Victory Garden Bliss by Sura, June 3

This Memorial Day, I participated in the Victory Garden Blitz in Milwaukee. We made raised beds and compost bins.

Here’s the compost bin. It’s built of cedar and wire, and is attached with hooks and eyes instead of screws. It’s lightweight, and with the hook and eye construction, it’s fast and easy to move. The wire construction allows for more airflow, and makes the wood longer-lasting.  The wood is untreated, so no chemicals will find their way into your food. I have one that I built over 15 years ago. I think the metal will rust before the wood rots.

Here’s a 4×4 bed, just built. The lumber is hardwood, white oak, a true 2″ and can be made 10″ or 8″ high. It will last much longer than pine or other woods. It’s also untreated.

Here’s that same bed, partially planted. You’ll want to fill it with clean topsoil. Most soil in the city is contaminated, which is why we build raise beds. When you put your bed on the ground, you’ll first want to lay a few layers of overlapping newspapers on the ground. They will help kill the grass underneath, while still allowing the worms to find their way up into your bed. Worms are good for your soil.

Here’s a 4×8 bed partially planted. Using 10″ boards, it takes a cubic yard of soil.

I’m making and selling these now. I can make custom sizes for both the beds and the bins. The bins can be made with doors as well. They can be picked up or delivered and installed on location. Call 263.1513 or email me for prices and details.

3 Jun 2009 | 10:54 am | DIY - Do It Yourself, Development, Health

2 comments

1. hannah wrote:
   June 3, 2009 at 12:07 pm

   These beds are beautiful. Do you know approximately how many plants a 4×8 will hold, for square foot gardening, or does it depend upon the plants?

2. Sura wrote:
   June 3, 2009 at 12:16 pm

   It depends on what kind of vegetables you plant. You can check the Square Foot Gardening method at http://snurl.com/jd1k4. Basically, an extra-large plant is 1 per square, large is 4 per square, medium is 9 per square and small is 16 per square. Since it’s 32 square feet, you can fit a lot in a 4×8 bed.

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