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lurley · July 2, 2011

I've only grown standard varieties before, Georgia Jet, Beauregard and Vaardman, but all have done just fine. I am growing two varieties from Sandhill this year, Hernandez and Bradshaw along with Vaardman, so will see how they do. I have some heavy clay and although I add amendments as I have them or can afford them, I was never able to grow leafy herbs, carrots, onions from seed, lettuce, spincach, or other fine leaved veggies until I put in some raised beds, they could never break the crust of the soil and weeds were hard to control around such tiny seedlings. Two 12 ft long 2x4 up to 2x12 inch boards will make a four foot by 8 foot bed. I don't use treated wood, just regular pine boards, and fill with whatever soil, compost, peat moss mixture you have or can afford. I started with just one, and now after three years have about 8. My problem is wet spring soil, so I like that I can plant in them earlier since they drain better, but with your dry issue, you could put more water retaining ingredients into your soil mixture. With very few weeds (weed fabric put under the bed), and no crusty soil, I get fantastic germination and great yields. Two beds grew enough carrots last year to keep my family in carrots all winter long, and I dry tons of herbs or make herb pastes now, and we can have salad greens all spring and again in the fall. They have definitely been worth the little money spent. Maybe you could do one or two until your soil improves, just to handle the things that won't push through the soil crust. Another option, is to plant your row, and cover the seeds with vermiculite instead of recovering with soil, I have done that successfully before.

July 2, 2011	#6
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	I've only grown standard varieties before, Georgia Jet, Beauregard and Vaardman, but all have done just fine. I am growing two varieties from Sandhill this year, Hernandez and Bradshaw along with Vaardman, so will see how they do. I have some heavy clay and although I add amendments as I have them or can afford them, I was never able to grow leafy herbs, carrots, onions from seed, lettuce, spincach, or other fine leaved veggies until I put in some raised beds, they could never break the crust of the soil and weeds were hard to control around such tiny seedlings. Two 12 ft long 2x4 up to 2x12 inch boards will make a four foot by 8 foot bed. I don't use treated wood, just regular pine boards, and fill with whatever soil, compost, peat moss mixture you have or can afford. I started with just one, and now after three years have about 8. My problem is wet spring soil, so I like that I can plant in them earlier since they drain better, but with your dry issue, you could put more water retaining ingredients into your soil mixture. With very few weeds (weed fabric put under the bed), and no crusty soil, I get fantastic germination and great yields. Two beds grew enough carrots last year to keep my family in carrots all winter long, and I dry tons of herbs or make herb pastes now, and we can have salad greens all spring and again in the fall. They have definitely been worth the little money spent. Maybe you could do one or two until your soil improves, just to handle the things that won't push through the soil crust. Another option, is to plant your row, and cover the seeds with vermiculite instead of recovering with soil, I have done that successfully before.