Chris Probasco

Anne Miller wrote:You mentioned a plastic liner.  How will you be using this liner?

I would run it along all interior walls as a moisture barrier. It would be invisible once filled with soil.

HDPE plastic is allegedly “food-grade.”

Thanks, all for the input!

My idea, Aaron, was that I would use 4”x8” lumber stacked 3 high, thus making the boxes 2 feet tall. I would bury some old logs (hugelkultur-style) to serve as filler and a nutrient-sink.

Those beds you posted are really sharp. I considered metal as an option but I think the aesthetic is more of a farm-vibe than what I am picturing.

I suppose I could still line the inside with metal sheets but I’m concerned about trapping water between the wood and the metal. This, along with micro-plastics, is also my concern of using and HDPE liner.

I am in the planning stages of a luxury garden installation business and am looking at materials and methods for building and finishing the raised beds that is aesthetic, non-toxic and long-lived for the customer and economic and practical for the business. I am targeting some of the more well-to-do neighborhoods in my area, so I am not afraid to spend and charge for high-quality materials, however this needs to be a repeatable, 1-2-3 process that balances idealism and efficiency. I also want to be able to give customers a reasonable expectation for the life-span of these boxes.
I have read some of the excellent advice already given on Yakisugi, wood oil etc. and want to run a few ideas by the brain trust here on Permies.

Keep in mind that these beds will rest on some kind of gravel pad so they will not be resting directly on the ground.
The materials:
1. either cedar or black locust 4"x8" sleepers
2. tung oil or Land Ark (as mentioned by Jay White Cloud in another topic) or other food-grade oil
3. mix oil with salt? Can anyone provide a reference to more information about how this is best done?
4. HDPE Plastic liner?

The Method:
1.Before assembly, char material using weed torch (settling on the monetary expense of propane vs the time expense of traditional wood stove method unless someone changes my mind)
2.Wire brush to remove excess char
3. Assemble
4. Apply Oil (repeat application if necessary)

Some questions and considerations:
1. Should I line the box with some sort of HDPE dimpled plastic moisture barrier (microplastic vs constant contact with moisture/soil)?
2. One of the services we will provide would be to re-oil the wood every year. Obviously, when filled with soil, this can only be done to the outside of the box. Thoughts on efficacy of this and how this is best done?
3. Does anyone have experience using Yakisugi method on black locust rather than cedar?
4. If using black locust, does the wood need to be treated at all? Is there a special saw blade available for cutting black locust?
5. Given these materials and proposed methods, how long could such a box be expected to last?
5. What have I not considered in my process?

Cheers and thanks so much to anyone who can help.
Chris

Interesting! (Apologies to the moderators, we’ve left the realm of waterfowl). I wonder what the specific complaints about the BD sheep were? I fear a full size sheep would be hard to keep from annihilating the bushes.

The appeal of the BD to me is their stature— their inability to reach the leaves of the plants— but it’s also a pitfall. Rotationally grazing BD sheep (or geese for that matter) through a blueberry orchard would seemingly necessitate mesh electric fencing rather than high tensile wire, and moving mesh fencing through the bushes every 2-3 days is trading one headache for another. In that respect, St. Croix or Katahdins might would be preferable.
Thank you all for your awesome input!

Morning, Hans, great video, thank you for sharing. Slugs are not much of an issue here (knock on wood) so they are probably not appropriate for my context, however, his comments about geese are very interesting. Am I correct in understanding that geese don’t need feed if they have an abundance of forage? That’s pretty incredible. And gentleness on the shallow root systems are definitely a consideration.

Well, 2 months later I’m finally getting around to showing my appreciation to y’all for the advice. An abundant schedule and a scarcity of internet can do that I guess.
Care of geese certainly seems preferable to endless weeding. The reaction from the owner of the orchard was that they are “noisy” and “stink” which could be prohibitive given that we are a UPick farm.
For some reason, (wool, meat, aesthetics?) I am still enamored with Babydoll sheep. I’ve read that they’ll strip bark but, if rotated every 2-3 days with electric net, maybe the pressure on the plants won’t be too much.
If I go with the geese, I’ll be sure to report my findings. If I go with sheep, you can find me lurking in the sheep forum.

Greetings Permies,
I have been reading with interest the multitude of posts regarding critters to control weeds.

Two seasons ago, I began managing a 3.5 acre, 12 year old blueberry orchard in middle Tennessee. We have many varieties of bushes including half-highs, 1-2 year old plants and mature bushes.

There are 10 foot grass paths between rows. Johnson grass grows voraciously in the rows between and within the blueberry bushes. We also have many trees (walnut, oak privet), vines (morning glory, Virginia creeper, muscadine), poison ivy etc. growing up in-row and within the bushes.

It goes without saying that weeding by hand is a futile task for only a small crew. So, I’m exploring options for grazing the orchard.

I’ve read that weeder geese are grass-oriented in their grazing. Originally, I thought babydoll sheep might be a solution but, after reading some threads about bark-chewing, I’m rethinking this and considering running either Chinese or African weeder geese through the orchard, rotating them with electric mesh fencing.

I’m wondering if anyone has experience grazing a blueberry orchard. Are geese the way to go? Will they eat poison ivy and vines or only the grass? Will they trample the babies? Will I be trading one headache for another or will I be sipping iced tea and eating goose eggs this summer?

Cheers!
Chris