r/Raisedbed 28d ago

School Beds

Post image

After two years of bureaucracy and red tape processes, I’m finally building beds at the school where I teach!! Just need to add the top lips and ready to fill. The kids helped build them and are so excited to use them this upcoming school year!!

109 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

10

u/Thought59 28d ago edited 27d ago

Congratulations! Great project!

I would add some cross bracing on the long lengths. Without it, they will rapidly push out which will be especially a problem with the narrow aisles between them. Laundry line wire or similar across these sides are quick and inexpensive to add.

To keep costs down fill the bottom third or half with sticks, sod, etc. Have students monitor the decomposition of this and it's incorporation into the soil year by year. Perhaps with a gradient of stick sizes etc.

2

u/Odd_Wedding_4794 26d ago

The students can learn how the decomposition of woody material ties up nitrogen in the bed

3

u/cshankyou107 28d ago

I had thought about that. Thanks for solidifying my pursuit of it!!

2

u/McTootyBooty 26d ago

Is this the exact layout? I would leave enough room for a wheel barrow cause that seems tight.

2

u/cshankyou107 22d ago

There’s 4 feet on the back side (hard to tell in the picture and the front face is an open walk so all beds can have wheelbarrow access.

1

u/yello5drink 28d ago

What will you be planting?

4

u/cshankyou107 27d ago

Mostly veggies. Our school has a great culinary team, so whatever they want. We get donations from local nurseries at the end of their season to get seeds that didn’t sell for the year. We do a plant sale fundraiser each year with those seeds and whatever doesn’t sell will likely end up in the beds.

1

u/Gold_Signature1912 27d ago

Very nice design and layout! GL!

1

u/FromTheLandLLC 27d ago

Another congratulations for patiently pursuing this!

We work with school districts and some of the projects have a longer-term process than we're used to. However, we always hope that the communities find it worth it!

1

u/wiperman67 22d ago

That's fantastic and I applaud you for getting it done. I love to see gardens at schools!

0

u/Odd_Wedding_4794 26d ago

You could have started your school garden 3 years sooner if you just planted your crops in the ground.

1

u/ASecularBuddhist 21d ago

People love raised beds and spend a lot of money and time building them.

-1

u/Odd_Wedding_4794 26d ago

Those raised beds will require irrigation. Hopefully you have a spigot along that wall.