I need to put in 1,500 square feet's worth of beds to house my daylilies. The first quote I got was $8,000 and totally freaked me out! I do need to take out a couple of trees and have some bobcat work done to take out large roots, break up the clay, etc. I also need someone who's knowledgeable enough to help me get the beds amended to the proper levels of Ph, nutrients, etc. I know we're going to have to bring in a good soil and change the irrigation system a little so these beds can get more water than the rest of the yard.
Any idea of what is a reasonable cost for this?
Cost of building beds.
NOTHING is reasonable now days !!! That sounds like a huge undertaking and will probably have a huge price tag.
You could hire the trees cut down and hauled away, then rent a bobcat and do the rest yourself. You may just have some energy left to plant something. LOL I laugh because I just got done expanding 2 small beds and merging them into one HUGE bed. About half way through the roto-tilling I realized I was 'done'. There was no way I could finish and have energy left to plant. When am I going to realize I'm not 30 any more !!! So I hired someone else to come finish the tilling since my DH was out of state for a month.
You can take samples of your soil to the Agricultural Extention center in your area and get your soil analyzed. They can tell you exactly what you need. They should have soil collecting kits and instructions for the whole procedure. In NC it's free, don't know about SC.
Thanks.
I have to admit I'm scared of the clay. LOL I don't know the first thing about planting in it except it's hard as a rock and even when tilled it will return to rock status if not watered enough. I need a Fairy Garden Mother.
Fly me down and I promise I can do it for less. LOL I do not remove trees though! THAT freaks me out!
Up here, a double axle dump truck of good soil is about $450.
I would build them UP, instead of trying to fix the clay. We have clay and rock here, and you can't really do anything with it. Raised beds.
You can buy a chain saw, rent a bobcat, or whatever and do it yourself. If you have lots of trees, you can use the leaves and pine needles ect to mix with your soil.
I agree with the "building up" suggestion. Have the trees taken out if you can't do it yourself, then get lots of broken concrete chunks for free from Craigslist or Freecycle. Build beds and fill with the good soil. That's how I do all my beds. :)
Oh, and line the beds with cardboard- that way you don't even have to dig up the grass. It works great. :)
I was going to suggest building them up as well. Remember going to the Salters that day they were in a dither because because they hit limstone, and were having to change to raised beds. I was thinking that would work for you too.
I've learned the hard way to do raised beds when it comes to clay. I've had to redo a few beds numerous times trying to get the clay ammended and the drainage right.There's a couple of beds I've given up on as far as planting daylilies because they don't do well in them. In the spring I might rake everything out and just add the new bedding mixture I'm going to be using. Anything else, from this point on, will be raised and will have Fred's (spunky1) mixture of pine bark, sand, lime, chicken litter,and fertilizer and nothing else. I have potted up some daylilies with a similarity of this mixture and it is by far the best thing I've used so far, as well as, a whole lot cheaper than potting mix and bagged compost and such. And a lot less work as far as I'm concerned. But of course everyone has there own mixtures they like to use. Good luck
Michele
I had a tree service come out at the beginning of the summer to give an estimate on taking what is arguably a tall tree, down. $3200. Well considering I have many trees that need to come out, that plan went adios real fast.
What you need to look for when hiring someone to down a tree is INSURANCE. IF someone gets hurt, or a property is damaged, YOU will be in big trouble if your guy doesn't have insurance. The other thing is, you could price the cost of getting the tree down, and cleaning it up yourself. Trimming it, loading, chipping and hauling it away is alot of work you are paying labor for. We rented a lift and bought a chain saw. Took us a couple days to get it all done, but it was SO much cheaper that way. You can also buy ropes, ties and a hard hat ect.
Never thought about the broken concrete idea, that is neat. Looks great!
I guess you could also use rocks. Just plain ol rocks.
A lot of folks around here use broken concrete because the only kind of rock that's readily available for free is river rock- too rounded for stacking. You want nice granite or whatever, you have to buy it, and it isn't cheap. There are always people giving away busted up concrete for free, so that's what us thrifty types use. ;)
Leslie, I would recommend that you get several estimates for what you want to do. Here, there is a great difference in what tree companies charge. Yes, a tree company with insurance is a MUST! As suggested, you can hire the tree company to do the entire job or you can elect to do some of the work yourself, such as clean up. If you have them to chip up the limbs, that becomes your wood chips to use. We use the wood chips to cover our pathways in the garden, as filler in beds before we add the amendments that the daylily roots will be in, or let them compost and use them in future beds (if you have the space for this as it will take a couple of years unless you speed up the decomposition process using a granular fertilizer [10-10-10] and water). From our experience, it is better to take out as many trees as you can afford and want to remove. The roots sap up the water and the daylilies do not do as well. If you later remove nearby trees once you put in beds and plant your daylilies, you have to be careful that limbs do not fall in your beds and destroy your plant markers. Limbs probably would not hurt your daylily roots unless a limb falls straight into the crown. We have learned this lesson the hard way. Also, we wait until the fall and winter to take down trees.
The clay soil will not become hard again if you mix in plenty of amendments. We have found that Lowe's Top Soil is very good for amending small beds. Their top soil is very fine bark, sand, and other ingredients. However, it would take a lot of bags. You will come out better buying your soil amendments by the dump truck load, I would think. I would be careful of what you get or else more claylike soil will only make your soil hard when it becomes dry. You should look for very fine pinebark-like soil conditioner.
Here we have found that raised beds are preferable to planting in the soil. We have used various materials to line our raised beds. I will try to take some pictures and post them for you. We do have daylilies planted in the non-raised beds, but the beds have been amended. Sometimes it is just easier to start from scratch with a raised bed as opposed to dealing with the heavy clay and roots. Even with raised beds, nearby large trees will still sap the water from your daylilies. We have had many trees, mostly pine, removed in the past several years and still have a lot of trees. Some shade is okay, but the roots are the main problem. Since our terrain is anything but flat, it lends itself to terracing, thus raised beds.
At the present time, we are in the process of amending some old areas that had other perennials. These perennial beds are becoming new daylily beds. One area is being amended with a layer of composted horse manure (that my husband hauled in from a horse farm) followed by Lowe's top soil mixed with bags of compost manure. This 8-10 inch deep layer is going on top of a sandy-clay soil that was dregged from a nearby Corp of Engineer lake and was hauled in years ago by a dump truck. The other areas contain amendments placed there years ago when the beds were originally put in. I will probably add some composted horse manure in each hole as I plant in these areas. All holes will have mushroom compost added as I plant. We go to great lengths to prepare our beds because we have found that the daylilies do much better if put in "good dirt". Our Achilles heel is providing the water that they need. We are going to check into the cost of putting in a well and then running irrigation lines in our pathways. That will be very costly for us but will pay for itself in two or three years considering what our water bills have been this VERY dry summer.
I guess what I am saying is do as much as you can afford. What you want to do is very costly. Maybe you can do one section at a time. If you have access to a truck and can do some of the work yourself, you can save a lot of money. If you do not and you have to hire someone to do all the work, it will cost considerably more. Sometimes I have to remind myself that "Rome was not built in a day." You do what you can now and add to it later, like a two or three year plan if necessary. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!
Doris
I agree with taking out as many trees in the area as you can. I have had a horrible time with roots growing up into my beds and literally choking the life out of my plants. I ended up cutting them all. It was a ton of work, but worth it. I planted other types of trees like purple plum, amur maples (not too close to the beds w maples), crab apple, cherry, cleveland pears, red cedar, redbud, and bushes like lilac, forsythia, and burning bushes, crepe myrtles. Tried to plant a variety of color with trees that didn't get too overly large or have invasive root systems.
Years ago I made a new daylily garden that was approx. 200' x 30'. I had horrible gray clay that was like a rock when dry. I had 2 dump truck loads of burnt hedgerow dirt ($200) spread over it and hired a local farmer for $25 to come disk it. Then I had 2 dumptruck loads of rotted pine bark dirt (free from local chip mill) spread and disked, 2 dump truck loads of sand ($150) spread and disked and 2 pickup truck loads of composted horse manure (free from local farmer) spread and disked. Inbetween loads, a neighbor would come over with a tiller on the back of his lawn mower and run up and down it for free until it was like powder. We also tilled in a few bags of garden lime. I felt the clay was an important part of the mixture as it will hold moisture when wet. I dug all my daylily clumps, divided them and planted them in rows in the new bed and they grew like weeds. Luckily I had a friend with a dump truck that I could borrow for the bark dirt. I paid approx: $460.00 total
The local AG Agent would bring tours out during the bloom season and he would take soil samples without asking but I never used the results. I was poor and I used whatever I could get my hands on that I knew was good for gardens.
Not sure about your area, but sometimes if trees here are near power lines, the county or city will come take them down for free. It would be worth checking into if that is the situation. Our city also offers free mulch which would be good additive to the soil mixture.
Our city also has a 'dump' and I get all of my compost and mulch there. It should be said that the compost has been there so long, that some of it really is more like dirt. You can also get free straw bales there after the fall season, as many people decorate w the bales and then toss them. It doesn't cost anything to dump your stuff there, just no dirt and no rocks or trash. You can bring trees, brush, lawn clippings, leaves ect. They even load it for me. I have never gotten anything invasive, a few sprouts of poison ivy, but round up took care of that. I wear gloves when handling the mulch.
I don't even live in city limits but they let me use it.
Thank you for all the great answers. Hubby said today we could clear the wooded area on one side of our property and put in raised beds. Yippee. Now the ones I'm working wtih will all be in one place and it will be easy to set up irrigation for just them. There's already a cleared drive into that section so a truck could come in and dump things without breaking up our driveway.
I really want to do this right from the beginning. They can stay in pots until I have the beds put in little by little if needed. I wish he'd decided we could do that a year ago but I'm glad he has now.
men ! lol
So glad you are doing it this way Leslie. I think it will be so much less expensive and easier to maintain too. Good Luck AND KEEP US POSTED.
Steph
I don't know if this will help you or not but the guys that trucked our soils in were able to spread it on top in layers like icing.
well this would seem obvious, but I found out the hard way, don't have the soil delivered until you are READY to use it. The longer it sits, gets a rain on it, ect, it packs tighter and tighter until you are literally digging it to spread it. Spread it out and work it up the same day they dump it if possible, it is SO much easier as it is loose.
Les - Good decision about going with raised beds. I started out gardening in clay, and then switched to raised beds. In general, I get much better bud counts and more rebloom on the daylilies in the raised beds.
Debra
I love my raised beds. I bought dumptruck loads of dirt, then mixed in peat moss, soil conditioner, etc. Each time I plant something new, I add more "good stuff" to the soil.
Leslie,
you have a lot of work ahead of you, girl. Good luck.
Yippee. I'm excited now. I met with a landscaper today and we walked the wooded section. (After I fell off the ladder filling the bird feeder and before my knee got so sore and I could still walk, but that's another story.) He was a delight and I'm going to visit his family's church on Sunday. Anyway.....................
We're planning on putting in about 4 slightly curved, terraced beds which will "hug" a small incline. He'll take out some trees and leave the ornamentals. From the house it will look kind of like an ampitheater of flowers. We're doing the beds out of cross ties. I suggested he make one, back the trucks up and dump directly into it, make the next, etc.
The price is much more reasonable. I may still need to do a little at a time, but it sounds like I may have everyone planted by bloom next year and in a lovely setting to boot.
As always, thanks for your support. I'll get a pic of the site when I'm up and about again.
That all just sounds lovely, LaLambchop! I can hardly wait to see the photos you will be posting. I always get so excited with a new plant be project!
Sorry to read that you hurt your knee. Hope it is better soon. I have hurt mine before. It was no fun.
Glad you can get the beds you want for a doable price.
Sounds like a good plan, Leslie. I am glad that you will be able to plant as they go and can get them all in by bloom time! I am sorry that you hurt your knee. Maybe it will be feeling much better in a day or two. Good excuse to stay off your feet and put your legs up.
I know how hard it is to be hurt and kept from the garden. Here's wishing you well and a speedy recovery.
April
I have to agree about getting several estimates for tree removal. I just had a large avocado pruned and I got four estimates. The 1st was a friend of a friend ($350), the next two from the yellow pages ($400 & $500), then I got on the internet and read reviews...the first two didn't have any, the $500 one had terrible reviews, but there was one with 5 stars, so I called them. $ 320, and they did a great job! Check the internet for tree service in your area, and get several estimates! These guys are very competative, but do make sure they are licensed and bonded, and check the BBB to make sure there are no problems.
After 20 years in freeway landscape, working with the tree crews, and being trained on chainsaws and chippers, I personally don't recomend doing it yourself, unless you are experienced. Tree work is for the young and brave! Rental equipment is often in poor repair, and expensive, plus you have to know how to use it. If you don't have the area to store the debris, landfill costs can be high. The professionals have the equipment and know how to use it, they have the insurance, and they have the means to dispose of it. Their injuries are covered by their company (hopefully), whereas your bad back won't be covered.
By the way, when you get estimates, ask for details about what they will do for that money...stump removal?, clean up? haul away Etc.
We cross posted. Looks like it's a done deal. Good luck!
I think this guy is giving me a great deal. I found him on Angie's list and he's well reviewed there and has the proper licenses, etc. For $2500 he's going to take out and haul away 10 trees, do some minor grading, build 1,500 feet of beds and put in the irrigation. Planting medium will be cost plus a $20 delivery fee per truck. He's going to bring a chipper and chip all he can so I can have results for lining paths and/or compost.
Here's a picture of the site. The first bed roughly follow the line of the railroad ties you see towards the bottom. There will be 3 additional beds going up the rise. They will get smaller as they go up. I have an outdoor seating area to the right of where the beds will be.
Just from personal experience, this guy sounds like he is worth every penny!
get it in writing, see proof of insurance and check it out, and take photos before and during. Would also be great to see references or other projects he has done.
Be sure to clearly mark trees you want out AND trees you want to keep so they are not damaged.
You can designate an area for him to pile the top soil as he grades so that you don't lose that.
This guy does sound great! Wish we had had him HERE!
Thats called...desperate to feed your family on his part, and just good hunting on your part.
I just cant believe that, good going. amazing
He is a real sweetie. He spent 2 1/2 hours here and the last hour we just talked about God and our families!
He has a five year old and a 17 month old. His wife suddenly went blind about 5 weeks ago. They think it was from an infection causing swelling behind her eyes. She's a stay at home mom. Can you imagine? Luckily they have family in the area to help with the kids. Oh, and they just started homeschooling. LOL Talk about having your hands full. He kept saying he didn't know how I did it with a special needs child. I don't know how they're managing. Whew.
Carmen, I will do as you say and make sure my t's are crossed, etc. Good point.
well I think that God put you two together for a reason. Blind, can you imainge how scarey that would be. I hope your a big tipper ;-)
LOL Pam, I sent him home with 3 big bags of homeschool books yesterday.
o0o Leslie that's going to be sooo beautiful! I can't wait to see pictures. :-)
Oh Leslie, I'm so glad you found someone to do it at a very reasonable price. I was just about ready to tell the hubby to hook up the tractor and trailer, round up all the chains and chainsaws and us head out to clear your place. Some people just like the person that is going to help you are very good and honest people. They just have to find work to keep their families going. We're very close to being in the same boat if I don't find someone else to sit with pretty soon. I'd be willing to bet this guy will do a GREAT job and you'll be hiring him for other jobs in the future.
Oh and Thank You so very much for the beautiful card you sent. Your such a sweet soul. Love Ya more than you will ever imagine.