Insulating the edges of raised beds????

tripp04276 10/5/2012, 2:47 pm

I'm new to this and have decided to grow some garlic as well as plant my asparagus bed this fall. I have a 4'x16'x12" bed dedicated for asparagus and the same for garlic, They are constructed out of 3/4" boards. (not the best but FREE) On my asparagus I'm going to put 3 rows down the length and space them about 10-12" apart(at the advise of the crown seller). So that would leave my most outer rows 12" in from the exposed edge. My garlic I had planned on doing every 8" so I would have plants at 8",16",24"32"and40". I was wondering if anyone on here grows either of these in a similar zone and set-up. I'm wondering what, if anything I should do to insulate around the edge of the box. I plan on using straw or shavings for the tops. Thanks for any and all advise.

**camprn** 10/5/2012, 5:25 pm

Hi Tripp, after the garlic is planted and the soil has frozen a bit I place a few branches on top of the bed and toss some dried leaves over the top. That's it. The idea is to keep the cloves from heaving from temperature fluctuations.

tripp04276 10/5/2012, 8:41 pm

camprn wrote:Hi Tripp, after the garlic is planted and the soil has frozen a bit I place a few branches on top of the bed and toss some dried leaves over the top. That's it. The idea is to keep the cloves from heaving from temperature fluctuations.

So I dont have to worry about the frost getting at is from the sides?

Nonna.PapaVino 10/5/2012, 9:24 pm

Tripp, garlic is grown pretty much all over the world, in almost every climate. After you're sure you have a variety that's compatible with your part of the world, and if you plant it and pay attention to what camprn wrote, you'll be okay. Yes, Maine is colder than Western Oregon, but garlic is tougher than we think. If you want to insulate the sides of your beds, consider bubble packing sheets and more shredded leaves or split straw bales against the outside edges of your beds. Just be sure to remove all the extra insulation from around the beds before Easter so the soil can warm up and whisper to the garlic that it's time to rise and shine. Nonna

tripp04276 10/5/2012, 9:30 pm

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Tripp, garlic is grown pretty much all over the world, in almost every climate. After you're sure you have a variety that's compatible with your part of the world, and if you plant it and pay attention to what camprn wrote, you'll be okay. Yes, Maine is colder than Western Oregon, but garlic is tougher than we think. If you want to insulate the sides of your beds, consider bubble packing sheets and more shredded leaves or split straw bales against the outside edges of your beds. Just be sure to remove all the extra insulation from around the beds before Easter so the soil can warm up and whisper to the garlic that it's time to rise and shine. Nonna

I dont "want to" insulate but I "want" to make sure I do it right... If that makes sense? If you folks that know what they are doing think it will be fine as is then I like that best!! Same thing with my asparagus, thats more of a concern to me since it's such a longterm relationship Laughing

**camprn** 10/5/2012, 9:33 pm

Tripp, sure enough! just toss a bunch of leaves over the bed and then it will snow and insulate the whole bed from heaving. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Wink

With the asparagus, follow the planting instruction that came with the roots and get them in the ground ASAP so they can become a bit established before the ground freezes. What a Face

tripp04276 10/5/2012, 9:43 pm

camprn wrote:Tripp, sure enough! just toss a bunch of leaves over the bed and then it will snow and insulate the whole bed from heaving. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

With the asparagus, follow the planting instruction that came with the roots and get them in the ground ASAP so they can become a bit established before the ground freezes.

Thanks!
Problem on the asparagus is that it didn't address my raised bed concern so I was hoping some you extra smart folks could advise. And I am plating them in the morning!

Nonna.PapaVino 10/5/2012, 9:55 pm

tripp, only concern I'd have for an asparagus bed is: how deep are the crowns planted? Do you have any idea how deep your ground freezes in the midst of a Maine winter? East of the mountains that separate East and West Washington, the winters are very much more severe on the East side. But feral (escapees from commercial growers) asparagus grows all over the country, which says to me that it can withstand a lot of cold. Having said that, listen to Mother Camprn and pile your new bed with leaves to protect it from frost heaves. My experience with asparagus is that it doesn't really love acidic soil, so consider that when you add mulch. Keep us aprised of your experiences with both the garlic and asparagus. Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino 10/5/2012, 10:00 pm

Tripp: Another thought I had after posting the earlier thought: do you save grass clippings from your mowing? How about piling them up against the edges of your raised garlic bed until next Spring? Then, when you remove them, use them to mulch the top of the bed to inhibit weeds around your garlic, OR, pile them up on your new potato bed, should you decide you really, really want to grow garlic mashed potatoes. Nonna (who this evening had the most wonderful BIG California White russet baked potato with all the fixins just 3 hours after it was dug!)

Sponsored content

Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????

Re: Insulating the edges of raised beds????


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.