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I'm Gonna Buy Or Build Raised Beds For Light Dep Next Year. All Advice Is Welcome And Appreciated

  • Thread starter Thread starter MendoGiantZ
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I'm Gonna Buy Or Build Raised Beds For Light Dep Next Year. All Advice Is Welcome And Appreciated

MendoGiantZ 54 Replies 6,769 Views
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MendoGiantZ

MendoGiantZ

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#1
So after this wet October and having a massive crew that I have to feed and house. I am gonna fully convert to light dep next year. We had great success with the open air hoop houses and they are super easy to build so I'm gonna stick with that. I was wondering if I should buy the grass roots fabric beds or build my own out of wood.
 
#2
I was looking at buying the grass roots ones. They come in 90 foot lengths by either 1.5 or 2 feet deep. I was gonna get them six feet wide. For light dep I think the 1.5 foot deep should be plenty I think
 
#3
IMG 2203
 
#4
We are going to build lite dep w/ boxes/beds this winter as well, and have a smaller full season crop we can manage ourselves. Thanks for bringing this topic up, and thanks to all who share their experiences and ideas.

Look forward to the replies.
 
#7
@MendoGiantZ , supreme work this past season!!
It's nice to find your thread start on your dep tunnel transition.
Hope this is a cool handshake and not seen as a highjack.
I too am in the planning phase of the same transition and will be starting a thread for my project as well here soon, it will undoubtedly have some different challenges, yet likely some similarities as well. (like kick ass outcomes to fill the heads of many!)
I am at 7500+ elevation and off grid. Big difference! Should be fun, as I am shooting to have girls in their final spots come March 1st.
I look forward to seeing and sharing much more!
 
#8
MendoGiantZ said:
They quoted me about $1250 for a 90 foot long bed that's six feet wide and 2 feet deep. It used 1 inch pvc.
Click to expand...
That seems pretty steep for just fabric. For a 90 x 6 x 2 bed you are looking at 384 board feet of wood. If you can find 2x6's for less than $1.50 per foot it wont cost anymore than using fabric. I would call around and see what you can find, you might be surprised how cheap you can find some rough cut lumber. Check out Agwood Mill and Lumber Inc in Ukiah, they had the cheapest redwood last time we needed some.

Keep in mind wood will last a hell of a lot longer than fabric and has other advantages as well. Fabric dries out faster, the edges get hotter, and you tend to use more water, just like a smart pot. I really like wood because the roots can grow happy and healthy right up to the edge of the bed without that 'dead zone' you tend to get with smart pots on the outer edge.
 
#9
Hi Blaze thanks for your reply. I was personally leaning toward wood, because as you stated the wood will last much longer. Unfortunately I dont have access to reasonably priced redwood and would probably end up using pine.

That being said what would you recommend as a substrate, top soil and amendments or soiless mix?

Thanks for your time.
 
#10
If using wood I would definitely treat the inside with something to help prevent rot, especially using pine. We have used Tree Seal in the past. I would think some of the products that use natural oils would work well too.

I like soil in my beds so I can't really comment on soiless mixes. We usually find an affordable base soil that tests well and then use that as a base. Cannabis likes lots of aeration and drainage so you want a relatively light mix with lots of pore space. Our standard mix usually is comprised of the base soil, lava rock, rice hulls, bio-char, composted dairy cow manure, and composted green waste.
 
#15
I miss read your first post. 1200 isn't bad for that size bed. Might even be cheaper than the cedar. I still vote wood, but that is the carpenter in me.
 
#16
I am not a carpenter, and I REALLY prefer wood for the raised beds. One big reason is the it makes tasks like staking much, much easier.
 
#17
I'm personally going with wood on my project.
I got lucky and scored for free, a bunch of reclaimed cedar 6" wide fencing pickets. Thanks Craigslist.
The plan is to cut them down to about 20" tall and build raised beds with them.
 
#18
Seamaiden said:
I am not a carpenter, and I REALLY prefer wood for the raised beds. One big reason is the it makes tasks like staking much, much easier.
Click to expand...

Also, considerably better water retention. Either way, throw some gypsum down on the native soil before putting the raised bed in. Or even take soil tests of native soil, amend accordingly. If the roots hit that native soil, some problems may pursue.
 
#19
Im gonna make them out of wood... I plan on using these beds for 3 years.. What are the cheaper options for wood and are their certain woods that I should stay away from.. Redwood seems expensive. They had cheap boards that were 2 x 12 x 20 feet long and they were only 28$$ .. We already have weed cloth down. Im gonna place gopher netting on top of that then fill it in with all my dirt in the 300 gallon pots.. Do you guys think 12 inches tall is good.. It seems like it should be plenty since most of the roots grow outwards... Thx everyone
 
#20
I used/am using old pallets to build beds out back for veggies. Free 99.
 
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