Thank you everyone for your advice, I actually cut and pasted your comments in a document to reference later.
In response to some things: I am glad someone pointed out that the bed is evaporating from both sides, as obvious as this seems, I didn't really think of it. I imagine this is an issue for these kinds of beds and we may just end up pulling the soil out and replacing the bottom of the beds. The garden is placed on top of an asphalt parking lot, this is VERY convenient for wheeling around, but challenging for a garden, especially these roll-unders. I think you all are right about the compost, we did purchase it from a landscape company and it may need some additives. With access to free horse manure and leaves and spoiled hay, we are big fans of lasagna layering our gardens. We plan on topping these beds with some manure, and now I think we will also add some worms, and maybe some native soil (?)(high clay). The other deeper beds, with the same compost did great, but we will also top them with manure this season. Thanks for all your suggestions! Kasey ________________________________ From: Diann Dirks [didi...@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 5:15 PM To: K. Rashid Nuri; Bailey, Sarah; Kasey Henneman; community_garden@list.communitygarden.org Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Trouble shooting wheelchair accesible beds Exactly Rashid, I think the thing that happens a lot is that people purchase 'compost' from landscaping companies or in bags at the nursery, but that is really only chipped and decomposed wood matter. This is a good place to start if it's well decomposed, but in itself it really is only a good source mostly of the carbon side of compost. The nitrogen side has to come from the other sources listed. And the hidden component which escapes a lot of people unfamiliar with the process, as you say, is the presence of micro-organisms which are the result of a worm's digestive channel, prime source for micro-organisms like a factory outlet. Worm castings are loaded with billions of micro-organisms. And what those little babies do is eat inorganic minerals in soil and convert them to an organic form which the little rootlets can actually absorb, Inorganic minerals aren't really being absorbed. So, worms eat through the soil, taking in inorganic minerals and organic matter like leaves and bits of sand and stuff, and out the other end comes decomposed and broken down organic matter, organic minerals which the roots of plants can absorb, and eventually the sand and some inorganic minerals undigested. Worms are your friend!!!! They also act as little rototillers, mixing up the soil. They make holes through the soil which let in needed air, and give channels for moisture to travel to the roots. They also leave behind baby worms in the form of eggs so the cycle repeats. Oh if we only had access to Rashid's worm pile!!!! You're the man Rashid! Best, Diann Dirks Permaculture Designer, Auburn, Ga. ----- Original Message ----- From: K. Rashid Nuri<mailto:ad...@trulylivingwell.com> To: Diann Dirks<mailto:didi...@comcast.net> ; Bailey, Sarah<mailto:sarah.bai...@uconn.edu> ; 'Kasey Henneman'<mailto:kasey.henne...@metroparks.org> ; community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 4:36 PM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Trouble shooting wheelchair accesible beds greetings all good compost should already include many of the items diann lists as additives to the bed. add these items to the compost pile while it is processing and you will end up with a rich mix that is the only thing necessary to add to your beds. works for us. the only thing we add besides compost is one shovelful from our worm beds for each wheelbarrow load of compost we put on the beds. this inoculates the beds with castings and worm eggs. deep levels of rich organic material retains moisture that simple topsoil lets escape. peace K. Rashid Nuri Truly Living Well P.O. Box 90841 East Point GA 30364 Phone: 404 520 8331 www.trulylivingwell.com<http://www.trulylivingwell.com/> It is simply service that measures success. - George Washington Carver ________________________________ From: Diann Dirks <didi...@comcast.net> To: "Bailey, Sarah" <sarah.bai...@uconn.edu>; 'Kasey Henneman' <kasey.henne...@metroparks.org>; community_garden@list.communitygarden.org Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 3:25 PM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Trouble shooting wheelchair accesible beds Kacey, You mentioned that the bottom of your beds only had landscaping cloth etc. over the bottom. Does that mean air circulates under the beds? If that is the case, your soil isn't holding moisture. Perhaps I misunderstood. If the beds rest on the soil, I really prefer two layers of corregated paper (cardboard) first before adding soil components as this breaks down eventually (landscape cloth if plastic is like a bad penny, it keeps showing up for years in tatters, tangling roots), kills off any original grass or weeds, and holds in moisture whereas landscape cloth just lets the moisture escape. Sarah is right, only compost as a soil isn't really necessarily enough to build real soil. I add construction grade coarse sand for structure - maybe about 5 to 10%. Also, ground up autumn leaves (run the grass mower over and catch the bits), non-chemical sprayed lawn clippings, manure (composted), worm castings if you can get hold of it, dug in kitchen waste such as vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and spent tea bags, some tri-phosphate, some rock dust, some gypsum (for calcium) or ground up egg shells, in layers. Then over the top, once things are planted, wheat straw - maybe 3 to 4 inches once your plants are established, worked in between the plants to cover the soil. This also gives worms food as do grass clippings as a top mulch. It's better to water slow and deep rather than just sprinkling with a hose. You never get enough water into the sub soil to really give your roots enough moisture unless you really let it soak in. It also helps to add some worms here and there to let the micro-organisms get working from their castings. Make sure you give them enough fresh organic matter to feed them (usually works best as a top coating of grass clippings, crushed leaves, or blended kitchen peelings with water). Hope that helps, Diann Dirks Permaculture Designer, Ga. Good soil n ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bailey, Sarah" <sarah.bai...@uconn.edu<mailto:sarah.bai...@uconn.edu>> To: "'Kasey Henneman'" <kasey.henne...@metroparks.org<mailto:kasey.henne...@metroparks.org>>; <community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org>> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:49 AM Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Trouble shooting wheelchair accesible beds > Kasey - > > If the beds were filled ONLY with fresh compost, you may have significantly > unbalanced soil - too much of anything, even compost, is not good. Have you > done a soil test to see what the nutrient make-up is? Soil tests are > generally available from your local Cooperative Extension office for a > nominal fee, and the results usually come with advice on any modifications > that may be necessary. > > Sarah > Sarah Bailey > Master Gardener Program Coordinator > Pesticide Safety Educator > > Cooperative Extension Service > 1800 Asylum Avenue > West Hartford, CT 06117 > > Ph: 860-570-9023 > Fax: 860-570-9008 > Email: sarah.bai...@uconn.edu<mailto:sarah.bai...@uconn.edu> > > > > An Equal Opportunity Employer and Program Provider. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: > community_garden-boun...@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden-boun...@list.communitygarden.org> > > [mailto:community_garden-boun...@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden-boun...@list.communitygarden.org>] > On Behalf Of Kasey Henneman > Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 4:19 PM > To: > community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org> > Subject: [Community_garden] Trouble shooting wheelchair accesible beds > > Hello Everyone, > > Here in Dayton Ohio we have a one year old accessible garden at the local > Access Center. We have 4 roll-under beds and 2 raised beds. The garden did > pretty well for its first year but we have had trouble keeping the roll-under > beds watered. The beds were purchased kits and the bottom of the bed is just > lattice, landscape cloth, and plastic mesh. The depth of the beds is only > about 6-7 inches deep. This depth Is important for the bed to be tall enough > to roll under and low enough to reach over. We have done some heavy mulching > and installed some slow watering milk-jugs to encourage water absorption. We > did this late in the season can't say yet if this will be enough to keep > water in the beds just yet. I have the feeling we might need to rebuild the > bottom of the beds but would like to avoid doing this if possible. > > We have also had issue with growing anything in the beds. The beds were > filled with fresh compost and we only attempted to grow shallow rooted things > like lettuce and annual herbs. The crops were not successful the first time > (most likely) due to lack of water, however, most recently they were planted > with mustard, lettuce, and maybe peas and watered often and still did not > produce. > > Any ideas?! > > Thanks! > Kasey > > Kasey Henneman > Grow With Your Neighbors Program Assistant > Five Rivers MetroParks > 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave. > Dayton, OH 45414 > > O // 937-277-6545 x1617 > F // 937-277-6546 > kasey.henne...@metroparks.org<mailto:kasey.henne...@metroparks.org> > > [cid:image001.jpg@01C884F1.7AFDB050] Visit http://www.metroparks.org and get > out for an adventure in your parks! > > P > Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail > > > > ________________________________ > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended > solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If > you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or > copy this e-mail. 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Five Rivers MetroParks accepts no liability for any damage caused > by any virus transmitted by this email. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20111019/31801982/attachment.html> > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: image001.jpg > Type: image/x-citrix-jpeg > Size: 1866 bytes > Desc: image001.jpg > URL: > <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20111019/31801982/attachment.jpg> > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's > services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out > how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: > community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org> > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's > services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out > how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: > community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org> > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org<mailto:community_garden@list.communitygarden.org> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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