View Single Post
Old July 16, 2012   #3
janezee
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5
Posts: 931
Default

Riceloft, congratulations on your decision to build raised beds. I've loved mine so much, I'm quadrupling my growing space over the next year from what I started with last year.

If you have high winds, I'd be cautious about pvc. It does tend to lift off the rebar if your plastic is well attached and the pvc isn't. You certainly have to anchor the plastic well in wind. If you're using permeable cover, like netting or voile, not so much of a problem. I've seen the FRC (floating row cover) really whip around in the breezes we have here. Some use wire pins to hold it down.

Pvc will deteriorate the plastic coverings, so you might want to paint it. Light deteriorates pvc, too, so another good reason to paint it.

Using the clamps to attach the pvc to the sides of the bed give you some added insurance against the wind. I'd use two for each end if I wasn't using rebar.

I made my beds from fir/pine 2"x8" without the 4x4's, but used bolts instead. I think they're doing really well, especially considering the amount of rain we get here.

We don't have voles or groundhogs here, so I didn't use the hardware cloth, but laid my beds directly on the ground. I filled them with a mix of mushroom compost, peat moss, and perlite. I can't believe what a great garden I had last year! If you click on my name, it takes you to where the pictures are. My hoops will be shown soon, but I'm not finished, and I try to only post neat photos.

j
janezee is offline   Reply With Quote