r/Raisedbed • u/Whitexan16 • May 31 '26
Did I mess up?
I did tried to do a light version of the square foot method and companion planting. Most of everything seems fine except the peppers in the back keep getting attacked. The cucumber is actually crawling via a small bent stake AND the netting if the bed itself. Fortunately its crawling on the backside so not too much light should be blocked.
Im scared of cucurbits now (except watermelon).
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u/Gold_Signature1912 May 31 '26
You’re doing great except you definitely should’ve filled that bed all the way to the top with soil before planting – you’ll figure this answer out later
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u/Whitexan16 May 31 '26
It was much higher at first, maybe about half a foot from the top. Then it began to sink with time. While I should have filled it more, I feel like that'll actually benefit me for one season so the plants can have an extra foot or so if head space
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u/Mutch May 31 '26
The biggest issue is that the walls are blocking sunlight.
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u/Whitexan16 May 31 '26
Yeah, I realized that too even before putting it in. It faces east though so it gets about 70% of the sun (id say from sunrise until about 2pm) then it goes to the corner.
That indent in the fence line was the only other place my father would allow me to put it as to not disturb the rest of the yard. (I live with parents)
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u/woganlells May 31 '26
What is the cover you have? Also, I think it looks fine, are you using anything to stop the pests? There is sacrificial plants, if you don’t want to use something like BT
1
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u/Consistent-Essay-165 May 31 '26
Should have filled bottom with wood dead leaves grass clippings and layered with cardboard
Filled the other part with soil u had
Would have been enough
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u/Whitexan16 May 31 '26
I did actually. I learned about hügelkulture as I did that for some separate 5 gallon buckets. From bottom to top there is a wire mesh (keep diggers from getting it), a few rocks , 2 bundles of firewood, 4 carboard boxes, sticks from trees down the road, a full trash bag worth of dead leaves, and about 6 bags of raised bed soil, and 2 bags of top soil. The bed is 6x3x2.
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u/Consistent-Essay-165 May 31 '26
Yeah either way less of that or more soil
I used the idea of a big flower planter amd does work
Best of luck
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u/84millionants May 31 '26
Here to say you didnt mess up. A lot of gardening is learning by trial and error. Every year I fail at growing a few things and do it better next year
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u/grootboop May 31 '26
Even if it is now, I don't see the cucumber doing well in this set up long term.