Building a nursery bed , your tips?

22 years ago

I am posting this in the shade forum because many of you have given me suggestions for this in my post about my future shade beds.

I am mentally preparing for winter and what I will do with my seed started perennials. I had mentioned that I was going to put my plants in pots and build a "corral" out of railroad ties, and fill in the spaces around the pots with mulch to protect the plants. Some of you suggested planting the seedlings directly into the ground--into a nursery bed.

It is more convenient for me to not plant in the ground, as I have a big gravel parking lot on my property behind an old shed. I wanted to use this gravel space for putting the pots there, and it is out of eye sight as well.

I have come up with an idea--one that seems to combine both my idea and your suggestions. Rather than making the expense to build and impromptu nurery bed, I have considered purchasing some of those plastic kid swimming pools when they clearance out this fall (that and have people watch the yard sales for me). I would drill holes in the bottoms for drainage, and would mulch the seedlings/plants and put hay bales all around the pool for winter protection.

Would this be an adequate set up for me? I have seeded a lot of Hosta seeds that were generously donated to me from Christie from Missouri!!! and have the best of hopes for good germination. What I dont know is how big these can expect to get by this fall, and whether or not they should be put outside at such a young stage, in the event I do get good germination. How big are 3or4 month old Hosta seedlings?

I know some have suggested direct seeding. I think I am probably too impatient for that! Although I will try a few. I have also researched wintersowing, and am planning ot try that as well.

I appreciate ALL advice and tips on nursery beds! You guys are the best!

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Comments (2)

MeMyselfAndI
22 years ago
You can absolutely do that. Check this out. And I don't think you'll have to pay for them. Just watch people's trash. These things get holes, and at the end of the season, it seems lots of people would rather buy a new one later than store the one they have. I always see a lot of them out at the curb.

...build a "corral" out of railroad ties, and fill in the spaces around the pots with mulch to protect the plants... I don't know how thick the gravel is, but if you did this and also added some grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, etc... under the mulch (lasagne,) you would be on your way to making a great raised bed. You wouldn't really need mulch if you have plenty of leaves to pile over the whole thing when the plants go dormant. The other ingredient is time. Next year, you would be ready to plant, the 'holes' already there. The ground underneath should have loosened enough for the roots to find their way past the gravel, and since it doesn't sound like you're talking about a huge area, it wouldn't be too hard to pick most of the rocks out from directly under the plants. You would probably just need a layer of mulch (because this will shrink over the winter.) A small area doesn't require huge quantities of mulch, the expense in this idea.
Hortwoman
Original Author
22 years ago
That is a great suggestion for when I am ready to plant over the gravel. The area I am talking about I was actually reserving just to put some gallon pots of plants that need yet to get established before planting in a permanant spot. BUT, I am going to be making raised beds out of a large part of this gravel area in the future. Next year in fact, this project will take place. I plan to just pile topsoil and amendments right over the top of the gravel up to about 18 inches, and the raised bed will be reinforced by railroad ties (until we can afford to buy the rock to make a rock retaining wall). This area is huge--about 70 by 7 feet.

I went ahead and made a nursery bed with a swimming pool that I purchased for #6.00. I bought out all of the quart sized Hostas that were clearanced out at $1.25 (30 of them) at Wal Mart and planted them in the pool. I have a photo!

This is exactly what I intend to do with any and all Hosta seedlings I may get to germinate as well. I will post the photo soon.
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