Raised Bed Gardening
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The definition of raised bed gardening from Wikipedia states:
Raised bed gardening is a form of gardening which the soil is formed in 3–4 foot (1.0–1.2 m) wide beds, which can be of any length or shape. The soil is raised above the surrounding soil (6 inches to waist high), sometimes enclosed by a frame generally made of wood, rock, or concrete blocks, and enriched with compost.
Building a raised garden bed in early spring ensures the gardeners can plant earlier then the traditional in ground garden. With the raised bed gardening, soil dries and warms up quicker in the springtime allowing earlier planting. Word of caution, beds should only be as wide as can be so you can easily work from both sides.
To reduce soil compaction is to reduce foot traffic on the beds themselves. Make the beds narrow so that the center of each bed can be planted, weeded and watered from the footpath next to the bed.
Preparing your raised garden bed with two to three inches of organic material mixed into the soil. Organic material may include compost, bark, leaves, manure, planting mis, sawdust, etc. By adding additional nitrogen also help the organic material to break down more efficiently.
Raised garden beds require closer attention to the moisture of the soil. Be extremely careful to not overwater your beds or to allow them to dry out, as they will dry out quicker then in ground gardens. However, raised garden beds are smaller in size then your traditional gardens, making them much easier to maintain.
The idea of planting your vegetables in raised beds at higher densities, spaced far enough to not overcrowd but close enough to block out weeds, will lesson the labor you have in the garden. The better the root growth, the deeper soils mean more production per square foot.
There are disadvantages with raised garden beds. The close proximity of the plants can promote plant diseases caused by reducing air circulations and allowing plants to remain damp for longer periods of time after watering. Air circulation is very important in raised beds. However, if you do have good air circulation, you need to be careful that your beds don’t dry out to fast by using soaker hoses or you can also add mulch to cut down on the time and amount of watering you do.
Raised garden beds are extremely easy to build. It doesn’t take much. Basically, you build an open top and bottom box in any shape you want it. Decide what you want to make your beds out of. Draw out your plans, measure your garden space and add the measurements into your drawing. By doing so, you will be able to determine how much material you will need.
Once you’ve gathered together all the materials you will need. You can simply nail or screw your beds together and they will increase in strength once you place the soil in the beds. Before you add the soil, it’s a good idea to put down a barrier first by using a piece of gardening plastic. By doing so, it will significantly reduce the amount of weeds that grow in your bed. Remember once you place your beds, it will be somewhat permanent, so make sure you have it in the best possible location.
