Rot in the raised beds 😢 Hellebores care ✂️ Signs of spring 🌷
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- I'm so happy to be doing something outside! There's some good news and bad news, though.
First, it's time to cut back hellebores foliage so here's to doing actual garden jobs! Then it's off for an update on the bulb lawn (and true signs of spring). But then we have to talk about something not so great: We've found rot in the raised vegetable beds.
Find out how we're managing it, and what I think the future of the garden is.
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The Impatient Gardener
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My name is Erin and I love sharing inspiration and information with real-life gardeners. I live and garden in southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5b/6a.
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I'm here in Toronto, Canada and our weather is exactly like yours there, I'm so eager to get out there. Fun fact - I met a lady in Costco, we struck up a conversation by a display of bulbs, we started comparing garden stories and we both asked the other if we watch your channel.....lol of course we both did.
I am from Michigan and I moved to Idaho 10 years ago. But, I remember in those later times of winter in Michigan saying exactly what you did, that we can’t allow ourselves to think that spring was just around the corner. Because it never was in February.
I love in SW MI and I can also attest to that! 😩
In Pennsylvania we just had our “false spring”. 3 days of record highs, tonight 7” of snow coming☹️. It was nice to walk around the property and look at buds on trees and bulbs pushing up.
So humid and Hot 🥵 here in Australia we have had storms as in rain but where I am it’s good growing weather , I’m so glad you are getting out in your garden Erin , we don’t get snow where I am so thankful for that . Can’t wait to see your bulbs completely up love snow bells thanks for sharing from Karen in Australia 🇦🇺
Just came inside from doing the same. It's a sunny day, so thought I would do a little cleanup. Just cutting down grasses and things that have fallen. I read it's too early to do too much clean up in the north. I leave my leaves too! Here's to many more years in your raised bed!
Sigh, still have a foot of snow in my garden in Maine. Fun to see your flowers budding and blooming.
You look radiant, Erin. The winter of break from the garden must have refreshed you!
Erin, thank you for sharing your original vegetable bed building process years ago. When I built my raised timber garden beds two years ago, I used all 5" x 5" cedar timber for my raised beds in hopes the structures would have greater integrity and longevity. Before assembling, I brushed two coats of exterior stain on the outer portions and around the corners and brushed two coats of Timber Pro UV Stabilizer on the interior surfaces and between the timbers. It's holding up well, and I'll let you know if it takes longer to rot than your untreated pine timbers. Thank you for all you do.
This is my 1st year with Hellebore. I didn't know you cut the old stems off. Thx for that info.
You don’t HAVE to, but they look so much nicer when they are neatened up before they bloom.
I live in MN and planted a hellebore a week or two ago. Never would have imagined I’d be doing that this time of year, but the plant wasn’t happy in a pot in my house, so out it went. I’ve been considering doing more clean up. Weird winter this year.
So nice to be able to get out and root around in the garden. Our place is buried in snow, with another nor’easter coming through tomorrow. I am sure my neighbours think I am nuts as I traipse through snowbanks, spraying my shrubs with Bobbex to repel the deer. Enjoy that sunshine!
Thanks, I always learn something from your videos 👏👏👏
Erin 😊
About weather- NW WI has bulbs popping up and needed to mulch. MN some have had allergies since December, trees budding in Edina and IN flowers blooming. There has been no real snow in NW WI and east MN. Concerned if they don’t get some moisture there could be fires.
We had too warm of spring last year and dormancy broke early and the advanced growth couldn’t handle freezing temps last weekend of May. We had no warning of freeze. I’m not sure what I can do for fruit trees and thought I seen a silver bud, but I could throw some burlap on berries and grapes to try and slow dormancy break. Accuweather says 3 degrees warmer this spring for our area (WI).
The good news is they say it appears La Niña is returning which will bring back our rain and snow. It’s been abnormally warm the last two winters and recently under a heat bubble since after that 3rd week of subzero in Jan.
Well Erin, you sold me on the snowdrops for sweet winter blooms! 🤍
I love those days in winter when you go out and examine the garden and accomplish something no matter how small, such a good feeling. I am not sure why but my Hellebores have been blooming since mid December. It is an unknown variety purchased from Trader’s Joe several years ago. I am not complaining at all but just wondering if anyone else is having early blooms?
I don't have raised beds, but we used to have horses. We built the barn floors with hemlock and larch because they were very rot resistant. Do you think you might cap each bed with metal? Amazing to see the snowdrops coming up and in blossom. There is still a lot of snow here with some good-sized banks. Really looking forward to spring gardening weather. Mr. Much More Patient is such a good husband to support your love of gardening.
I've used hemlock for my raised beds. On tge corners I have used pre-cast blocks the boards just slip down into.
Impressive one-handed pruning :)
Yes, I had rot in some of my boards, too & there were a GAZILLION snails behind it! We've been unseasonably warm, too in upstate SC so not too many were burrowed back in the soil. So out the whole entire shebang came and replaced with a thick polycarb (roof) sheeting that my husband ripped (sawed) in half & staked with composite stakes he made from decking leftovers bought cheaply at a decking store. Corners I ordered from Gardeners Supply when they were on sale. An investment , yes, but hopefully I'll have a better producing garden this year & not wake up to 10 (!!) snails around a baby pepper plant.....
I changed my 3 raised beds to metal. No needs to worry about rot for a long time!
Other than personal aesthetic preferences I can’t really think of a reason to go with wood over metal.
I have missed your videos! I’m so looking forward to working in the gardens. I did start working at my local greenhouse last week, yay!!!
I'm on year 6 with Hemlock untreated in Upstate NY. I think we can def get 10 years out of them.
But, when they do go, new design plans are exciting!
Hi Erin, just have to share, here in Ontario we have been getting above seasonal high temperatures, 8’ 12 and even 15 Celsius. Love the warmer weather, but I hope it doesn’t play too much havoc on our plant life. We have a raised bed and it’s holding its own very well. We ( husband ) lined the sides with unused pond liner. Saw my first Robin today 👍. Thank for sharing your look around the garden. 👍❤️🙂
I'm just south of you in Illinois and there is a lot coming up unfortunately. I see tips of tulips, daffodils, peonies, alliums, etc. I wish it wasn't happening yet. Too early.
thank you for making this video! We’re thinking of adding more raised beds and your review of pine vs cedar was helpful!
My winter aconite started blossoming over a week ago here in Michigan. Yikes I need to pull back leaves. Sweet snowdrops!
Happy gardening, cheers for spring
We did the same with my raised beds lasted around 6 years also. Husband put cinder blocks last year looks great They will last a lot longer .
Surprisingly the deer trimmed my hellebores. Usually they are covered in snow during the winter, but not this winter. So I guess the deer gave it a try with few greens left. They also enjoyed my creeping juniper and holly 😠. All things they left alone the other 3 seasons. When deer are hungry they eat anything, except foxgloves 😊
I’m in the U.K. we have had such a mild winter I have a ton of plants that didn’t even loose their leaves. All my spring bulbs have come up. Daffodils already. And my hellebore looks wonderful
Wow!
“Rot in the raised beds” could be sung to the tune of OutKasts “B.O.B.” 🤣😎
just a thought , if you have untreated pine , why not let them decompose in place and add the new boards around them? That is if you are replacing all of them
Good to see you Erin! Snowdrops are such a joy, hopefully winter is coming to a end and we can start some garden clean up pretty soon 😊 Your raised beds are looking pretty solid, with the recent repairs I’m sure you’ll get many more years of them. What’s the plan for the veggie garden this year? Im starting a little one of my own, small 3 raised beds but I’m very excited about the prospect and started sowings already 🙈 Happy gardening!
I just finished watching some of your earlier videos and came across the one where you were removing the winter protective cover of your climbing rose. I'm wondering how well that worked for you. I'm in zone 4b and have decided to try a Gertrude Jekyll on my south wall. I don't intend to lay the canes down and mulch them for winter, so I am considering your method.
Winter is basically over for us down south. I saw a 78 degree day in my 10 day and thought "not before my sweet peas start blooming!"
My cool flower lesson from this year... calendula are beasts and will out grow everything.
How about trying untreated wood with a Shou Sugi Ban treatment on them?
It's a bit of work up front, true.
But even wood that's in direct contact with moisture is supposed to last around 80 years!
(As apposed to the wood NOT resting on soil,
which can last 100 years.
I mean...
ONE HUNDRED YEARS!!!
Yeah, it's bound to out live me!)
I'm just all for messing with it ONCE, and that's it for my lifetime!
That’s definitely something I’ll consider for the next iteration of these beds.
@@TheImpatientGardener
I'm about to do it to the feet & legs of some wooden yard furniture.
We'll see if I have enough motivation to do the entire chair! 🤣
I'd build a box around the existing boxes, having two walls ,especially since you used untreated pine.
Another great video! I agree with using nontoxic materials and am thinking of using corrugated steel for my next beds. What are your thoughts on corrugated steel? As long as they are not welded, I haven't found anything negative about using that.
I think it's a great option.
Just wondering about your banana tree when do yo7 bring it out of storage to get it going for the summer,,always a great video
I brought it out in late April last year and that timing seemed pretty good. If it feels like we might have a cold spring, I may delay that a week or so as it took off very quickly once I potted it up and got it growing inside.
@@TheImpatientGardener ok because I followed what you did last year and iam in Vancouver BC Canada zone 7-8 so I will bring it out around then as well thanks so much
I live in Western New York zone 6 and I have loads of snow drops blooming already.
We have raised beds built with reused decking and other bits and pieces we had around, constructed during a low economic time when we used what we could get. Those beds are just starting to rot and bow and we’ve had them probably 7 years. They have served us well. Do you think you’d ever replace with metal? I’m tempted, especially the higher beds. The problem is our property is extremely hilly, so other than the already developed garden space it would be a major undertaking to level the ground. But now that we’re both into vegetable gardening we need our own space 😅😬
I did the same in my garden and I also cleaned up some of my irises, catmint, perennial geraniums etc. I generally leave the foliage on for longer but it’s getting a bit warmer here in Michigan so…..
Question- don’t rabbits nip at the new buds and foliage of hellebores? I’ve put wire cloches today because I’ve learned from the past.
I never put anything past rabbits but hellebores are toxic so deer and rabbits avoid them (at least the smart ones do).
On those boards with some rot. There is a product that is like bondo that you can use to extend the life of damaged wood.
Is it food safe?
When you start taking all the boards down do you think the soil will stay intact? I also have tall raised garden beds like this one and I'm wondering what it's going to be like in the future.
As long as we do it when the ground is frozen it should stay intact. We did this with our previous raised bed garden and it worked well.
@@TheImpatientGardener awesome!
Do you have rolly pollies? Those boards look like how boards around my stuff looks that they have been eating.
I planted Hellebores 2 years ago and they haven't bloomed yet. I'm in Wisconsin also, when do yours bloom?
I have a low bed made from railway sleepers, I've been using it for 12 years, it's rotting slowly but still going strong. It will make some lovely compost in time 😁
Is the bulb planting on your mound deer/bunny resistant? Do you mow your mound later in the season? I have a mound. I live 60 miles north of you. The deer travel over and around the mound year round. Im afraid it may be a walk through dining experience for them. If it is critter resistant, i would do it in a heartbeat.
I use untreated tamarack or hemlock for my beds. Lasts forever and MUCH cheaper than cedar.
I wonder if you had put that treatment on all the boards (that you used on the base) they would’ve lasted longer? I know you wanted black, and you wouldn’t be able to stain them with that treatment- the name escapes me
What kind of stain?
I went with metal so I would not have to deal with rot.
Yep. Lots of benefits with metal beds, especially now with so many options on the market.
That's what I was wondering. There are so many options for galvanized steel raised beds now at reasonable prices. I'm thinking I might go with that option. I was just thinking about how the metal might impact soil temperature in the height of summer.
I just moved to a new house. First thing was ordering raised beds. In researching I found a recent study that soil temps only increased right where soil and metal touch, and really a negligible rise there. I found that surprising, but interesting that some of the research showed that irrigation and ground shading from plants play some part. I ordered a garden full of metal raised beds after reading the conclusion of the study!!
@@mbh4960 that's great to know! Thanks for sharing this info!
Didn’t you use a wood preservative on the raised beds? I’m curious if it was worth it.
I did and I still don’t really know the answer. I think most of the water intrusion came from the top where we had the big nails. I didn’t only used the wood preservative on the inside of the bed from about the second course down. In hindsight I should have done more of an experiment with the preservative in some beds and not others to see the difference.
@@TheImpatientGardener I used the same wood preservative when building my raised beds and applied the preservative with a brush before building the beds so that it would have better coverage. They were built starting in the fall of 2020 and into the spring of 2021. I will need to replace several boards this spring but I did use 2" boards rather than posts.
Mr. Much More Patient. 😂
Why would you think only the top board would rot? I would guess that the top board might be the last board to rot.
From where the rot is, it appears to have entered from the top (where nails were) rather than from the side, where soil contact was. Hence why I have been thinking the moisture is coming from the top down.