Does my raised bed need direct contact with the soil underneath it?
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After feeding, cover the food over with bedding again. A good idea is to rotate the feeding in quadrants, first one all the way to the last, so as not to overload one area. That way you can also check later to see if they’ve gotten to it and through it or if that was too much food–for now.
Question by Me: Does my raised bed need direct contact with the soil underneath it?
We stapled landscaping sheeting on the bottom of the frame of our raised bed in order to keep weeds and the bermuda grass out. Will this stunt the garden? Will it stunt root access and worm access?
If so, should I puncture holes in the sheeting or remove it and add a 1-2 inch layer of newspaper instead?
the bed is about 6 inches deep. I want to grow veggies.
thanks
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
4 Responses to Does my raised bed need direct contact with the soil underneath it?
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If your landscaping material is impervious to water, you will have problems. How will the water drain? The newspaper is a good idea, since it will eventually decompose. I have used newspaper myself and it has worked well.
Joyce B
December 26, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Use newspaper instead.
Here’s why:
Nothing is going to get through the landscaping sheet, which is the point. It’s a fresh canvas for your garden-no weeds!
But at the same time, roots only have as much space as is in the bed. And you are exactly right that worms and other beneficial organisms from your soil won’t be able to get into the bed.
Newspaper gives you the best of both.
At first, newpaper provides a barrier, so that weeds can’t grow. After time, the newspaper will break down but by then your veggies will be established and they’ll have a fighting chance against the weeds. Plus, after the newspaper breaks down, all the worms can move into your veggies. yay!
MichL
December 26, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Landscape fabric (or newspaper) is an unnecessary step for raised beds. Weed seeds that are buried under six inches of soil won’t get the sunlight they need to germinate; they will remain dormant unless the soil is tilled and they are repositioned nearer the surface.
Fill the bed with compost or add lots of organic matter to make the soil light and loose. Any weeds that appear will be very easy to pull out of that type of soil. Adding about an inch of mulch, such as grass clippings or straw in the garden bed will help with weed control and moisture retention. Just be careful to keep the mulch away from the plants’ stems by a few inches.
redleader
December 26, 2011 at 12:56 pm
UGH Bermuda grass!
Go with the newspapers.. The worms like them and they will keep that bermuda grass out…for a while anyway
One of my least favorite tasks is removing the runners from by gardens. I have found a serrated edge steak knife to work wonders on their tough feeder roots. Just be sure to get the whole rhizome when you pull.. it only takes 1 piece left behind to create an all new mess!
The happy mystic
December 26, 2011 at 1:37 pm