New Sprout Here

[NikosGarden]

Hello, everyone. Stumbled across the site in search of salvation for my poor plants. I love to play in the dirt and garden, but it's been a learning process with lots of blood, sweat, tears and some loss. RIP my poor cherry trees. Currently looking for advice for my raised bed veggie garden, so if anyone has some experience to share, link to my post is here. Looking forward to meeting some fellow gardeners.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Are the raised beds already established? In my experience I would say lay something permeable under them to allow moisture to percolate up, I have about a spit deep of wood under the one I have just finished, but I have seen people having good success with cardboard laid on grass as a foundation. Then pay attention to the sides, they want to be impermeable to stop drying out around the edges, that can happen with wood for example. I am on heavy clay here and I dug out, put the wood down, and then replaced the soil on top taking out all the clay and piling it up against the edges, the logic being that it will help keep temperature constant. I keep them about 4ft wide so I can reach everywhere without ever having to stand on them.
There is always some loss, don't try and save every plant, you really want only the strongest ones. Plants most like being stationary, least like being moved, only do it when necessary, like planting out. They also like time, there is little except weeding that will suffer from a bit of delay, weeds are easiest dealt with when they are tiny two leaf seedlings.
There are some good dwarfing stocks for cherries nowadays, Colt grows to about eight feet or so, m26 will give you a tree just over half that size, but is not wide spreading enough to give good anchorage in a windy position, if you replace remember cherries need a pollinator.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[NikosGarden]

Hi! Thanks for the response. Yes, they're already established. They're 4x8 ft, 12-inch-deep metal beds. I started them with cardboard at the base and used a mixture of soil and compost to fill them. They've been a work in progress last couple years and while I've had some success, it hasn't been what you'd call flourishing. Currently my soil is testing depleted. I've added more compost, but I've also seen arguments that too much can hurt and affect nutrient absorption. Plus, I know it'll take time for it to further break down and the nutrients to become available. Other than fertilizer, not sure what else I can do right now to make them more growable for the veggies I want to plant.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

They sound good, though metal is a good conductor of heat, some insulation on the outside might help, plants like things constant
Legumes help to fix nitrogen, green manure where you grow the plant to a degree, then chop it and dig it in is a good way of doing it. People sometimes grow beans and peas and put the plants on the compost heap when done, then wonder why there is no extra nitrogen. They put it on the compost heap, plants don't just fix it and spread it into the soil. We have a wood burning stove, wood ash is a good source for potash.
I am told that the nutrients plants like are those that come from microbe activity, some people add molasses when they water to 'feed' the bacteria and yeasts, I am not at all sure that it is as effective as some people claim, but the enthusiasts say it is really effective.

 

[dianaadr]

Hello there

 

[dianaadr]

I'm just starting my way into gardening. I'm very interested in cats and I'm thinking of starting to get inspired by ideas. I have already contacted magnolia plantation and gardens customer service to somehow visit this plantation. I am very interested in how everything looks there and whether there are excursions there

 

[Anniekay]

Oh Introductions, I suppose I should introduce myself. I and my garden are a work in progress. I have gardened off and on since I was young but then trained horses for a living so, only had time for a few pots and some tomatoes and peppers.
Now I have a half acre that was a clean slate 4 1/2 years ago and have all my foundation planting done, a large rose garden, a veg patch in raised beds, a shade garden and the rest of the yard is looking forward to some more herbacious perennial and annuals with some mixed grasses being begun from seed this fall and next spring.
I think you're never finished learning to garden nor is your garden ever finished with you.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

my garden are a work in progress.

nor is your garden ever finished with you.

Slightly ungrammatical, but very true, an ongoing process without end.