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babera_gw

raised beds. . .

babera
9 years ago

I want to do an island bed in the back of my yard and I want some height to it. I want to mound the soil but I was wondering how the plants survive if they are not below the actual ground surface. I see this done and would really like to try it. Also will ornamental bushes/shrubs and roses do OK in this sort of bed?

Comments (12)

  • crunchpa
    9 years ago

    Mounds work fine. They are very useful to plant in wet or poor soil areas. Amend the soil and don't go crazy with the height.

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago

    Funny I was just thinking about this on my bike ride tonight as I observed several yards with spruce trees planted on top of mounds and in these cases it looked really out of place and unnatural.

    It does work but the plants will have less water available to them than plants growing at "grade." So you'll need to water them more. Also, watch the slope angle. A common mistake is that the slope is too steep and then the soil and mulch run off. If the mound is subtle and not too high I think it makes a nice effect, but perhaps its best not to overdo it.

  • mnwsgal
    9 years ago

    I made a mound bed using the lasagna method and let it steep(?) for a year before planting. Neighbors laughing wondered what was buried there. After a year the mound was blended into the landscape when the lasagna materials had shrunk down.

    Agree with Karen to make it subtle with a slight gradual slope so water doesn't run off before it can be absorbed taking soil with it.

  • gardenweed_z6a
    9 years ago

    I made a raised bed in the corner where my granite front walkway meets the driveway. I curved the bed around a mature crabapple tree and planted hosta, coral bells, Solomon's seal, astilbe, sedge grass, Hakonechloa, columbine + a few other shade lovers. The only shrub in the bed is Euonymus but it has thrived and tripled in size over the course of 5 or 6 years.

  • Charlie
    9 years ago

    Here is my raised bed island in my backyard. This picture is from last year. As you can see I tried to grow artichokes in the center, but they did not survive the winter. I have a goji bush in each end of the bed and they are doing fine this year. This year I planted tomatoes down the center and leaf brocoli greens on one side of the tomatoes and onions on the other. After harvesting the onions, I planted green beans in the hope of harvesting before the first freeze. They have just broken out of the ground.

  • babera
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That's a nice looking bed Charlie. I tried artichoke for the first time this year. . . hope I have enough room they get huge.

    Karin, I couldn't agree more, some of those wompy beds just don't look good. I was planning on using a soaker hose (I use them all over now) under the mound. I hate flopped flowers from over head watering and since the new bed will be in the middle of the yard I think that will be best. Also the water will go directly to the roots where it's needed.

    Do you others cover plants in the winter? Here in Montana we can have sub freezing temps. I'm still not getting how the bushes work in the raised beds. Seems to me they would either have to be planted too low or not deep enough. . .

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago

    Sounds like you are on the right track. You don't need to put the soaker hose under the mounds - just put it on top of the soil and then put mulch over the hose. That way the water will percolate all the way through the root zone.

    Shrubs planted in a mound should be planted just the same as they would be anywhere else. For most plants that means planting it at the same depth as it was growing in its pot. It might be helpful to make a little well around the shrub so that water runs toward the plant rather than away from it.

    I definitely don't cover plants in the winter because the snow takes care of that for me. Plus, if something is so wimpy that it needs covering then I'm not interested in it. A raised bed will be slightly colder than planting in the ground so it's not a bad idea to select plants that are one zone colder than your usual zone.

  • mnwsgal
    9 years ago

    When I first moved to MN all the workshops I went to said to cover the beds with mulch to protect perennials over the winter. After years of putting on mulch, removing mulch in the spring for the soil to warm, replacing mulch around the plants late spring to keep moist and covering perennials with mulch again late fall after the ground is frozen I learned that most of those people recommending mulching for winter did not do it themselves. "If it doesn't survive in my garden without mulch I don't want to grow it" was a common refrain. Now I only add winter mulch to fall planted perennials and those that are special--pushing the boundaries.

    I use soaker hoses covered with leaf mulch around the plants. Works well until I forget and cut into the hose when adding a new plant. Glad they make repair pieces.

  • grandmamaloy
    9 years ago

    Mounds work fine and look great in gardens. As far as how well they will do above the ground level will have a lot to do with what you plant. Most plants should be fine, though since you live in Montana, I would definitely mulch really heavily before winter. The plants in the center of the mound should be fine, but those on the edge may experience root freezing if you don't protect them. Treat them kind of like you would plants in containers. :) I know that winters in Montana can be harsh and finding perennials to grow there can be a challenge. Good luck with that!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tips on Overwintering

  • gardenweed_z6a
    9 years ago

    Do you others cover plants in the winter?

    If plants are growing in my garden beds, they'd better be tough enough to do it without me playing babysitter just because it gets cold in winter. So, no, I don't cover plants or baby them in any way. Newly planted perennials get an oversize recycled plastic jug of water with a pinhole an inch from the bottom. I set the filled jug close to the plant's crown and let the water deeply hydrate the roots. After that, they're on their own.

    In winter, snow cover generally provides sufficient protection. Even in winters with little snow, the plants tend to survive since by the time January rolls around they're dormant and impervious to the frozen soil.

    I have butterfly bush, blue mist shrub, spirea, St. John's wort, daphne, weigela & euonymus that have been impervious to winter for nearly a decade.

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago

    I mulch, but I've never done all the adding and removing that mnwsgal described. I put mulch on when I have time (most often early spring or fall after the major cleanup is done) and have material available, and the mulch stays and improves the soil fertility as it decomposes. I don't cover the plants with it, but mulch between them unless it's a tough plant like daylilies which I mulch in the fall or early spring and cover the whole bed. The daylilies come up through 3 or 4 inches of mulch without problems.

    Mulch helps prevent freeze-thaw cycles in winter and helps maintain more even moisture during the growing season. I don't cover ornamental plants other than the mulch over the bed, but I often cover a few veggie and herb plants during the early and late season to protect them from frost and extend the season for harvesting fresh produce from the garden.

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    9 years ago

    ditto what nhbabs said re mulch, for me - I mulch in the fall with shredded leaves, both as a soil addition and to help protect against soil heave as well. I actually have to add MORE mulch in spring, as most of it has degraded and enriched the soil by then. I keep bags of shredded leaves in the garage and hope when I am reaching into said bags in spring that I don't bring up a mouse or two! :)

    IMO, planting a single shrub or tree in a "mound" is different than planting in raised beds. I'm a big fan of raised beds, but maybe because I start all my beds with the lasagna method. Haven't "dug" a bed in years.

    Dee

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