Raised Garden Beds: A Gardener’s Best Kept Secret
For more than 35 years, I've grown my own backyard vegetables. During most of those years, I'd drag the tiller from the shed and till rows in my rocky Georgia clay.
Even after amending the soil with compost, the results from my garden was not what I expected, and I believe that tilling my soil contributed to that.
Tilling disrupts the natural structure of the soil and leads to compaction reducing the soil’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. Tilling also disturbs the delicate balance of microorganisms in the soil which are crucial to the health of your plants.
Need another reason to stop tilling? It increases weeds by exposing the seeds to light which germinates them. This requires even more tilling in the rows and becomes a vicious cycle.
That’s when I switched to growing my vegetables in raised beds. If I had known the benefits and ease of growing in raised beds I would have done it years ago.
Benefits of Growing in Raised Beds
Raised Beds Allow You to Control the Composition of Your Soil
You have a specific area that you are amending. You can easily add amendments such as compost, manure, or organic matter directly into the raised bed.
Raised Beds Allow for Better Drainage
This is especially helpful for those with clay soils. Excess water drains away more efficiently, preventing waterlogged soil and reduces the risk of root rot and other water-related issues.
Weed Control
Intensive planting using the square foot gardening method suppresses weeds by the leaves of growing plants.
Extends the Growing Season
The soil in raised beds tends to warm up faster in the spring, allowing you to start planting earlier. In cold weather raised beds are easy to cover with frost cloth or plastic, extending your growing season.
Accessibility
Raised beds are raised off the ground, making them more accessible for planting, weeding, and harvesting. This is particularly beneficial for gardeners with mobility issues or those who prefer to garden without bending or kneeling, enabling people of all ages and abilities to enjoy gardening.
Pest and Disease Management
Raised beds offer better protection against pests and diseases. The contained size of the bed makes it easier to use pest deterrents such as row covers or netting. Additionally, raised beds can be covered with protective materials during colder months, extending your garden season in the fall.
Raised Beds Add Beauty to the Garden
Not only do raised beds provide the benefits noted above, they allow you to personalize the materials you construct them from to complement your home.
Tips for Raised Beds
If you are growing large summer plants such as tomatoes and peppers, create beds that are at least 12 inches deep. The beds shown above are 2 feet high.
If you are growing herbs, or a salad garden you can create a bed that is 6-8 inches deep.
Place you bed where it receives at least 6-8 hours of sun a day.
Locate your raised beds near a water source and close to your home to make maintenance easier.
The maximum width of your beds should be 4 feet to allow you to reach across from each side. If you are placing your bed next to a fence or the house, keep the width to 2 feet.
For any lengths over 6 feet, you will need to brace the inside of the bed to prevent bowing with the weight of the soil.
Whether you're growing vegetables, flowers, or herbs, raised beds offer a customizable and rewarding gardening experience. Raised beds cut down on time spent weeding, watering, and fighting pest giving you more time to enjoy your garden.
This post was written by Karen Creel with The Garden Chick.
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