your raised bed.

224
00:09:15,159 --> 00:09:17,919
Speaker 4: That's right, about six six inches, Like we said about

225
00:09:17,919 --> 00:09:20,200
a third. So if you have, you know, twenty four

226
00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,279
inch beds, you're gonna use eight inches. If you have

227
00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,879
eighteen inch beds, you know you're gonna do six inches.

228
00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:25,879
I know you're impressed with.

229
00:09:25,759 --> 00:09:28,879
Speaker 3: My math, Yeah, but seriously, don't don't go out and

230
00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:31,440
put a ruler. Just do just eye. It doesn't have

231
00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:32,919
to be an exact science exactly.

232
00:09:32,919 --> 00:09:34,559
Speaker 2: So these sticks do a lot of things. First, they

233
00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:36,440
help fill you up, so you're not using so much soil.

234
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,000
But what they really do is they provide some great

235
00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,080
drainage at the bottom of that areas for excess water

236
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,279
to give out. They also as they break down and decompose,

237
00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:48,960
they have lead channels in that soil where roots can

238
00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,799
fill in and grow. So, you know, we also some

239
00:09:51,879 --> 00:09:55,200
other things, you know, large bark pieces. Bark is great.

240
00:09:55,519 --> 00:09:57,960
We go into our forest here and take the bark

241
00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,759
that has fallen off some of the old dead trees.

242
00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:02,480
And you don't have to worry about stacking these neatly.

243
00:10:02,759 --> 00:10:05,000
You talk about picked up sticks, you're just putting them

244
00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:05,759
there almost.

245
00:10:05,519 --> 00:10:05,960
Speaker 4: Like a weave.

246
00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,840
Speaker 3: Right, it's gonna be random. So when you think about

247
00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,080
stacking your wood inside of your raised beds, don't do

248
00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,200
it like you're stacking a wood pile for firewood. What

249
00:10:14,279 --> 00:10:16,799
you want to do is you want random crisscross patterns.

250
00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,639
Speaker 4: That's right. That's right. We actually have if you really

251
00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,440
want to see this, if you go on.

252
00:10:21,399 --> 00:10:24,919
Speaker 2: Our Overal Garden YouTube channel, we have a video on

253
00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,559
how we filled our beds, and we start with the

254
00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,200
bottom and show it all so it'll kind of show

255
00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,559
you how we stack them in for smaller and less

256
00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,279
deep beds. You know, use smaller sticks and twigs. It's

257
00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,519
a very common sensical thing. Again, you're looking to fill

258
00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,960
that bottom third. We leave that leaves enough soil death

259
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,080
really for growing anything and everything you want. If you're

260
00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,279
talking about that twelve to eighteen inch you know minimum

261
00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,600
when selecting the wood, maple, pine, oak, beech, fruit trees.

262
00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,399
Almost all non nut trees are really good. Again, you

263
00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,200
just want to avoid those chestnut, walnut, anything that prohibits growth.

264
00:10:59,039 --> 00:11:01,000
And then if you don't have that sister wood scraps,

265
00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,519
you know, there's mulch. I mean, mulch is a great one,

266
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,279
especially if you have a sol mill multch like we.

267
00:11:06,279 --> 00:11:09,559
Speaker 3: Have right and we have a podcast about using hardwood

268
00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,159
mulch in your flower beds. Same type of mulch you

269
00:11:12,159 --> 00:11:13,360
can use in your raise beds.

270
00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,840
Speaker 4: Yeah, and just a little side tip. We'd like to

271
00:11:15,879 --> 00:11:16,759
give little.

272
00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,320
Speaker 2: Hents and tips here and for this one we use

273
00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,799
in our hanging baskets. That's exactly in our big potted

274
00:11:25,799 --> 00:11:29,799
plants around the farm. We fill them usually six six

275
00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,519
inches for the large pots and eight inches at the bottom.

276
00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:33,799
Speaker 4: All with wood chips. That's what we do.

277
00:11:33,799 --> 00:11:36,279
Speaker 2: We put them in the bottom of wood mulch Basically

278
00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,200
that's great because you know we've all been there. People say, well,

279
00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,279
I like to use rock or I like to use

280
00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,360
pine nuggets. Well, at the end of the year, when

281
00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,759
we're putting those under our compost file and you have

282
00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,320
stones in there, it's so hard to get the stones

283
00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,360
out and get the soil out and separate them. When

284
00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,120
you use hardwood mulch, it's almost decomposedment in the year

285
00:11:53,159 --> 00:11:54,120
and by next year it's gone.

286
00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:55,879
Speaker 3: In the common right we use in all of our

287
00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:57,039
large potted plants.

288
00:11:57,279 --> 00:11:59,039
Speaker 2: Yeah, now you're not gonna be taking this out since

289
00:11:59,039 --> 00:12:00,639
it's a raised bed, so it's a little different, but

290
00:12:00,759 --> 00:12:03,159
it gives that same power. So now you have the

291
00:12:03,159 --> 00:12:05,919
bottom field. So what's next. So once your layer of

292
00:12:05,919 --> 00:12:08,480
sticks are in and your wood and bark is in place,

293
00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,440
it's time to add the long term power. And it

294
00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,559
can be really accomplished with a couple of materials. We

295
00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,240
like to mix and match, and again there is no

296
00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,879
set formula. I can't stress that enough, can't I. No,

297
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,399
you just want to mix what you have, what do

298
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,639
you have access to. They're all going to work hard

299
00:12:24,799 --> 00:12:28,080
and big, and I'm pretty sure we just had a

300
00:12:28,159 --> 00:12:29,320
large bird hit the seed.

301
00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:32,159
Speaker 4: It's spring.

302
00:12:32,399 --> 00:12:34,600
Speaker 2: We are just as a side note, I think we

303
00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,279
spend every four or five hours outside right now checking

304
00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,840
to see what bird has built a nest where we're

305
00:12:39,919 --> 00:12:41,240
trying to so.

306
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,360
Speaker 4: But let's get back to the subject.

307
00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:47,519
Speaker 2: Compost, straw, glass, kip clippings, and even age manure. They're

308
00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,240
all incredible for this next layer. If you only have

309
00:12:51,279 --> 00:12:53,879
access to one or two, you know, that's great. If

310
00:12:53,879 --> 00:12:57,320
you have even at this point you're buried down enough. Hey,

311
00:12:57,399 --> 00:12:59,159
even works, Mary, I mean, it's gonna be fine. Because

312
00:12:59,159 --> 00:13:01,480
the seeds are buried way way below. There's no doubt

313
00:13:01,519 --> 00:13:03,480
about it that you can use anything you want to.

314
00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,759
Just get some organic material that's small enough to work

315
00:13:06,799 --> 00:13:09,960
down in between the hardwood. But and then together with

316
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,320
those sticks, they'll allow for great drainage and as they

317
00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:13,679
break down, great nutrients. Right.

318
00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:15,960
Speaker 3: And as you go to fill up your raised bed

319
00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,080
with these materials, some you know a lot of it's

320
00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,519
going to fall in between those sticks, and that's okay.

321
00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,200
You want to make sure that you get as much

322
00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:24,840
as in there. You don't need to compact it, just

323
00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:26,919
pour it in and then just layer it on top.

324
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:28,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you're right, you don't need to be pushing

325
00:13:28,919 --> 00:13:31,720
down super hard. Can you lightly tampa to get you through?

326
00:13:31,759 --> 00:13:33,879
That's that's excellent. But Mary makes a really good point

327
00:13:33,879 --> 00:13:35,799
there that you don't want to be, you know, getting

328
00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,240
a sledgehammer out and pushing down on it, trying to

329
00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,759
smash this all down. Let the aeration work in your favor. Yes,

330
00:13:42,159 --> 00:13:44,440
over time, your level's going to drop a few inches

331
00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,000
this year. It's not going to hurt your plants. In fact,

332
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,679
it's going to help them. And then next year you

333
00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,919
can add a little bit more soil. So now we've

334
00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,360
got the stick layer, we have the drainage layer at

335
00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,799
the bottom. We have that organic layer which could be compost,

336
00:13:55,879 --> 00:13:59,480
it could be age, manure from your chicken, coupe, grass clippings,

337
00:13:59,519 --> 00:14:00,320
all of that.

338
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,039
Speaker 3: Combination of items.

339
00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,799
Speaker 2: Ye. Now it's time to add that soil. And here

340
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,960
is where you need that layer to be lightweight and

341
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,399
power filled and almost like an ultra potting soil mix.

342
00:14:11,519 --> 00:14:13,440
Speaker 3: Right, this is where that potting mix comes into play.

343
00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:14,159
Speaker 4: Yeah.

344
00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,759
Speaker 2: Really, there's so many great potting soils that are available

345
00:14:16,759 --> 00:14:19,960
for purchase. I mean, you know, the key is to

346
00:14:20,159 --> 00:14:23,879
look for ones that are lightweight and filled with organic power.

347
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,679
Avoid ones that have substitute fertilizers to put in or

348
00:14:29,559 --> 00:14:32,480
it just don't work long term, and you want natural

349
00:14:33,039 --> 00:14:36,320
driven power that you can grow your plants in. I

350
00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,399
mean there's all kinds. You know, we use a lot

351
00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,000
and people always ask us like what do you like?

352
00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,679
You know, s Bomat makes a great organic race bag

353
00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,679
and mix that's all organic, but there are also all

354
00:14:45,759 --> 00:14:48,039
kinds of ones that might beat your local feed store

355
00:14:48,159 --> 00:14:50,879
or you can find. You just want to get something

356
00:14:50,919 --> 00:14:53,759
that's lightweight. It should not be top soil. It's got

357
00:14:53,799 --> 00:14:55,399
to be more of a potting soil with a very

358
00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:55,960
light feel.

359
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:57,960
Speaker 3: Right. Look for potting soil that has a mixture of

360
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,039
some composts in it and some per lite, those little

361
00:15:01,039 --> 00:15:04,679
white specks that you see in pot of plants. That

362
00:15:04,799 --> 00:15:08,159
just helps more drainage and keeps it light weight. If

363
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,720
it has worm casting, even a bigger bonus.

364
00:15:10,799 --> 00:15:14,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, vermiculite, pearlite, both of those, and they know they're

365
00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,320
not styrofoam. They are actually an organic material. Perlite is

366
00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,320
you know, made from popping volcanic rock from ancient times

367
00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,320
and it pops into like a popcorn style and it's

368
00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,759
great because it keeps that soil light so here's the

369
00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:27,320
good news.

370
00:15:27,559 --> 00:15:29,000
Speaker 4: You filled two thirds of your.

371
00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:32,320
Speaker 2: Raised beds with organic material that can almost or if

372
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,399
not always, be free, whether it's grass, clipping sticks, you know,

373
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,600
the manure, so it can really save on the cost

374
00:15:38,639 --> 00:15:40,759
of adding that final ingredient. And let me tell you

375
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,159
that final ingredient is what makes the difference for great

376
00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:48,200
raised beds. So Mary talked about it. So you're putting

377
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,000
this pile in, if you feel the soil is a

378
00:15:51,039 --> 00:15:54,840
little thick, that is where getting an extra bag of

379
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,679
vermiculite or perlite and mix it into that soil. We

380
00:15:58,799 --> 00:16:01,440
like to you know, I'd say every five gallon bucket

381
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,360
of soil, we like two cups and that's a good ratio. Again,

382
00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,639
thought to be perfect for this, but it will kind

383
00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:09,360
of loosen it up. And then I think your best one,

384
00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,200
no matter what you do, no matter what you buy,

385
00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,240
even if it has some in it, get yourself a

386
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:17,000
bag of worm castings. They're amazing, they are. And you know,

387
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,159
again for every five gallons of soil that are in there,

388
00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,039
anywhere from two to four cups is an amazing addition.

389
00:16:24,159 --> 00:16:28,919
Worm castings are just the perfect fertilizer from nature. You know,

390
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,279
worms work their way through the soil, consuming all kinds

391
00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,279
of things in the soil, and they're what comes out.

392
00:16:35,279 --> 00:16:37,360
The other end of the worm is the casting, and

393
00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,080
it is absolutely it will not burn plants, it will

394
00:16:40,159 --> 00:16:43,600
lighten soil, It will power up soil and really make

395
00:16:43,639 --> 00:16:44,200
a big difference.

396
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,399
Speaker 3: And it's really a slow release fertilizer, so it's going

397
00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,879
to keep your plants being fed for many months.

398
00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, and so here's a few other things that we'll

399
00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:53,960
just kind of go over and talk about that are

400
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,039
really big before we will let you go today on

401
00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:56,799
this podcast.

402
00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,600
Speaker 4: Eggshell powder another great addition.

403
00:16:59,679 --> 00:17:01,440
Speaker 2: You know, if you have a lot of eggshells, grind

404
00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,679
them into the fine powder as you can, as fine

405
00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:05,880
as powder as you can with your coffee. You can

406
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,359
use anything, a coffee grinder, you can grind them my hand.

407
00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,200
But the finer you grind them, the more they're gonna

408
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,279
absorb into their coffee grounds. We throw our whole filter

409
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,079
and coffee grounds in when we're building them, or the

410
00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:17,680
just the ground.

411
00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,920
Speaker 4: They're all gonna biodegrade into there and make.

412
00:17:19,799 --> 00:17:22,599
Speaker 3: Great soil spent coffee grounds, yes not newcast. Crate the

413
00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:24,640
coffee first, then use the coffee grounds.

414
00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,240
Speaker 2: Little formula for your fresh coffee grounds. Lots of the

415
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,720
acid spent coffee grounds really good for your soil, very

416
00:17:30,759 --> 00:17:33,839
little acid, so great point. So last, but not least,

417
00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,720
we always like to leave people with a final tip.

418
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,279
People fill these raised beds and they think they got

419
00:17:38,319 --> 00:17:40,920
to fill them right to the top. Why don't you

420
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:42,720
do that? For a couple of reasons. One, it's gonna

421
00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,319
settle anyway, so let it go and let it settle

422
00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,839
before you add more. But most importantly, you have to

423
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,319
leave room for mulch. Yeah, you know, people forget this.

424
00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,599
I think they think sometimes with raised beds it's just

425
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,359
the soil. But when you leave that soil exposed and

426
00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,599
it rains and it hards, it comes down, it washes

427
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:01,400
nutrie sound. But mulch, to me, is just as if

428
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,200
not more important, in a raised bed setting or a

429
00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,200
potted plant or a hanging basket. You know, it doesn't

430
00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:08,920
have to be the four to six inches obviously we

431
00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,119
do in flower beds, but it can be you know,

432
00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,400
an inch covering. It'll protect that soil, it'll protect it

433
00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,599
from washing out, and it also makes your beds look really,

434
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,119
really nice. There's no doubt that mulch is the final

435
00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,240
key to it all. So let's just kind of recap.

436
00:18:23,279 --> 00:18:25,359
You know, you have your raised beds. You want to

437
00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,039
fill the bottom, make sure you have good drained to

438
00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:28,799
the bottom. Make sure that bottom of the water is

439
00:18:28,799 --> 00:18:29,960
going to come out. You have to drill a few

440
00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:31,960
holes in the bottom so it does do so. But

441
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,319
then you want to put in a one third layer

442
00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,559
of sticks and you know, any kind of bark, even

443
00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:40,720
some wood chunks if they're big enough. Then you want

444
00:18:40,759 --> 00:18:42,640
to put that organic material, right Mary, I mean, that's

445
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,880
that's the key, really, that second layer, right.

446
00:18:44,759 --> 00:18:47,640
Speaker 3: The second layer is one's going to feed your plants,

447
00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:52,440
whether it be annuals, vegetables, anything. Just make sure you

448
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:53,839
get that layer in there, that's right.

449
00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,240
Speaker 2: And then that third and final layer, that one third

450
00:18:56,279 --> 00:18:58,680
is going to be the potting soil. And then you're

451
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:03,000
gonna mix things like wormcare, castings and perlite and coffee grounds,

452
00:19:03,039 --> 00:19:06,960
anything you can to power up that soil. So remember

453
00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,279
this is great, this is fantastic, but come this fall,

454
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,440
you either need to cover that with some compost of

455
00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:17,720
manure or some straw to protect it, or even we

456
00:19:17,799 --> 00:19:20,119
use oats and ours, Yeah, we use oats and ours

457
00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:22,279
to help build that power for next year, and then

458
00:19:22,319 --> 00:19:25,119
over the winter be adding things like those crushed egg

459
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,480
shells and the coffee grounds, and then next spring you

460
00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,000
can put some more worm castings in and that way,

461
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,359
year after year you'll have great raised beds. So we

462
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,599
have our raised beds now. We moved to this our

463
00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,799
new farm in twenty twenty. Twenty twenty one was our

464
00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:41,279
first garden year. Have the same raised beds out there

465
00:19:41,319 --> 00:19:43,799
with the soil we started, and it's it's more fertile

466
00:19:43,799 --> 00:19:46,519
than it ever was even back then. Absolutely, So there

467
00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:49,160
you go. So get out there, grow with those race beds.

468
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,799
Fill them right, fill them for long term success.

469
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,480
Speaker 3: And save your back and see your back.

470
00:19:54,599 --> 00:19:57,960
Speaker 2: So all right, well for Mary and myself, we hope

471
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,759
you enjoyed this episode, and happy guardening, every happy gardening.

472
00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,000
Speaker 5: We hope you've enjoyed this episode. Subscribe to the Simple

473
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,880
Garden podcast on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or most of

474
00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,400
your favorite podcast apps. You can also head over to

475
00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,279
simplegardenlife dot com where you can listen and read all

476
00:20:14,319 --> 00:20:16,799
of the show notes to every episode and if.

477
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,759
Speaker 3: You have any questions, any ideas for show topics, or

478
00:20:19,759 --> 00:20:22,119
if you want to share your favorite garden tip email

479
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,440
us at the Farm at Owgarden dot com.

480
00:20:25,519 --> 00:20:27,079
Speaker 5: Until next time, Thanks everyone,