A warm bed of slate with your own hands. Fences for beds from asbestos-cement slate

Most gardeners have heard about what slate beds are, which help make the garden beautiful and functional. It is very difficult to give the beds the correct shape, this process takes a lot of time and effort. But gardeners found to solve this problem good helper, it turned out to be ordinary slate, while you can make beds from flat slate or from a wave.

The natural desire of every gardener is to spend the minimum amount of money, time and effort to get a beautiful and even garden. Many people solve this problem by creating beds that can be built using various materials, for example, wood, iron, but the most affordable, cheap and durable is flat or wave slate.

This material, which is used for the construction of beds or flower beds, has several advantages:

• long service life, does not give in to rotting and corrosion, as happens with wood or metal, therefore, for many years, being in the ground, it retains its original properties;
• a pleasant and neat look, you can even not paint it with anything, and if you wish, you can paint the slate in the color of your choice at any time, for this you can use ordinary paint;
• easy to mount and easy to get;
• having made such beds once, you can use them for many seasons, so next year you will not need to spend money on the construction of new structures;
• to build a garden bed with your own hands, it is not necessary to take whole sheets that you still have to cut; for this, the remains of slate are suitable, which you can take for free or purchase for a symbolic amount.

Like any other material, slate also has disadvantages that you should definitely be aware of before you start building beds or flower beds with it:

1. 1 Since it contains asbestos cement, many people believe that it negatively affects the soil, but this cannot be stated unequivocally. But, if the slate is buried in the ground, then pests such as bears almost completely disappear from the beds.
2. 2 In solar and hot weather this material will be very hot, causing the soil around it to dry out faster. To reduce heat, you can paint the slate in White color, and to compensate for the evaporated moisture, you will have to water your site a little more often.

The use of flat and wave slate

Before you make slate beds with your own hands, you need to decide which option you will use, since you can take flat or wave material.

If you decide to use wavy material, then you will first need to file the pieces required size. This is best done with the help of a grinder, on which they install diamond circle, or an old saw for wood. According to the pre-made markings, they dig a shallow trench into which the prepared sheets are inserted.

When working with a grinder, a lot of dust will be generated, so such work should be carried out in the open air and the places where the cut is to be moistened with water.

Now it remains to fill the plates on both sides with earth and tamp it well. If you are making high beds from slate, then you can additionally use metal or wooden pegs to fix their walls. Sheets wave slate it is necessary to connect not end-to-end, but to overlap on one wave: in this way you will ensure better stability and tightness of the structure.

Everything can be made from flat slate, the sheet length of which is 1.75 cm. The sheet can be divided in half or according to the dimensions you need. To make the structure more durable and its walls do not spread, the sheets are attached to each other with the help of metal corners. The corners are fixed with bolts and must be painted, otherwise corrosion will begin to damage them very quickly.

Although these options will differ in appearance, they are equivalent in their qualities, and usually the choice depends on which material is easier and cheaper for you to purchase.

High beds do not allow water to stagnate, regardless of whether they are located on a hill or in a lowland. They have a higher soil temperature, which allows you to get early and plentiful harvests. The fact that the beds are at a height does not give you the opportunity to walk on them, so the soil remains constantly loose, due to which the air exchange process takes place well.

If you grow climbing plants, then they can not be tied up, they can simply hang from a high bed. In this case, it is much easier and easier to work, since you do not have to bend very low.

The direction of the beds or flower beds of slate should be from east to west. The paths between the beds can be concreted, covered with pebbles, screenings, or planted with lawn grass. To make it convenient for you to cultivate the land, the width of such a design should not be more than 160 cm, and the height - 70 cm. It is necessary to deepen the material into the ground to a depth of at least 10-20 cm, this will ensure reliable protection plants from pests, including bears. To make your site more attractive, you can paint such a fence in different colors or choose one tone.

Necessary materials and arrangement of the garden plot

It is not difficult to make such structures from slate, and anyone can cope with this task on their own. House master. To do this, he will need an elementary set of tools that are in every home.

To perform these works, you will need the following set of tools:

• bayonet shovel;
• ruler or tape measure;
• a grinder with a diamond wheel or an old saw for wood;
• building level and plumb;
• metal mesh for protection against rodents;
• fertile soil, compost, brushwood.

When arranging beds to get good yields, you must adhere to certain rules. Compost is placed at the bottom, which is well watered with water, after which the earth is covered.

This solution is suitable for annual plants and it is undesirable to use it for perennials. This is due to the fact that the ground is on a hill, so in winter time will freeze harder, which significantly increases the risk of plant death.

If you decide to equip high bed, then it is best to make it about 10 m long, while the width should not be more than 150-160 cm, and the height should not be more than 70-80 cm. If you make supports for the walls, then they must be well deepened into the ground, to a depth 140-150 cm.

During the work, the most fertile soil layer is removed, which is laid aside and then used for the top layer in the created bed. To get good yields, experts recommend making several layers. It is best to put a metal mesh at the bottom, which will protect the roots of plants from rodents, then brushwood is laid, small wooden chocks are placed on top of it, compost is poured on them and only then a layer of black soil. Each layer, except for the last, is recommended to be watered and compacted, and only then the next one is laid.

This sequence of layers will provide high temperature inside the soil, therefore, the processes of decay will begin to occur more intensively and useful substances will be released into the soil faster, after which they will get to the roots of plants.

Before deciding to create such beds, you need to weigh the pros and cons, think about whether the time and money spent will pay off due to the harvest, or you can simply make the beds without using additional building materials.

How to make slate beds with your own hands is a topical issue for many summer residents. On the garden plots they are used as a way to equip a border in the garden. Properly placed bed railings will keep horseradish, celery, and blackberries from spreading. With wavy or flat slate, they delimit cultures that are not prone to cohabitation. In a new house, bed strips can be made from the remains of a covered roof.

Such a garden will decorate any yard

A slate bed is also made from a new material, inexpensive and decorative, which can be bought at any retail building market. Over time, it turns out that miracle beds are also necessary for separate feeding. different cultures, and to protect against pests in the garden.

In a building supermarket for slate beds, they can offer different materials. To date, slate is the collective name for a roofing sheet of variable composition. Each of them has undeniable merits, but plastic and metal, despite their strength and environmental friendliness, are still expensive for making slate beds.

Gardeners prefer to cut the strips for the beds from the good old asbestos-cement material with their own hands in order to equip the garden for a long time. A decorative border for a facade flower bed or bumpers for rockeries in front of the house can also be made of colored plastic or aluminum. They are more decorative, and plastic can be chosen in any shade.

Wave material vegetable garden

pros

This is a classic of the roofing genre for those who need a durable, solid and affordable material.

A few years ago, they began to say that its use is harmful to health. However, asbestos, which is only 18% in standard slate, gives the combination unprecedented strength.

If you need to equip beds in the country from asbestos-cement strips, then more than one generation after the craftsman will be able to use them. Fencing beds from simple familiar slate is done because such structures have a lot of advantages:

• tested by decades of use, and houses built half a century ago still hold slate roofs;
• inexpensive and practical building material, serving up to a dozen seasons;
• it is easy to cut and work, but you have to warn about careful handling so as not to break the strips;
• sold in different forms. There are proven cutting methods and experience on how to make a garden bed in different ways;
• flat and wavy are produced, each type has its own advantages for different needs;
• the placement of slate sheets helps protect the crop from the bear, smaller and larger underground pests (moles).

Looks nice and neat

Gardeners who have appreciated the advantages of such plot equipment share ways to grow cucumbers in boxes with a layer of humus and fertile soil, devices decorative flower beds, protective barriers from sheets buried from pests. But there are also negative aspects of using asbestos strip for beds.

Requires additional watering

High slate beds are considered unsuitable for leaving plants in them for the winter: the soil in them freezes heavily, and in summer, on the contrary, it heats up. Although a box arranged according to the rules is able to protect plantings from early and late frosts.

The device is considered capable of harmful effects on vegetables and fruits, but to prevent this, it is simply covered with quick-drying paint. The problem has been solved, and instead of it there are beautiful structures that also perform a decorative function.

Types and difference of slate beds

The principle and goals of gardeners are about the same, so the difference lies in the use of a strip for beds from a flat or wavy sheet. Someone prefers to make beds from wavy slate, combining the edges, and considering this design to be more aesthetic. There are supporters of the use of strips for flat slate beds. The video below proves that a flat strip is more convenient to cut and costs a long time if you use corners for fastening.

But the supporters of wave slate fences also have the same arguments, using the old improvised material for the fence. They stretch the wire so that the strips for the beds do not fall apart from natural influences. A border for a flower bed is really more beautiful when the stripes are wavy. But the beds in the greenhouse, with her limited space, it is better to make it from a flat one, using special fasteners and adjusting the dimensions as accurately as possible.

There are other differences: height, special purpose, a garden with minimal row spacing for greenhouses or for growing in a polycarbonate greenhouse. High beds with wide paths are possible, smart, giving more high yield due to more warm air from organics.

Preparing the garden for planting crops

The garden should be carefully measured to determine where the target areas for certain cultures A: Cucumber size can vary, and are usually made from standard strips. After that, we outline the contours on the ground (you can drive in pegs and pull the ropes), and then we make trenches.

Gardeners are sometimes interested in whether it is possible to dig everything at once, having previously decided what kind of bed and what depth to dig (whether it will be higher or standard). It is so easy to get confused, so it is better to carry out the design one by one. Dig for one, install a ready-made box, already mounted, or insert a profile for the beds and make a wire tie.

To preparatory work include cutting strips. The process is different if the beds are made of flat slate and if the box is made of wavy. If you buy ready-made, already cut designs, the retail price is not much different, but:

• the garden will be decorated more aesthetically;
• less likely to spoil the slate;
• cuts will be made evenly, without burrs;
• every edge will be smooth.

You can even use scraps of the base material

This is especially important if you need to decorative border for a flower bed located in a conspicuous place (on the lawn in front of the house or in front of the fence on the street). Before starting work, you need to check whether everything is ready: strips, fasteners, tools, stone or other material for decorating the tracks. To save space, capital fences are sometimes used as the fourth side. Plants that prefer shade are placed there.

Installation instructions

We make beds from slate. Necessary: ​​a trench, organics to the bottom, a layer of fertile soil, neatly set aside while the trench was being dug (you can buy a little more if all the beds are deep). Tools - the simplest, probably available to everyone:

1. Rope and pegs plus a tape measure.
2. Shovel for digging trenches.
3. Bulgarian for cutting strips (if you buy ready-made, you will need it only when building a box).
4. Screwdriver and drill (when mounting fasteners made of dense metal or aluminum).
5. Hammer, wire pliers, pliers.

The greatest amount of time is spent on digging trenches (they must be at least 40 cm deep, and if the beds are deep, then up to 70). The equipment of such structures can take a little longer the first time, and then, having acquired a certain skill, and if a person fastened everything correctly, then the structure pleases the eye.

Gardeners and gardeners annually ask themselves the question of what is the best way to make strips for beds. So by far the most practical and economical material are flat slate strips, you can buy such strips in our online store at the most favorable price. It is worth noting that at proper arrangement your backyard territory with the help of this material, you can protect your crop from pests, as well as accelerate the growth of plants.

Advantages:

The period of operation of this material reaches 50 years, which can be considered a huge advantage.

· Acceptable price.

· Nice appearance homestead territory.

Installation of strips does not require any knowledge and experience, that is, you can make a fence with your own hands. AT special care does not need.

What you need to know about the use of the studied material in the beds?

Despite the fact that the use of flat slate in the garden is considered only with positive side, there are some features here, without taking into account which the material can be dangerous.

So, let's start with the fact that plants in flat slate beds grow faster and are protected from some pests. Also, weeds do not grow on such a backyard territory, which is very important for every gardener and summer resident.

However, with a frivolous approach to organizing your own garden, you can miss the point that if the material is used incorrectly, it can reduce the amount useful substances in grown plants. So, let's start with the fact that in case of overheating, slate increases the evaporation of moisture, for this reason it is recommended to water the garden more often. There is also an opinion that asbestos cement strips evaporate the negative elements that enter your body through the grown crop, but this problem is easily solved by coloring the sheet before installation.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that by coloring it is possible to increase the period of operation of the material in conditions of severe frost and advanced level humidity. In this case, it is recommended to use liquid plastic or acrylic mixes that dry quickly.

How to arrange a personal area?

1. The width of the aisles between the lanes should allow for trouble-free movement with necessary tools in hands, it is at least 45 cm with a height of not more than 20 cm. In this matter, the height of the stripes should be taken into account. Remember that this distance should allow you to freely water the plants, handle them, cut them, and so on. Only in this way at the end of the season will you be able to harvest the best harvest.

2. The most popular height is 15-20 cm. However, it is equally important to enjoy the process of caring for planted plants, which means it is better to buy

strips of slate, the height of which will reach 30-40 cm, so you can process the beds while sitting on a chair.

3. The length of the beds depends on the backyard area, the relief throughout its territory and other factors. The most common are beds with a length of 4 to 8 meters. It is recommended to install the bed from south to north, so the sun's rays will evenly fall on the garden.

Every gardener knows how tedious it can be to build beds on his site, since giving the beds the required size and shape, preparing the land and final finishing beds are very time-consuming steps. One of the favorite types of beds for those who like to "dig" in the ground are high beds made of slate. And we will talk about how to build them in our article.

Garden lovers try to organize their possessions in such a way as to minimize the labor costs for their construction, while saving valuable seasonal time and their money.

This is where slate shows its best qualities:

• Firstly, this material is very durable, since it is not subject to decay upon contact with organic matter.
• Secondly, slate for beds is also suitable from an aesthetic point of view, as it looks quite attractive on them.
• Thirdly, the material is easy to use.

If we talk about the shortcomings of slate as a material for beds, then some sources insist on the not entirely favorable effect of asbestos cement on soil quality.

It is not entirely clear how harmful such a neighborhood is. However, many gardeners note the fact that slate sheets, due to digging in to a considerable depth, protect the crop from bears.

In addition, the disadvantage can be attributed to the fact that from the heating in the sun of the outer part of the slate (as well as on), it also heats up inner part, which leads to accelerated evaporation of moisture from the soil.

In other words, when using slate beds, more frequent watering will be required.

Slate for beds can be used in both classic wavy and flat shapes.

Construction of beds from wavy and flat sheets of slate

Wave slate beds

It is very easy to build beds from wavy slate sheets:

• With the help of a grinder, pieces of slate of the required sizes are cut across the waves.
• Dig a shallow trench around the perimeter of the proposed bed.
• Cut plates are installed in the trench.
• Sprinkle the slate with soil on each side and tamp it down for greater stability. If necessary, the sheets are reinforced on both sides with metal pegs.

A good option when arranging a garden can be a flat slate for beds. It is laid out as follows:

• A sheet of flat slate for a length is usually 1.75 m. At the same time, in order to avoid the appearance of waste in work, it is better to divide them in half or into parts of 1 and 0.75 m. Accordingly, your future beds will be of this width.
• To avoid "spreading" of the beds, the sheets of slate must be fastened together. For this, cuts are used. metal corner.
• The corners are cut to size, holes for bolts are drilled in them, they are painted to protect against corrosion.

Flat slate beds laid in this way will be raised above ground level by about 10 cm, and this will significantly improve the heating of the earth in the garden, while slate deepened by 15-20 cm into the ground will become a real protection against penetration of roots into the beds.

It is possible to fasten slate sheets to each other by other methods. For example, using an aluminum corner attached to the slate with self-tapping screws.

And in order to avoid scratching your hands on the ends of the screws sticking out of the corner, you can screw ordinary plastic bottle caps on them.

Advice! To avoid damage to the slate, it should not be driven into the ground, but a trench should be prepared first. Otherwise, the pebbles encountered in the path of the sheet can destroy it.

How to make beautiful garden beds

The method of strengthening the walls of the beds of flat slate

In order for the beds to become an adornment of your garden, you must comply with a number of simple rules. Components beautiful garden are its shape, size and color, which are selected at the discretion of the owner.

Rules for arranging beautiful high beds:

• They are arranged in an east-west direction.
• The width of the beds is arranged up to 160 cm, and the height - up to 70 cm.
• The beds also need fencing. They are reinforced with slate walls, pre-painted in some beautiful bright color deepened into the ground by about 40 cm.
• The space between the completed beds is sown with a lawn.

It is necessary to take care of such beds in the same way as for ordinary ones.

Such a bed or even a flower bed made of slate is used for growing annual plants and flowers, since the soil in it freezes just as well in winter as it warms up in warm weather.

High bed device

Usually, high beds in the garden are made quite long - up to 10-11 m, while their width and height reach 1.3 and 0.7-0.8 m, respectively.

Can be used as walls different kinds materials, however, wavy slate is still considered more aesthetic, more durable and more affordable.

Before digging a trench, mark the future beds so that it has the shape of a regular rectangle. Moreover, the beds can be made in other forms, depending on the shape and size of the site.

most fertile upper layer soils are poured into a separate pile for the purpose of its further use in the formation of the upper layer of the beds.

After digging a trench in vertical position install a wavy slate with an overlap of the next sheet on one wave. The trench is covered with earth and, after tamping, metal stakes are driven in on both sides of the sheets to strengthen the walls.

It is possible to achieve the required shape of a slate flower bed with the help of metal pegs, which at the same time give rigidity to the structure.

After the construction of the walls, a phased laying of organic filler into the bed begins: first with brushwood, wood chocks and compost, and then with black soil.

As each subsequent layer is laid, the previous one is lightly tamped and watered.

When the soil level in the bed reaches 30-40 cm above the main ground level, holes are made in the opposite slate walls through which steel wire for screed.

Advice! The twist is pulled until the wire is pulled into a string. However, do not overdo it, as you can break the slate.

The beds made by the above methods will be able to provide a higher soil temperature (by about 2-4 degrees) in comparison with the horizontal layers of ordinary beds.

Through this, the processes of decay in the soil of organic substances will be accelerated, and substances useful for plants will appear more actively in it. All this will certainly positively affect the activity of plant growth in the beds and increase the yield of vegetables.

And before you make this kind of beds, think about whether the future harvest on these beds will pay off the money and effort spent on their construction.

Neat beds in the garden are the key to getting good harvest. They additionally decorate the yard and facilitate carrying out land works. Stationary slate plantations can be used every season, but how long they last depends on the strength of the material, its resistance to conditions of constant moisture and the strength of the roots of the plants.
Slate for ennobling a summer cottage can be used new or left after construction works.

Its advantages in the arrangement of beds and flower beds are:

• Affordable price;
• Long-term operation;
• Geometric stability;
• Ease of use;
• Protection against pests that spoil the roots.

The disadvantage of slate sheets is the content of asbestos cement, a substance harmful to the soil. Nevertheless, it is precisely such a fence that reliably protects the crop from bears and weed invasion. Also, the owner must take into account that the slate overheats in hot weather and takes away moisture from the fertile soil layer. To eliminate this negative moment will have to be regularly watered.

Generally negative aspects slate beds have few, so they can be considered the best option decorating the backyard. It is recommended to grow in them annual plants, since in the cold season the soils in the created flower beds freeze through.

Rules for arranging beds

For rapid growth plantations and good development beds must be arranged in accordance with certain rules:

1. Arrange flower beds from east to west so that plants can absorb as much sunlight as possible during the day.
2. Deepen enclosing sheets by 10 - 20 cm.
3. Maintain the width of the beds within 20 - 120 cm (they are easier to handle). There are no restrictions on length.

In addition to slate and soil, the owner will additionally need crushed stone and mulch, a tape measure and a level, a grinder and a bayonet shovel. The marking of plantations in the chosen direction is carried out with the help of pegs and a rope.

Preparing the slate for work

To create beds, wavy slate plates must be cut into strips in height. For this you need Circular Saw with a stone tool. A standard sheet occupies a length of 1 m 75 cm. It is cut horizontally into as many pieces as required for the full immersion of the sides of the beds. To make the cut even, mark with chalk. If there is no grinder or conditions for connecting it to the mains, the slate is cut with an old unnecessary saw, wetting the cut with water.

Next, work on the soil. A narrow trench is dug around the perimeter of the future plantation and watered well. Prepared pieces of enclosing material are inserted into the ditch. For stability, they are reinforced on both sides with columns of reinforcement. Sheets are placed with an overlap of at least 1 wave, upper edge put wooden block and lightly press the material.

The evenness of the walls is controlled by the level in two directions - along the length and diagonally. As necessary, part of the earth is removed from the surface. Then the trench is backfilled and tamped, and the slate strips remain fixed.

Flat slate plantations

When working with flat sheets, proceed as follows:

1. Slate is sawn either into two identical parts, or into pieces of 1 m and 75 cm. The choice can be any, only the width of the beds depends on the cutting option.
2. To avoid spreading, the material is fastened together with scraps of a metal corner. For this purpose, bolt holes are made in the cut corners and the parts are treated with an anti-corrosion coating.
3. Mounting work is carried out carefully so as not to damage the slate and not injure your hands. The protruding corners of the self-tapping screws can be hidden under bottle caps for safety.

The aisles are tightly tamped. Free areas are concreted and sprinkled with gravel. Beautifully look slate beds, "diluted" lawn grass. If the owner plans to plant grass in voids, the zones between the rows should be wide enough (it is inconvenient to mow the vegetation in narrow areas with a trimmer).

Raised beds made of slate sheets

Consider how to make a high bed. First, remember its parameters:

• Length - 10 m;
• Width - 1 m 30 cm;
• Height - 70 - 80 cm;
• The height of the immersed part of the slate is 40 - 50 cm.

We dig a trench around the perimeter of the beds, remove the fertile top of the soil and set it aside. We install the slate sheet strictly vertically. For a wavy fabric, we make an allowance for 1 wave. We fill the trench with soil and carefully tamp. We provide reliable fastening of the sheet with iron pins.

At the next stage, we are engaged in layer-by-layer laying out of fertilizers. We do it in the following order:

1. We cover the bottom metal mesh for protection against rodents;
2. We lay out wood and cellulose waste;
3. Create a layer of sawdust;
4. We crush with vegetable waste;
5. We spread peat or immature compost;
6. We place the previously removed fertile land.

Pour each layer with water and tamp well. For beds with a height of more than 40 cm, make a wire tie. After drilling holes in opposite sides of the ridge, pull a steel thread through them.

What are the advantages of high slate beds? In them the owner will find many good points contributing to higher yields. First of all, good drainage will not allow water to stagnate, and the gardener will be able to control the composition of the soil and add substances useful for plants.

It is difficult not to notice a high bed, so the plantings will be more protected from trampling. At the same time, the soil remains loose and receives a sufficient amount of air. With a good layer of compost, tall slate plantations are better at keeping the temperature within a fenced area ( surrounding soil stays cooler during this time). For this reason, they are also called warm beds.

For residents of cold regions, this gives an undeniable plus. Seedlings can be placed earlier in warm soil. Plants take root faster and adapt to outdoor conditions. The harvest ripens earlier and pleases with abundance. If they grow in the beds climbing plants, it is not necessary to tie them. As they grow, they themselves will hang down.

How high should the beds be? It depends on the quality of the soil. In fertile areas, the structure does not need to be raised high. For warm compost beds, at least 50 cm is required. In case of unexpected frosts, it is recommended to insulate the structure with plastic wrap.

Slate garden care

Ready beds must be well watered. Moisture will accelerate the process of decay of fertilizers, and heat and minerals necessary for the development of plants will begin to be released into the soil. bountiful harvest plants in the created warm garden will give 5 years. Subsequently, new nutrient reserves will have to be created. It is advisable to saturate the beds in the fall so that they gain strength before spring. If you want to create a greenhouse, the beds are simply covered with polyethylene.

Compared to low slate beds, high plantations give a higher yield. And if you really ennoble the garden, then it is better with warm slate zones. If desired, the plates can be painted before the start of work, and then country cottage area will be not only useful, but also attractive in decorative terms.