In early August 2020, I wrote about beds in my neighborhood, Paula Barzamian, and in my own gardens. Here is a follow-up report on those beds, which are now in their third year of production.
Gopher or tree roots have not yet broken their defenses. The bonus I didn’t mention in the first article – they let us go to people of the same age without bending or kneeling. I would like to mention the importance of drip irrigation systems that we both have in this prolonged drought. The first article is below.
As many of us know, from personal experience, gopher and tree roots are a frequent problem in our gardens. In my small garden, my neighbor Paula Barzamian built several high beds to grow vegetables in the garden, but eventually a gopher broke into the bottom of each bed. So each of the roots of the trees grew into the soil and began to steal all the nutrients and water. Frustration prompted her to do some research. Online, Moved Canned Sheet She found advanced bed design plans to use as a side but she improved to overcome a particular problem.
Basemia’s basic 4-foot square box is made of corrugated iron roof and is attached to the PT 2x4s with angular pressure 4 × 4 posts; The metal is stacked from the inside corners of the wood, as there is no risk of soil contamination by the toxic metal in the wood. The top of each box is 31 inches from the floor, making it the same height as the average dining room table – good height for easy access. At the bottom of each bed is an additional inch of hardware attached to support the metal plate, which acts as the bottom of the container.
(Both the hardware and the metal gore prevent access.
So he took care of Gopher access but how to prevent tree root interference? Barsamian’s solution was to place each box on concrete slabs at the corners and in the middle (to support the weight of the soil and plants) so that there would be no ground contact and no way for the roots of the trees to grow into the boxes. After a year and a half, they will no longer be the gopher and the root of the tree. The boxes were filled with a mixture of rotten horse manure and clay soil, and a drip system was planted and vegetables were planted.
My garden also suffered from gopher and invasive tree roots, and I was inspired by her success with the box. Another neighbor, a construction contractor, helped me realize (well, I have to admit, he did the right building while he was “monitoring”) first a long narrow box under the south windows in front of me, and then a second square box with the same sun exposure in my house. Side.
Years ago I lowered a 3-foot-tall cedar fence. Because the wood was in good condition, I saved it for future use. ” .
My contractor’s neighbor not only failed to deliver that look, but also protected the final crop by adding decorative hats made by the local gardener to the top posts of each box. Red wood fence materials can be exposed to the weather and decay.
I filled the boxes with fine soil, rotten manure and fertilizer, added a drop system, and planted vegetables and flowers. My plants are growing and attractive and well-made boxes are part of the overall design of my front garden, which allows travelers to stop and say how much they love them.
Thanks to two good friends who are neighbors!
Horticultural advice courtesy of gardener Saron Hall at the San Lorenzo Garden Center. Contact her at 831-423-0223.