I was thinking of a similar set up because of the Bermuda grass in my yard is extremely invasive and difficult to control. This video has given me some new ideas.
Yes, I know nasturtiums are edible. I saw another gardener had planted these in her veg garden, so I wondered if there were some preventative properties to them. Now I know they deter cucumber beetle. 2 yrs ago I lost cucumbers, melons, and zucchini because of these beetles. Last year I planted nasturtiums in my flower garden just for the looks, and noticed they grew so aggressively that they destroyed a good portion of the lawn. So I thought at least I can use them to deter areas that have weeds. I think now I will plant some in the veg garden to deter these beetles. Thanks.
Just found your channel and you're inspiring. I'm just wondering why minibeds instead of 4x8s. Is it so there's a max amount of moisture surrounding the crop or something else?
I had 4x8beds in years past. They dried out fast (needing watering) and quack grass flourished under the bottom edges. The smaller Minibeds, surrounded by captured subsoil moisture do not need watering, at least not in my growing region. And the smaller beds are just a whole lot manageable than a 4x8. The bed frames hold down the plastic mulch. I flip the frames when I plant. so they will last longer. Flipping 4x8 frame would be a hassle. I also often slide organic materials under the plastic under the beds. That requires lifting the frame. Again, a hassle with a larger frame. The small beds were an experiment. Size and spacing, after several years of gardening, have turned out to be ideal, in my opinion. If I were to make another Minibed garden I would make the spacing between beds in the rows the same somewhat-wider distance that I have the rows spaced. I wouldn't change bed size. Thanks for the question.
I am going to try ground cherries this year...and go with a bush cucumber and the zephyr squash. Hoping they grow well in containers. Thanks for you videos.
Excellent. That's a good size. Do you have the Minibed Gardening Report? There's a lot of useful information (100 pages) and inspiration in there for a new Minibed gardener.
I sure will. I started a blog on my facebook page to document the whole process under the same username. My location is not too far from you as I live just south of Elmira, NY in Tioga county PA.
Hi Herrick, I just noticed in this video that your original beds were made of two 30” and two 27’” pieces of wood. Just wondering how many of them you made before converting to the four 27 1/2’” pieces. That is what all mine are, thanks to you! Just put together another 18 yesterday. It was the first time we have seen the sun in almost two weeks. Started 16 Bell pepper plants also yesterday in the propagator. Had four of the Johnnys green house cukes pop up yesterday in a tub, in my House attached green house. It only took four days to sprout them. If they ever produce any cukes I’ll send you a flic! Best Everett. OBTW to David Clark, I have one 40 x 24 foot on a slight slope, about 10-12 degrees and it works fine!
Hi Everett, Very observant of you. I made a bunch of the first frames using two different wood lengths. Then it occurred to me that it would be a whole lot easier and more accurate to set a stop on my saw and make all the pieces the same length. I'm not sure how many I made before I got smart about it. It's going to be a mild day here and I'm hoping to get the wood for 27 more minibeds. That's my expansion objective for this year. The experimental garden will then be up to 114 Minibeds total. Still small compared to yours. Propagator? Do you have a heated box or cabinet for seed starting?
AYE LADDIE That I do! Bought it from Gardeners Supply about 15-18 years ago. It has four shelves and lights with four bulbs each, I also bought four full length heating mats on timers and temperature regulators attached. I must have started a couple hundred thousand plants in that thing over the years. One of my better investments, Oh Yeah, the whole thing is enclosed in a clear plastic cover to keep the heat in.
Would this plastic work? 6 Mil 10' x 100' Black Sheeting to Stop Weeds Black poly sheeting high tensile strength Water tight UV Protection Virgin Resins Superior puncture and tear resistance. Same company just less money. I won’t have a huge garden. Would it be better to get the white/black due to Texas heat?
The specifications sound right. I have black/white bunker cover plastic in my garden, with black up. You might want white up. I don't know anyone who has done white up. I think someone in a hot climate told me they put black up and spread wood chips over the plastic to keep it cooler underneath.
Thank you for this video. It was very informative. I have two questions for you. Would this type of gardening work well on a slope? Also, do you have a website recommendation for purchasing the 6 Mil Polyethylene Sheeting?
It will work on a slight slope. My garden is on a slope. There is a link at my minibedgardening.com web site on the sidebar to suppliers of the polyethylene.
No. I didn't like school enough to be an engineer. was a carpenter. But I almost always have a pen in my front shirt pocket, though without the pocket protector. Thank you for asking.
Herrick Kimball I like how your mind works 😊 my son and I are similar. I like a challenge so I can exercise my problem-solving-love-of efficiency-brain 😊 Im just dealing with my 6 year old takung his toys apart so he can create new ones...I wont stop him because its just what makes him a happy little man 😊
Taking things apart as a kid.... That brings back such good memories for me. May I suggest an old lawnmower? Pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, a hammer, and safety glasses. Take it all apart. Better than any toy. Vacuum cleaners are good too. :-)
Tom Doyle's little booklet is almost out of print and they are not planning to reprint paper copies (pdf is in the works). But the book is currently available here: www.doyleblackberry.com/lawn-garden-accessories/gardening-without-cultivation/
Hi Dorothy, I've always wanted to grow them because I read that the flowers are edible. I put a small lavender plant in the center of the bed and planted nasturtium seeds in the corners. They really grew well! The lavender held it's own, despite the overabundant flowers. I can't say that I liked them as an edible that much. Lavender is something that I used to have in my garden and have missed. It is kind of like the flower equivalent of banjo music... it just makes me happy. The smell of crushed lavender stems and flowers evokes early childhood memories for me. But nasturtiums do have an insect repellent quality to them. I read an article in one of my old Organic Gardening magazines about a woman who always planted a nasturtium next to her cucumbers. It kept the cucumber beetle away. One year she didn't plant the nasturtiums and the cucumber beetles came back. That's something to remember. Thanks for the question.
Where do you purchase your polyethylene Mulch 6 ml uv ? I live in E Texas and we have lots of humidity and rain. Would this plastic mulch be a good idea?
Farm Plastic Supply 6-mil bunker cover plaastic... farmplasticsupply.com/grain-and-silage-bags/bunker-covers My experience is only with my NY growing region, but there are people all across the country now using the Minibed gardening technique.
I am trying to figure out why your beds aren't made by dividing standard dimension lumber evenly. Such as an 8ft or 96 inches 2x4 divided by three or 32 inches or cut into two 48 inch pieces or a 12 foot piece divided into four 36 inch pieces. It seems like a waste of lumber to make them an odd size like you fo. Is there a special reason to do that?
One 2x4 @10 feet long makes a single Minibed with efficient use of material. I had a couple Haxnicks micromesh cloches that were sized to fit exactly over a 30" x 30" bed. That is how I started with that size. After 3 years of experimentation I wouldn't change it. The frames are manageable. They are frequently lifted and turned and not too bulky or heavy to deal with. The 30" x 30" size also accommodates a Whizbang solar pyramid perfectly. For my purposes, the uniform frame size and frame spacing is ideal. Other people have made larger beds, beds of various sizes, and diverse spacings. To each his own.
@@herrickkimball Thankyou for your reply. You have inspired me to do some experimenting of my own. It seems that the big box building suppy stores no longer stock the ten foot 2x4s. In order to simplify their inventory they only stock 8,12 and 16s now. That being the case i hope to build some in 32 and 36 size and see how it goes. Is there a minimum size of tarp covered area for this idea to work? Thanks John Davis jax fl
When I made this video Minibed gardening reports 1 and 2 were available. They have since then been combined with year 3 report and are the “Minibed Trilogy” that I now sell at planet Whizbang.com
Hey everyone, My objective here was to give you an overview of the Minibed Gardening system, and to show some of the results, without making a too-long video. I don't show the 18 pounds of carrots I got from a single minibed, or the 23 pounds of storage onions, or the half-wheelbarrow of cantaloupes from two minibeds. But I do show and tell about those and other crops in the 100-page PFD download. When 78% of the garden area does not require any cultivation or maintenance, you can focus on high-culture in the minibeds. High-culture results in high yields. This whole system is designed to give you a lot of satisfaction. Once the work of installing the infrastructure is done, this system is very manageable. More details here... minibedsonplastic.blogspot.com/2018/02/maximum-satisfaction-vegetable.html
just found your channel, such interesting ideas,,,,,,thank you for sharing this great information
I was thinking of a similar set up because of the Bermuda grass in my yard is extremely invasive and difficult to control. This video has given me some new ideas.
Elizabeth L. Johnson said, Fantastic video!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I know nasturtiums are edible. I saw another gardener had planted these in her veg garden, so I wondered if there were some preventative properties to them. Now I know they deter cucumber beetle. 2 yrs ago I lost cucumbers, melons, and zucchini because of these beetles. Last year I planted nasturtiums in my flower garden just for the looks, and noticed they grew so aggressively that they destroyed a good portion of the lawn. So I thought at least I can use them to deter areas that have weeds. I think now I will plant some in the veg garden to deter these beetles. Thanks.
Just found your channel and you're inspiring. I'm just wondering why minibeds instead of 4x8s. Is it so there's a max amount of moisture surrounding the crop or something else?
I had 4x8beds in years past. They dried out fast (needing watering) and quack grass flourished under the bottom edges. The smaller Minibeds, surrounded by captured subsoil moisture do not need watering, at least not in my growing region. And the smaller beds are just a whole lot manageable than a 4x8. The bed frames hold down the plastic mulch. I flip the frames when I plant. so they will last longer. Flipping 4x8 frame would be a hassle. I also often slide organic materials under the plastic under the beds. That requires lifting the frame. Again, a hassle with a larger frame. The small beds were an experiment. Size and spacing, after several years of gardening, have turned out to be ideal, in my opinion. If I were to make another Minibed garden I would make the spacing between beds in the rows the same somewhat-wider distance that I have the rows spaced. I wouldn't change bed size. Thanks for the question.
Thank you for informative & fascinating video! Any ideas for replacing wood with something more affordable?
4 chunks of firewood around each bed would work. Wouldn't look as neat, but they would serve the purpose.
I am going to try ground cherries this year...and go with a bush cucumber and the zephyr squash. Hoping they grow well in containers. Thanks for you videos.
Yesterday I laid a 24' by 50' area of plastic and I am excited to give this a shot.
Excellent. That's a good size. Do you have the Minibed Gardening Report? There's a lot of useful information (100 pages) and inspiration in there for a new Minibed gardener.
Yes, I purchased it about a week ago and have read it a couple of times. Really good information.
Oh, thank you. I'm glad to hear that you liked it. I'd appreciate your feedback on Minibed gardening after your first year. Thanks again.
I sure will. I started a blog on my facebook page to document the whole process under the same username. My location is not too far from you as I live just south of Elmira, NY in Tioga county PA.
Do you do composting? Any episode planned ?
Hi Herrick, I just noticed in this video that your original beds were made of two 30” and two 27’” pieces of wood. Just wondering how many of them you made before converting to the four 27 1/2’” pieces. That is what all mine are, thanks to you! Just put together another 18 yesterday. It was the first time we have seen the sun in almost two weeks. Started 16 Bell pepper plants also yesterday in the propagator. Had four of the Johnnys green house cukes pop up yesterday in a tub, in my House attached green house. It only took four days to sprout them. If they ever produce any cukes I’ll send you a flic! Best Everett. OBTW to David Clark, I have one 40 x 24 foot on a slight slope, about 10-12 degrees and it works fine!
Hi Everett,
Very observant of you. I made a bunch of the first frames using two different wood lengths. Then it occurred to me that it would be a whole lot easier and more accurate to set a stop on my saw and make all the pieces the same length. I'm not sure how many I made before I got smart about it.
It's going to be a mild day here and I'm hoping to get the wood for 27 more minibeds. That's my expansion objective for this year. The experimental garden will then be up to 114 Minibeds total. Still small compared to yours.
Propagator? Do you have a heated box or cabinet for seed starting?
AYE LADDIE That I do! Bought it from Gardeners Supply about 15-18 years ago. It has four shelves and lights with four bulbs each, I also bought four full length heating mats on timers and temperature regulators attached. I must have started a couple hundred thousand plants in that thing over the years. One of my better investments, Oh Yeah, the whole thing is enclosed in a clear plastic cover to keep the heat in.
Elizabeth L. Johnson asked, Herrick, don't you have any troublesome wild life to threaten your garden? Deer, etc.?
How does the rainwater get underneath the plastic?
Rainwater under the plastic is not needed. There is abundant subsoil moisture under the plastic that is always available and retained by the covering.
Would this plastic work? 6 Mil 10' x 100' Black Sheeting to Stop Weeds
Black poly sheeting
high tensile strength
Water tight
UV Protection
Virgin Resins
Superior puncture and tear resistance. Same company just less money. I won’t have a huge garden.
Would it be better to get the white/black due to Texas heat?
The specifications sound right. I have black/white bunker cover plastic in my garden, with black up. You might want white up. I don't know anyone who has done white up. I think someone in a hot climate told me they put black up and spread wood chips over the plastic to keep it cooler underneath.
Thank you for this video. It was very informative. I have two questions for you. Would this type of gardening work well on a slope? Also, do you have a website recommendation for purchasing the 6 Mil Polyethylene Sheeting?
It will work on a slight slope. My garden is on a slope. There is a link at my minibedgardening.com web site on the sidebar to suppliers of the polyethylene.
Were/are you an engineer?
No. I didn't like school enough to be an engineer. was a carpenter. But I almost always have a pen in my front shirt pocket, though without the pocket protector. Thank you for asking.
Herrick Kimball I like how your mind works 😊 my son and I are similar. I like a challenge so I can exercise my problem-solving-love-of efficiency-brain 😊 Im just dealing with my 6 year old takung his toys apart so he can create new ones...I wont stop him because its just what makes him a happy little man 😊
Taking things apart as a kid.... That brings back such good memories for me. May I suggest an old lawnmower? Pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, a hammer, and safety glasses. Take it all apart. Better than any toy. Vacuum cleaners are good too. :-)
Please tell me how to purchase your and Thomas Doyle book?
Tom Doyle's little booklet is almost out of print and they are not planning to reprint paper copies (pdf is in the works). But the book is currently available here: www.doyleblackberry.com/lawn-garden-accessories/gardening-without-cultivation/
Herrick: What is the benefit of growing nasturtium in your veg garden?
Hi Dorothy,
I've always wanted to grow them because I read that the flowers are edible. I put a small lavender plant in the center of the bed and planted nasturtium seeds in the corners. They really grew well! The lavender held it's own, despite the overabundant flowers. I can't say that I liked them as an edible that much.
Lavender is something that I used to have in my garden and have missed. It is kind of like the flower equivalent of banjo music... it just makes me happy. The smell of crushed lavender stems and flowers evokes early childhood memories for me.
But nasturtiums do have an insect repellent quality to them. I read an article in one of my old Organic Gardening magazines about a woman who always planted a nasturtium next to her cucumbers. It kept the cucumber beetle away. One year she didn't plant the nasturtiums and the cucumber beetles came back. That's something to remember.
Thanks for the question.
Where do you purchase your polyethylene
Mulch 6 ml uv ? I live in E Texas and we have lots of humidity and rain. Would this plastic mulch be a good idea?
Farm Plastic Supply
6-mil bunker cover plaastic...
farmplasticsupply.com/grain-and-silage-bags/bunker-covers
My experience is only with my NY growing region, but there are people all across the country now using the Minibed gardening technique.
too bad that's $7000 dollars in wood right now.
just kidding, great stuff. New subscriber - Thank David the Good
I want to join and receive your Book?
👍. My garden idea book and the Minibed gardening report are available at this link: www.planetwhizbang.com/gardening
What size is the timber used for the mini bed 'surrounds' Herrick please?
30" x 30" OD
I am trying to figure out why your beds aren't made by dividing standard dimension lumber evenly.
Such as an 8ft or 96 inches 2x4 divided by three or 32 inches or cut into two 48 inch pieces or a 12 foot piece divided into four 36 inch pieces. It seems like a waste of lumber to make them an odd size like you fo. Is there a special reason to do that?
One 2x4 @10 feet long makes a single Minibed with efficient use of material.
I had a couple Haxnicks micromesh cloches that were sized to fit exactly over a 30" x 30" bed. That is how I started with that size.
After 3 years of experimentation I wouldn't change it. The frames are manageable. They are frequently lifted and turned and not too bulky or heavy to deal with.
The 30" x 30" size also accommodates a Whizbang solar pyramid perfectly.
For my purposes, the uniform frame size and frame spacing is ideal.
Other people have made larger beds, beds of various sizes, and diverse spacings. To each his own.
@@herrickkimball Thankyou for your reply. You have inspired me to do some experimenting of my own.
It seems that the big box building suppy stores no longer stock the ten foot 2x4s. In order to simplify their inventory they only stock 8,12 and 16s now.
That being the case i hope to build some in 32 and 36 size and see how it goes.
Is there a minimum size of tarp covered area for this idea to work?
Thanks
John Davis jax fl
Is this Minibed Gardening report #1?
When I made this video Minibed gardening reports 1 and 2 were available. They have since then been combined with year 3 report and are the “Minibed Trilogy” that I now sell at planet Whizbang.com
Hey everyone,
My objective here was to give you an overview of the Minibed Gardening system, and to show some of the results, without making a too-long video. I don't show the 18 pounds of carrots I got from a single minibed, or the 23 pounds of storage onions, or the half-wheelbarrow of cantaloupes from two minibeds. But I do show and tell about those and other crops in the 100-page PFD download.
When 78% of the garden area does not require any cultivation or maintenance, you can focus on high-culture in the minibeds. High-culture results in high yields. This whole system is designed to give you a lot of satisfaction. Once the work of installing the infrastructure is done, this system is very manageable. More details here... minibedsonplastic.blogspot.com/2018/02/maximum-satisfaction-vegetable.html