I purchased my been poles from Croydon coppice man Robert (www.croydoncoppice.co.uk)
Who looks after a couple of woods making various items for the grower. He also makes charcoal which takes three days to burn!
The poles are very sturdy and make a great frame tied together with natural string helped by my daughter Daisy. I'm only growing a couple of beans as they produce so many pods.
Managed to get the last two raised beds built with the help of my son Ryan who probably didn't enjoy the whole half term work day with Dad! We took delivery of 2.5 tonne bags of screened topsoil (loose) but wr managed to reverse the tipper truck down to my plot and tipped onto a tarpaulin. This is for my no dig bed which is 3.5m x 3m x 6 inch high and it took all of it. This allows me to plant straight away which is the everything else bed on my three bed rotation system. So after a load of earth moving we moved to the pub for a well earned pint.
Soil was from a company called Southeastsupplies who I found on ebay! The soil is slightly clay based so holds moisture well it's light, airy and weed free. Very pleased with it.
ALDI are selling closhe tunnels for £5.99 these are 300 x 45 x45cm (approx)
How cheap are these!
Well today was very productive built the other 2 raised beds. My 3rd bed is a no dig bed as I've broken my back digging the rest over...
I have covered this bed in newspapers and cardboard and then I'm filling it up with 1part topsoil 1 part mushroom compost and 1part soil improver.
By the time the newspaper and cardboard has broken down the grass underneath should have composted down.
Next is the raspberries, these are overgrown with more grass...
TBC
Not being able to get to the plot all weekend was doing my head in. I had dropped off the timber for the raised beds last thursday and not been able to start the build. This afternoon was different, I got the first bed built and raked over (again). I uncovered the spuds from frost covers and they had broken through the soil so I back filled a little.
The tap has been fitted albeit badly as it's leaking in two places (council plumbers) and I've watered the ground to full extent.
I will build two more beds before I cover them all in cardboard and newspapers then fill them up with compost 10 tonne bags at a guess these are £40 a bag from my local Knights garden centre, and think that's a good deal?
