University of New Hampshire 2019 - 'Pine needles themselves are acidic but do not have the capacity to appreciably lower the soil pH. As pine needles break down and are incorporated into the soil, decomposing organisms gradually neutralize them. Thus, there is no harm in using pine needles to mulch shrub borders, flower beds and vegetable gardens. Even a 2 to 3 inch layer of pine mulch will not change the soil pH enough to measure.'

@lili46038

3 ай бұрын

Thanks

@user-iq7dl7he6r

3 ай бұрын

I live in a pine woods. My gardens get a lot of needles and they do no harm. They make good mulch.

@mosart7025

3 ай бұрын

What about actual pine tree logs? That has been cut for at least 4 years? Is there still sap or resin that will be harmful?

@brandenhylton8272

3 ай бұрын

​@mosart7025 4 years in a barn is different than4 years in the sun. Unless the tree is like 2 ft in diameter or bigger (and even then it might be fine) than all the sap should be gone. All depends on airflow and temperature.

@DollyTheLlama

3 ай бұрын

@@user-iq7dl7he6r I live in the same and do the same. I think the rumor comes from the fact that pines like growing in acidic soil to begin with. It's not them that makes the soil acidic, but the the soil that encourages pine growth. Pine logs should be fine. It's soft wood and decomposes quickly. Sap is just part of the tree and has nutrients also.

You need to use crushed LEAVES to save money. The leaves will turn to soil in just a few months.

@RusticDude

2 ай бұрын

That's what I did for my last bed. Turned out great. 🙂

I haven't done a bed like this in about 2 decades. The one thing I did differently was to burn the wood and debris down until it began to charcoal. The one thing I've learned in my 60 years is to find a method that works for you and stick with it. So go with what works and improve where needed.

I would probably cover the logs with grass clippings til its a flat layer. Nitrogen would help the wood break down a bit faster

@Elddreki

3 ай бұрын

That can cause a soil stomach ache

@sarahgirard1405

2 ай бұрын

And some mushrooms. ❤

I personally use a little bit of pine needles too and never had any sort of issue. I feel like I have however noticed more bugs like my beds more since I started using it.

I find so interesting the beams holding together raised bed is typically flush on the bottom but not flush on the top. I made mine flush on the top so I could add a cap to sit on and stand on and eventually a door hinge canopy

I like to put unfinished compost in with my branches and logs so there is plenty of nitrogen to feed the breakdown and then i put my soil mix on top of that

The beds will break down long before those logs ever will unless lined with plastic. I know from experience.

They have done testing that proves the acidity of pine needles is negligible. The same for fir needles.

Dead or fallen pine needles are fine. The acidity is highest when they are green.

I see a lot of people filling their raised beds with cardboard, but most cardboards have a lot of glue (each layer is literally covered with it). That glue is not biodegradable, likely to break down into microplastics. Good that you didn't use that much cardboard, like I saw in other videos.

@davidevans1723

3 ай бұрын

The glue is biodegradable I worked at a corrugation company

@michaelliebel2503

3 ай бұрын

​@@davidevans1723 If you do use biodegradable glue, then I like the company that you are working for 😉. Unfortunately, there are still some companies that use PVA and other polyolefins-/naphtha-based glues. Some of them even in the European Union and I bet also in China, where most of the world's stuff comes from.

@davidevans1723

3 ай бұрын

@@michaelliebel2503 oh well I didn't realize we were so hoity toity lmao

@davidevans1723

3 ай бұрын

@@michaelliebel2503 it does seem like the standard is plant based tho

@michaelliebel2503

3 ай бұрын

@davidevans1723 I wanted to fill my raised garden beds with cardboard as well, until I noticed glue on one of them that looked like acrylic glue. So, I decided to go directly to the wood layer since idk in which cardboard which glue is used. Btw, plantbased does not necessarily mean biodegradable. However, I don't want to start a debate, I just wanted to mention it. 💁‍♂️

You're doing just fine.

I have the same . Best regards from POLAND 🇵🇱 ❤

I was taught to line the bottom with "hardware cloth" which is a finely gridded metal, to discourage creatures burrowing up from the bottom. Looking good!

@MorethanGardening

23 күн бұрын

We have 1/4” hardware cloth on the bottom of every raised bed 🤠 it’s working great!

Leaves make an awesome base

Should have put pine tree trimmings on the bottom

Have you ever thought of using your food scraps to add to beds? (zero meat/animal products) You will need very little new soil; this soil will eventually become what us garden farmers here call 'black gold.' Due to physical issues we have dozens of raised beds & we use hugelkutur plus lasagne layering methods with compost scraps in there mixed around different layers, plus a lovely slimline compost 'basket' within each of them in the centre(s), the soil under the topsoil is the best there is 😊

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

I used a 50/50 mix of soil & compost. Some of the compost is our own from food scraps, yard waste, etc. & some was purchased.

@mahafouad9322

3 ай бұрын

​@@MorethanGardening may i ask, why don't you plant directly in the soil ,,what is the need for raised beds?

@user-iq7dl7he6r

3 ай бұрын

@@mahafouad9322 Our ground is pure sand. With a raised bed I can mix potting soil, garden soil, & compost. Some of my pants and veggies do much better that way.

@MorethanGardening

2 ай бұрын

@@mahafouad9322 easier to manage. less weeds, less back pain to bend over, total control over the soil.

For anyone who watches this, dont toss in logs that are fully intact like that. Those logs arent going to properly break down for 20-30 years and will constantly sap the nitrogen levels of this bed. Simply put, they are a detriment to the bed.

@CRAZYCR1T1C

Ай бұрын

If they are not breaking down, it means they are not decomposing, which means they are not sapping the nitrogen from the soil to break down. The whole point of the logs was to take up space saving use of expensive soil to line the bottom of beds.

The pine needles aren't the issue, if you ask me. What will present an issue, however, is the fresh branches they're attached to. Those branches will take ages to break down, and as they do, they will pull nitrogen from your soil. You did okay adding the old logs, although rotting logs is, technically, the goal for the same reason. If I had to make a prediction, I'd guess that your bed will do alright the first year, but in years to come, their production value is going to taper dramatically, and you'll find yourself needing increasing amounts of fertilizer.

Dont get me going about those rowdy Acidic pineneedle debates, those mass debates always get out of hand at the end.

Looks great I am sure all will work out perfectly. You can test soil after awhile and if to acidic then just neutralize.

I would not use cardboard. But a tight mesh ...multi layer netting instead..... Smaller tree limbs maybe too.

We do the same even on our big pots and so far it’s quite a success!❤️🤗

Not sure why you're building the bed so deep. There's already Earth underneath there too.

Wood products that arent decomposed actually take Nitrogen to decompose, thus taking nitrogen thats available for the plants, away from them, locking up nutrients until they are thoroughly broken down. Much of what nitrogen that the compost was gonna provide your crop/garden, will now be used elsewhere, and can actually cause a nitrogen deficiency in your desired flora.

Mulch, leaves or a mix of both after the logs.

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

I did that in a couple other beds. I ran out though 😅

Seems pretty good

You demonstrated this perfectly

I don't recommend putting logs, branches. I did it a few years ago and I had a horrific yellowish beige fungus that took over and coated the roots and stems of my perennials. It also attached itself to my new wood borders. I went to the effort of removing the logs, replaced borders planks, contaminated dirt. It all went back to normal. You never know what fungus, diseases you can get.

@lordkubikum

3 ай бұрын

Armillaria probably. I wouldn't bury food scraps or logs because they will take nitrogen out of the soil in order to decompose. It's better to let it decompose or compost and then add it to your soil.

Good deal. I do the same.

Cool❤ leaves help too. Just throw all ur leaves on top during fall and uncover in spring

you prob should break those branches up just a bit lol

I would have used cuttings to make a more airy soil. Pyralidfree dung world be used too. I have rabbits for this. And then soil mixed with ash or chalk or both.

Pressure treated wood is A no go in My opinion...Not sure if that's what You used or not...

Why not make a shorter raised bed planter?

I did this 4 years ago no I've got two beds but give me asparagus

What kind if wood is the bed, is it treated with chemicals.

Pine will raise the acidic level but some plants love more acidic soil just don't plant like bluebarry. Or raspberry those like the soil more base. Like 8 to 9 But 🍅 are best in acid soil like 5

@6980869

Ай бұрын

At some point you learned wrong. Blueberries love acidic soil.

Thanks for sharing

I was praying to the algorithm to remind whether it's ok to put decaying logs in the bottom of a raised bed. I have Christmas tree clippings too. Now I'll go ahead and try all this

Great job. Glad you down the chicken wire to stop nyrrowing critters.

Thanks sharing video

Very good video, just one thing, as far as I know, pine trees do not acidify the soil, I think it is a legend since there is no scientific evidence of such a statement.

Genuine question: what is the advantage of watering the layers?

@dannycarrick3739

3 ай бұрын

It saves you having to water as much from the very top when you're finished. Also helps kick-start the breakdown process and precompresses the material a little bit.

We used logs in our raised beds and the following year had a horrible maggot problem. Or maybe grubs. Either way my husband was sooo mad at me that we can’t use that method again. 😂

If your growing blueberries throw pine bark from dead trees in there, they thrive, makes more acidic

do not use soil logs as thet take at least 10 years to break down. grass for mulching , not at bottom.😢

Thank you

What about leaves? Do they do harm?

I'm still wondering why have such deep raised beds?

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

Easier to tend too. Also I have total control of the soil this way.

Hey there! I just built a bed last weekend and its half full with the cardboard, logs, branches, sticks, bunch of leaves.. Ive heard not to use top soil, and to use "raised gardening bed soil" or "potting soil".. Whats the pros and cons of top soil vs. raised bed soil? I love compost and will be using that mixed in, regardless . :)

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

Hey! So if I were buying in bags from a store I would opt for raised bed soil since it’s a little higher quality than store bought top soils. The raised bed soil is usually finer & the top soil has larger chunks. But, I am using SO much soil that it makes more sense financially to order in bulk from a landscape company by the dump truck full and they only offer compost & topsoil. So, I’m doing a 50/50 blend and mixing it well. It’ll be just fine! I actually did a mix of raised bed soil & top soil in my beds last year to save money (raised bed soil cost more) and it was just fine!

@geraldhowse8597

3 ай бұрын

Cheaper, that's all.

And dont forget the rocks at the bottom, for healthy drainage. And cardboard really breaks down well in a raised bed.

@geraldhowse8597

3 ай бұрын

Don't need rocks, just takes up space.

Anything to avoid bending over. Silly stretchers

If the logs are breaking down then the wood the bed is made out of will probably be broken down too

What will you plant?

This structure can not be found naturally except after a huge catastrophic event such as landslide. So for me better to mimic normal casual natural event. Statistically it has more probability to succed than one that occured occassion

The card board comes last. Not first. no weed seed is going to grow thought 20cm to 20 cm of wood and soil.

Could have filled those beds with way better stacked and interlocked grass cuttings and plant cuttings and leaves and more layers of cardboard and veg fruit scraps if buried deep enough but not on the edges and twigs and smaller branches and way more green and way more brown materials than you used. Lots of massive air pockets you seemed to make under that new expensive soil on top ….

How long to be compos?

@user-iq7dl7he6r

3 ай бұрын

years

Curious, why did you put mesh at the bottom of your bed?

@MorethanGardening

13 күн бұрын

To keep critters from digging up into it

Kein Nadelholz verwenden. Laubholz zersetzt sich viel schneller.

is this all necessary? I just filled the beds with soil...

Doesn’t look like you’re using cedar. It’s not affected by the elements as much as

yeah pine needles WILL NOT make the ground acidic.

Just put big rocks in the bottom and fill at least 16 inches with dirt.

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

I didn’t have any big rocks laying around. I had decaying logs & tree trimmings laying around. Just using what I have to take up space.

Everyone doesn't live in a forest filled with logs.

Где листовой опад? Где скошеная трава??

I literally thought this was a joke video before the comments confirmed it wasn’t. lmao imagine #fried

Yall need to stop with the cardboard it's not made like it was not its full of toxins and micro plastics, Logs breaking down nicely? LOL! that bed will decompose before the logs

Was ist mit Mäuse Schutz?

Damn sucks having to sift through these till i feel like i find one who actually knows what they are doing. This one aint it

А я бы распылила бревна и перекладывала сорняками травой и ветки тоже измельчила

Could you also have put rocks and or pebbles on the bottom?

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

Yes. I just didn’t have any

@geraldhowse8597

3 ай бұрын

No don't need it.

the wood is to hold moisture not save money. it's called hugel culture. alas....

Meh. Pine needles aren’t acidic. Common myth.

Not good ..cardboard usually has glues and additives that aren't safe for consumption. That stuff ends up in your plants

It's funny seeing everyone put cardboard in the bottom of these raised boxes. Who really thinks weeds are going to grow from ground level up through 2' of trash and pop out of the top of the garden soil?! It's common sense that even leaving a napkin on your grass long enough will kill it. Just pure sheep behavior.

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

My raised bed probably doesn’t need the cardboard to prevent weeds but somebody will watch this video with a much shorter raised bed & it would be helpful to them so I included it.

No to the logs, because when the logs are decomposing, up to 60 years, they are stripping your soil of nitrogen and nutrients your garden plants need to grow. I use animal compost, leaves, straw, and or shavings

Why build them so deep?

@azariafaasoo

3 ай бұрын

listen to the video?

@MorethanGardening

3 ай бұрын

I dont want to have to bend over too much to tend to them & I want control over the soil

You could have made half the height. So silly and wasteful

This bed unfortunately will require loads of watering and nutrients to sustain life. The pine topsoil and logs will not hold enough water. I would recommend more decomposed logs and old maybe 2 yo pine compost this way you get the breakdown, absorbency and non competition for nutrients and the microbes and beneficial organisms will love your bed and help feed whatever your growing. Speaking from experience.

WEEDS WILL GROW RIGHT THROUGH! PS USE THICK PLASTIC WITH ONE SIDE DRAIN HOLE ON TILTED, SIDE TO MONITOR WEED ENTERING.

@chucky6367

3 ай бұрын

Weeds won't grow from so deep, they'll be smothered. Putting plastic at the bottom is the worst thing you could do.

@kavitha4925

3 ай бұрын

DONT KID U R SELF!!! I AM AN AUSSIE FARMER. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!

@chucky6367

3 ай бұрын

@@kavitha4925 WELL GOOD FOR YOU! I'm an Aussie ex landscape gardener, on a farm, with raised beds and have NEVER used plastic in a garden bed.

@kavitha4925

3 ай бұрын

U DINT HAVE KOOCH!?

Pro tip… take that upper row of boards off your raised bed and it will literally take HALF the dirt to fill it. It’s science.

Why do you build the bed so deep! It wastes a lot of money!😢😢😢😢

@RogerKeulen

Ай бұрын

Because she saw this on the internet. Like the raised bed. Do not think she sits in a wheelchair.