VEG Beds

Are VEG beds heavy?

A: Each steel bed is lightweight and easily lifted by two people once assembled.  The wooden beds, on the other hand, are fairly heavy, and if large once in place are only moved by disassembling.

How does the irrigation work?

A: Check out the video below with Dan.

 

How much food does it produce?

A: Our research and experiments have shown the standard 3m x 1.5m bed can produce up to $700 worth of organic, fresh vegetables per year. Ultimately it depends on the level of gardening experience and commitment but just one VEG bed can really help the wallet and your health. Having more than one will obviously save you plenty of money. Producing vegetables and herbs is your way to grow your money back.

If I order a fully installed VEG Bed Package, what happens?

At the time of our arrangement, two members of the VEG team will show up, greet you with friendly smiles, talk with you about the best place for the bed or beds, put down a tarp for the soil delivery, assemble and seal beds, wheelbarrow soil into the bed, adding organic amendments and mulch, and whatever other products you have ordered.  Here’s a video example of the steel bed option…

Does the VEG bed have a bottom on it?

A: No. Both the steel and wooden bed are open-bottomed.  For specific applications such as balconies we can add a base for an extra $100 (approx.).

Should my VEG bed have a base?

A: No, we recommend having no base for drainage and to allow worms to enter.

What should I put in the beds?

A: We recommend either an organic soil topped with a mulch of straw, leaves or similar, or the no-dig method. In the no-dig method you layer hay, straw or leaves with dry animal manures and a sprinkling of blood and bone, soaking each layer as you go. In the 82cm high beds you can fill the bottom 30-40cm with course organic materials, hay bales, sand, gravel, or similar. The beds should not be filled with soil beyond five centimetres from the top to allow for a mulch layer, though note that the soil level will drop up to 10 cm as the soil settles over time.

How much soil do the standard beds take?

A:

  • 2.2m x 1.2m x 40cm takes 1m3
  • 2.2m x 1.2m x 82cm takes 2m3
  • 3m x 1.5m x 40cm takes 1.5m3
  • 3m x 1.5m x 82cm takes 3m3

How long does VEG bed edging last?

A: VEG wooden beds use untreated cypress pine which is ground-durable for at least 15 years and in reality will last a lot longer.  VEG steel beds will last for up to fifteen years – there are fourteen-year-old beds with no signs of deterioration. How long they last, however, will depend on the pH of your soil. The more neutral your soil (pH of 6.5-7) the longer they will last. Soils that are too acidic (pH 5 and below) will benefit from the addition of agricultural lime.  With all sales, we supply a food-grade UV-resistant paint-on sealant (at no extra cost) to permanently seal the exposed metal along the bed base, on the inside of the joins, and the entire inside of the bed – an essential step as this is exposed metal that would otherwise rust.  We recommend any external scratches be covered with touch-up paint, which is readily available in sample pots in the Colorbond colours.

Can I put a VEG bed directly on concrete or a paved surface?

A: Yes that’s fine, though we recommend you put a good layer of gravel, course mulch or tree branches on the bottom to ensure adequate drainage.

Can I put a VEG bed directly on lawn?

A: Yes. We encourage everyone to convert lawn into food! To stop running grasses like Kikuyu or Couch from invading your bed, you should begin with a layer of either weed mat (which we can supply) or whole wet newspapers. If you place something high in nitrogen like blood and bone or chicken manure on the grass beneath this layer, this will help compost the grass (into food for your vegetables). If using soaked newspaper, ensure an overlap of at least ten centimetres.

Can I put a VEG bed on a slope?

A: Yes, a slight slope is fine. If possible, place the bed longwise across the slope (on contour) this will help slow and soak in any rain water flowing over the ground. We offer a landscaping service where we can shape your yard with terraces for your beds and paths for easy access to them.

What is the most popular colour with your steel beds?

A: Pale Eucalypt.  This is the colour we keep in stock, though you are welcome to order any colorbond colour from the below chart, and will simply have to wait another few weeks.  Note that screens vary in the way they display colour, so this is just a guide.  Consult the colorbond colour range at your local hardware store if you want to be fully sure.

{phocagallery view=category|imageid=44|categoryid=11|
limitstart=2|limitcount=1|detail=0|displayname=0|
displaydetail=1|displaydownload=0|imageshadow=shadow1}

Is a VEG steel bed easy to assemble?

A: Yes. Your VEG bed will arrive in kit-set form and can be assembled in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on size, and requires no specialist tools or skills.  If you choose to upgrade to the pre-assembled option (Melbourne only), the bed comes in one piece, meaning all you have to do is put it in place.

Is the top edge of VEG steel beds sharp?

A: No. Each bed comes with a sturdy safety rubber seal that protects the edge, making them quite safe for children and others.

If I order the VEG Steel Bed Edging Package, how does the product arrive and how do I assemble it?

A: Your VEG steel bed will be delivered to your door in kit form. VEG provides everything you need including Assembly Instructions, an Owner’s Manual. and a paint-on water proofer for superior durability.  The product is very easy to assemble and this can be done by hand in less than an hour. No tools required.  If you chose to upgrade to our aquaplate model, which is preassembled and includes a factory-applied food-grade liner, no assembly is required.  Note that all our wooden bed options require us coming to install them.

What if I need help looking after my garden?

A: VEG offers a full garden maintenance service where we visit your garden fortnightly to remove old vegetables, plant new seeds and seedlings, ensure your plants have adequate moisture, add fertilizer, and manage any pest or weed problems.

Do you offer any products to keep out pests (eg possums, birds, dogs, insects)?

A: Yes. VEG netting is easily connected to your bed to exclude these pests. The netting looks good and allows for tall vegetables and easy access.

Do you offer any products that stop tree roots from entering the beds?

A: Yes. We sell VEG Tree Root Barriers.

Are other sized beds available?

A: Yes. All beds are available as 60cm high beds. Also, we can provide 3m x 1.2m beds and 3.3m x 1.2m beds, and indeed, beds of any dimensions whatsoever – just contact us with your desired dimensions and we’ll get straight back to you with a quote.

Do your beds come with a guarantee?

A. Yes.  You can have full confidence in the quality of any VEG bed we deliver.  We guarantee the workmanship of each bed and that it will be delivered to you in top condition.  We will rectify any workmanship or delivery issues at our own expense.

Delivery

Where will you deliver to?

A: The following items are delivered Australia wide:

  • VEG bed edging (steel only)
  • Tree-root barriers
  • Books
  • Worms

However, the following products and packages are currently only distributed to all Melbourne suburbs:

  • VEG irrigation
  • Ready-to-Plant VEG Bed (wood or steel)
  • Fully Planted VEG Bed (wood or steel)
  • Deluxe VEG Bed (wood or steel)
  • VEG Maintenance

What are the delivery costs?

See here.

Discounts

Are there discounts if I order more than one bed?

A: Yes. To encourage people to have a larger growing area we offer a 5% discount if you order two or more beds. Check out these deals in the shopping cart after you’ve chosen the products that you’d like.  We also further discounts for orders of more than 5 beds.

Do you offer discounts for schools?

A: Yes. VEG offers at least a 5% discount if the beds are going to be used in schools. We offer the same discount to retirement villages.