We’ve decided to lay in a third raised bed this year, expecting food to be somewhat expensive or even somewhat short. The older beds are turned over and ready. The new one is framed, but the hard work of breaking the earth is yet to be done.
It's sand all the way down here, so the only challenge is adding organic matter, never breaking the soil up. Definitely no need to raise the bed, either; adding the organic matter is all that keeps it from draining too fast. And then we have to keep the deer off of it with a fence.
We’re going to try a fishing line fence this year. My wife understands that they get upset by running into something they can’t see. It supposedly works.
Yes, and although technically they can jump over a shorter fence into a small area, they much prefer not to. For a large area, we use an 8-foot fence. The clothes-line approach works, because they're not realistically going to try going between lines, even though I'm sure they could handle it physically.
Not a lot of deer in our town, though we get a few (one crashed through the high school guidance counselor's window a few years ago--looking for help, I suppose). Rabbits are more of a problem. And beetles.
Chipmunks here. And they've dug holes/tunnels in my yard. May have to bait a five gallon bucket filled with water to get rid of them. Can't get a cat, wife's allergic.
@ Mike - chipmunks and squirrels here. We have deer, but somehow thy don't take much of what we have. Bears come after the birdfeeders, so they come down April 1 every year.
When chipmunks get too abundant we use the same solution. It is marvelously enjoyable that the main slayer of them is the local semi-professional Santa Claus.
You can use electric fence with deer if you run 2 lines, an outer one at about 18" off the ground, and an inner one about 10" off the ground, about a foot, laterally, inside the outer one.
Texan99, If you use hardwood mulch (from Texas) as a covering, within a couple of years using a good 4-6" mulch layer, your soil will amaze you. It breaks down beautifully and blends with the sand to become organically fecund. Our raised beds were originally sand, and now they are rich, dark, loamy soil packed with earthworms. I was astounded.
It's sand all the way down here, so the only challenge is adding organic matter, never breaking the soil up. Definitely no need to raise the bed, either; adding the organic matter is all that keeps it from draining too fast. And then we have to keep the deer off of it with a fence.
ReplyDeleteWe’re going to try a fishing line fence this year. My wife understands that they get upset by running into something they can’t see. It supposedly works.
ReplyDeleteYes, and although technically they can jump over a shorter fence into a small area, they much prefer not to. For a large area, we use an 8-foot fence. The clothes-line approach works, because they're not realistically going to try going between lines, even though I'm sure they could handle it physically.
ReplyDelete8' deer net fence here. They are voracious- as John McPhee described them, "antlered rats".
ReplyDeleteNot a lot of deer in our town, though we get a few (one crashed through the high school guidance counselor's window a few years ago--looking for help, I suppose). Rabbits are more of a problem. And beetles.
ReplyDeleteChipmunks here. And they've dug holes/tunnels in my yard. May have to bait a five gallon bucket filled with water to get rid of them. Can't get a cat, wife's allergic.
ReplyDeleteVoles are a big problem. But there are alternative solutions to the deer and rabbit challenge if need be.
ReplyDelete@ Mike - chipmunks and squirrels here. We have deer, but somehow thy don't take much of what we have. Bears come after the birdfeeders, so they come down April 1 every year.
ReplyDeleteWhen chipmunks get too abundant we use the same solution. It is marvelously enjoyable that the main slayer of them is the local semi-professional Santa Claus.
Squirrels here, with the occasional bluejay and possum. The foxes tend to ignore produce.
ReplyDeleteLittleRed1
You can use electric fence with deer if you run 2 lines, an outer one at about 18" off the ground, and an inner one about 10" off the ground, about a foot, laterally, inside the outer one.
ReplyDeleteTexan99, If you use hardwood mulch (from Texas) as a covering, within a couple of years using a good 4-6" mulch layer, your soil will amaze you. It breaks down beautifully and blends with the sand to become organically fecund. Our raised beds were originally sand, and now they are rich, dark, loamy soil packed with earthworms. I was astounded.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we've been putting down hardwood mulch and hay and manure for 16 years. It really breaks down nicely. In some areas there's quite deep soil now.
ReplyDelete