It got up to 72 here in eastern Tn Sunday so I started working the new transplant beds to try and get a bit ahead. I have 10 more to go but they dont take too long to get ready (about 3 a day). I am moving to a maypole design to hopefully increase the amount of plants per acre and (hopefully) a more maintainable infrastructure. Its also much cheaper to do it this way - cable is expensive.
I had gotten an excavator and dug these beds down 2 to 2.5 feet. I added about 10lbs of lime as its really nothing but clay down that deep. Filled them back in but with the topsoil going down first. Filled half way then tilled and added 20lbs more lime. Filled the rest of the way up - added a truckload of humus/manure mix and another 10lbs lime. I am running a PH of 6.3 @ 24" depth to 6.5 @6" with a couple more months to let it all settle out before transplanting. Most of the lime has been in there since November but I just added that last 10lbs. Ill do another set of PH tests right before transplanting and add as needed as well as add copper sulfate dust and till it in.
These beds are 27'x15' and accomodate 24 plants each. The base pole is a 4x6 concreted in at 3'. Ill attach my existing 16' 4x4's to it for now but will replace them with 4x6's as needed. I am also going to put a 3' step that the main pole will sit on giving a 19' pole height.
As is seen I am using 6mil black plastic for the center covering and have landscape cloth in waiting as well as drip irrigation going in after transplanting.
This particular bed is slated for centennials. The plan is to have an acre covered with these beds by no later than End of July giving me cloose to 2400 plants I believe, divided among 11 diffrent varieties.
I had gotten an excavator and dug these beds down 2 to 2.5 feet. I added about 10lbs of lime as its really nothing but clay down that deep. Filled them back in but with the topsoil going down first. Filled half way then tilled and added 20lbs more lime. Filled the rest of the way up - added a truckload of humus/manure mix and another 10lbs lime. I am running a PH of 6.3 @ 24" depth to 6.5 @6" with a couple more months to let it all settle out before transplanting. Most of the lime has been in there since November but I just added that last 10lbs. Ill do another set of PH tests right before transplanting and add as needed as well as add copper sulfate dust and till it in.
These beds are 27'x15' and accomodate 24 plants each. The base pole is a 4x6 concreted in at 3'. Ill attach my existing 16' 4x4's to it for now but will replace them with 4x6's as needed. I am also going to put a 3' step that the main pole will sit on giving a 19' pole height.
As is seen I am using 6mil black plastic for the center covering and have landscape cloth in waiting as well as drip irrigation going in after transplanting.
This particular bed is slated for centennials. The plan is to have an acre covered with these beds by no later than End of July giving me cloose to 2400 plants I believe, divided among 11 diffrent varieties.
