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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 26, 2018 21:36:59 GMT -5
Hey guys. I haven't grown lettuce in quite awhile.
A friend of ours offered to build us a 4 x 8 raised bed. I was thinking this might be a good place to grow some lettuce, komatsuma, senposia, bok Choy, maybe even a few carrots. Knowing what I'd like to grow, what would you mix up as far as soil goes? Do you have a special mix you like to use.
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Post by paquebot on Jan 26, 2018 22:22:36 GMT -5
If hard base soil--silt, clay, or both, till or dig in 2" of sand. To fill the bed, use 25% compost, 25% peat, and 50% available soil. If not all that, forget the carrots unless they're a real short type. If just greens, skip everything except soil and compost.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 27, 2018 18:43:07 GMT -5
paquebot, Thanks my friend. Since you mentioned growing carrots in containers, I'm going to follow your advice. This box will be for greens.
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 27, 2018 18:47:49 GMT -5
You could add a few French breakfast radishes in there too. That is my favorite variety.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 27, 2018 20:33:23 GMT -5
You could add a few French breakfast radishes in there too. That is my favorite variety. Yes, I should. My wife mentioned radishes at supper tonight. Great Idea brownrexx,
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Post by paquebot on Jan 28, 2018 6:43:21 GMT -5
Assuming now that it's only going to be used for greens forever, next need to determine what to fill it with. If the typical 8" depth, it will take 21+ cubic feet of material. That's 160 gallons or 32 5-gallon pails if only a car t haul it in. Allowing for 10% shrinkage and compaction, figure 35 pails to get it underway.
The omission of potential carrots means that it will never be used for anything with deep roots. The existing soil will probably be somewhat compacted now. Adding another 8" of soil on top of that will compact it even more. It will become like a bathtub with no drain.
So, told you how to do a proper job. Up to you to determine how long it will be useful.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Deleted
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Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2020 7:09:19 GMT -5
"LETTUCE" i have such a bed, not all that deep, filled with native soil mixed with compost. I planted lettuce in Feb. In late Feb my friend got me interested in hydroponics and I made a simple Kratky-type tote and filled it with fluid, put in five lettuce plants. They are now at least three times as large as those in my little raised bed.
Apparently I just do not know how to grow lettuce in dirt.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2020 7:11:25 GMT -5
"LETTUCE" i have such a bed, not all that deep, filled with native soil mixed with compost. I planted lettuce in Feb. In late Feb my friend got me interested in hydroponics and I made a simple Kratky-type tote and filled it with fluid, put in five lettuce plants. They are now at least three times as large as those in my little raised bed.
Apparently I just do not know how to grow lettuce in dirt.
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Post by september on May 1, 2020 9:21:34 GMT -5
My soil is not the best, but one thing I have learned about growing good tasting lettuce, you do not skimp on water. During warm weather and lack of rain, I water it every day, and try to remember to fertilize every 10-14 days. The faster it grows, the better it will taste. My best bed also gets partial dappled shade for part of the day. Heat and drought make for bitter lettuce. Some varieties take heat better than others, two that always do well for me are Nevada and Summertime, I like the semi-crisp loose heading lettuce better than leaf lettuce.
The Kratky method sounds interesting and similar to something I read about. During the early years of gardening groups on USENET, someone discussed a method of digging a shallow pit a little larger than a sheet of foam insulation, lining the pit with a plastic sheet, putting in a water and fertilizer mix, and cutting round holes for lettuce seedlings to suspend in the foam insulation sheet, which was floated on the water. The only maintenance was checking the water level for evaporation, or deciding how much fertilizer to add in case of heavy rain which would cause overflow and dilute the solution. Just another one of those things that I meant to try and never got around to!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 1, 2020 11:22:18 GMT -5
Yeah, lettuce is another thing that grows much better - and tastes better - when I grow it in Earthboxes than in the ground, probably because it gets constant moisture and feeding in an EB. Right now all of my EBs are situated in full sun. I really ought to rig up some shade over an EB and see how much later in the season I can grow heat-tolerant lettuces. I know shade won't allow them to grow all summer, but maybe it would buy me a few weeks at the end of spring and beginning of fall.
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Post by bestofour on May 1, 2020 22:46:55 GMT -5
Lettuce grows well in my raised beds. I've also grown it in large round flower pots during the winter.
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