Some people take a vacation day to relax. Some take Friday off to get a jump on the weekend. Some people take a full 8 hours of vacation time to shovel dirt.
Hi!
I decided over the winter to up my garden game. I’ve already done so with the Costco greenhouse build, putting gutters on the greenhouse, and then building a 220 gallon rainwater catchment system. Friday I added three new raised beds!
The Pallet-Deal Raised Beds: Assembly and Real-Talk Review
One of my girlfriends buys pallets of Amazon returns and she found four of these raised beds. She cut me a very nice deal to buy all four, and I stashed them in the greenhouse till recently. I put together the first one in the garage and it went relatively easily with bolts and wingnuts.
It also comes with a rubber gasket piece to put around the top but I left that off. After I got the beds placed, the “supports” also showed how useless they are. You can skip those, they’re very light aluminum that is bolted together in the middle. Not strong at all, and a hindrance, really.
Why Bagged Dirt is “Osteoporosis” for Your Garden
For years I’ve been thirsting after the custom soil mixes at Kalamazoo Landscape Supplies, and at $54 a yard, I quailed a bit at putting out that much money. Instead, I bought bags and bags of dirt from Lowe’s because I had gulled myself into thinking that was less expensive.
I always wondered why my beds settled like 3–4 inches over the course of a couple of growing seasons. I learned that bagged garden dirt isn’t really packaged for your garden as much as it’s packaged to ship easily. It lacks structure, and that’s why your beds settle so much. It’s like osteoporosis for your garden dirt.
The Ne Plus Ultra of Garden Dirt: Veggie Delight
Now, let me extol the virtues of the Veggie Delight mix from Renewed Earth. Kalamazoo Landscape Supplies partners with them to distribute it, and it’s pretty much the gold standard of garden dirt. It’s composed of topsoil that’s been screened and mixed with compost and sphagnum peat moss for moisture retention. It also provides a permanent mineral component that will keep the volume and not collapse and make you spend more money next year.
Bioavailability & Organic Nutrients
It’s pH balanced for bioavailability, which is how plants actually take up nutrients. I also love that it has an organic long-release fertilizer mix:
ROOTS 3-4-3: Contains mycorrhiza, vitamins, and amino acids to build a robust root-to-soil delivery network.
Nature Safe 10-2-8: Delivers organic phosphorus, chelated micronutrients, and humic acid.
Breaking Down the Numbers: What is N-P-K?
Are you now scratching your head and thinking to yourself “But Amy, what the heck is 10-2-8 and 3-4-3? Well, gentle reader, let me educate you. You’ll see these three numbers on all kinds of fertilizers. They refer to nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are the Big Three in plant life. They are listed in order:
- N (Nitrogen): Boosts leafy green growth.
- P (Phosphorus): Helps form strong roots.
- K (Potassium): Promotes hardiness and vigor. (K is the periodic table symbol).
To keep it really simple, the NPK numbers represent the percentage of each of these elements within that particular fertilizer formula. So, a fertilizer that contains 5-10-10 means it has 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus (phosphate), and 10 percent potassium (potash). The rest of the bag is typically an inactive filler, such as sand or limestone.
I strongly recommend getting your soil tested before going hog wild in the fertilizer aisle, though. Your soil may be just fine for nitrogen, but need more phosphorus or potassium. You would then choose a fertilizer with higher numbers of the latter two and lower numbers of the former. Don’t get sucked in by those bags of “WORKS FOR EVERYTHING” fertilizer. Knowing your soil can help you really dial in what it needs. Buying that one size fits all brand might burn your plants, or cause other issues. You can buy soil tests and do it yourself, or the Michigan State University (or your local ag school) extension office can often guide you.
Back to the Project: 4 Yards and a Shovel
OKAY! BACK TO THE PROJECT! I had four yard of the wondrous Veggie Delight delivered Friday morning. You can see the power lines which have been a pain in the rump for dump truck and delivery drivers for the entire 26 years I’ve lived here. I explained my layout to the driver and they did their best to dump the dirt closest to the project while not cutting the power, cable, and internet to the entire neighborhood.
Bed Prep & Critter Proofing
Next came bed prep! Here’s the overall layout, taken from the side yard. Two beds are side by side in the front yard, and I lined up the third one with those and measured that it was equidistant from the sidewalk.
I had some chicken wire I wanted to use up, so the bed nearest the Squirrel Hotel maple tree got a double layer in the bottom and the one next to it got a single layer. That ought to slow down digging critters. Then I laid thick cardboard pieces over that to create a little air space and to keep me from gashing my hand on the wire if I get too enthusiastic about digging plants in.
The Hauling of the Dirt
Then began The Hauling of the Dirt. find the best way to get it done without losing dirt. Finally I hit a rhythm and by late afternoon I had all three beds filled up! I also topped up:
- The standing planter
- The back door tomato box
- Two 22″ planters for my upcoming blueberries
I ordered blueberry plants from DeGrandchamps Blueberries over in South Haven. I did not know until recently that they sold to the home gardener, and I am quite excited to get my three plants. There will be a blueberry post when they arrive.
Wrapping Up & Starting Seeds
Joey from Kalamazoo Landscape Supplies cautioned me to cover my beds if I’m not immediately planting in them. The reason for this is that the long-release fertilizer kicks in when it’s watered, and if there’s nothing in there, you don’t want to waste that. So, all of the beds are tarped, and the big planters are also covered.
I got up this morning and went to my pool workout and came home to top off both of the OG raised beds south of the greenhouse, my 4×8 wooden wonders that Dad, the BSE, Gadgetron and I built probably 20 years ago. One bed was empty, so I just shoveled dirt right in there and made quick work of it. The other bed is my combined asparagus and strawberry bed. Asparagus hasn’t started yet, but my strawberries are leafing out! I used wire flags to mark their locations and loaded that bed up with new dirt. Then I went back and uncovered my strawberry babies.
Here’s what I have left of my four yards:
I’ll be getting potato sets and shallot sets delivered in the next few weeks and I’ll use what’s left in fabric pots for those items. I’ll also take some over to the herb bed, but I think a day and a half of shoveling gets me a break. I wrapped up today by tarping the dirt pile and starting seeds in the greenhouse.
I’m doing square foot gardening in the three new beds, so tonight I started some cold season seeds. Long Island Brussels Sprouts were developed in the the 1890s and have been a good producer in my garden. Waltham 29 broccoli dates from 1954 and I enjoy the classic flavor. Cabbage Babies are from Jung Seed and the idea of three kinds of small cabbages grabbed me even though I know I have been sucked in by a gimmick.
There will be a post when I get things in the beds in a few weeks, so be sure to subscribe to new posts using the big green button in the sidebar. I’m exhausted and will be taking several ibuprofen and going to bed. I am proud of what I did this weekend and while it was hard work, it’s laying the groundwork for lazy gardening for years to come.
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