Raised bed gardening
Thanks to guest writer, Sharon Deloy, for this interesting article on raised bed gardening.
Raised bed gardening has many benefits, and few drawbacks.
Advantages
The raised bed will warm up earlier in the spring, allowing an earlier start to your growing season.
The raised bed is easier to maintain by not allowing encroaching plants, grasses, or weeds into the bed.
The raised bed can be a boon to an elderly person or a handicapped person by allowing them to sit on the edge of the bed while planting, weeding, or harvesting.
Disadvantages of a Raised Bed
One of the disadvantages of a raised be is that it takes more time than just digging a bed, and is more expensive but well worth it.
Making a Raised Bed Garden
I have many raised beds in my garden. I make them out of cement blocks. I find that cement blocks are long lived, they can be moved if necessary, they do not rot away like wood, and I can sit on the edge of the blocks while I work or plant in my garden.
I make my raised garden beds with light blocks, about 18 inches long and 6 inches high. I have 7 blocks on either side, and 3 blocks at each end. I can reach from either side without having to step into the bed.
Finishing the Raised Bed
After I build my beds I dump all of my kitchen waste (vegetation only – no bones or meat scraps) into it for a period of time – usually a month or so, or even over the winter months
Then I fill my beds with potting top soil (so named at the local store) for about $1.00 per bag. I need about 20 bags of soil – 1 cubic foot each. Then for a top dressing I buy a 4 cu. ft. bag of potting soil, and sprinkle it on top. I prefer the one with either fertilizer or water crystals, or both.
I water my raised beds thoroughly before planting. I wait until it is no longer wet to the touch to plant my seedlings or seeds.Seedmoms Garden
Other uses of Raised Beds in the Garden
I grow a lot of perennial flowers, and plant them in the raised beds in the fall, where they will overwinter and really give a wonderful show in the spring.
I also have a cement block bed where I put all of my compost (kitchen scraps, garden waste, etc.)
If I have too many plants (I plant in 8 oz. styrofoam cups which are reused year after year) I put them into an empty raised bed that has not had any soil put into it, and let the leaves fall on them or put straw over them. I have successfully overwintered many plants in such a bed.
Final Notes on Raised Bed Gardens
You will have to make sure that the raised beds do not dry out. I tell by the first plant to wilt that it is time to water. A raised bed needs to be watered more often than an in-ground bed. Also be sure and do not let your plants go dry in the winter.
Sharon Deloy is the owner of several websites, including the one above and her newest website Backyard Waterfalls Besides writing many of the articles herself, she has guest authors from time to time.
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