Using Recycled Raised Beds to Grow Your Own Food Year Round
It is fascinating how many young people are interested in growing some or all of their own food. As information is passed along about the processing of our food and the energy it takes to bring it to our local markets, they want to find alternative ways to help the environment and their health. One way to do this is grow your own food or eat locally grown foods as much as possible.
While space can be limited, since many of us do not live somewhere that has a lot of land to garden, we have to seek alternatives to growing our own foods. Using one or more raised beds can help reduce the amount of space needed to produce a good amount of fresh food.
It’s interesting to watch how the younger generation is acting today much like the older generation that went through the depression. Both seem to be much more aware and willing to change to do their part and change the world.
It is by using what we know about gardening that can bring on some pretty good ideas about incorporating raised bed kits into a year long growing plan that can be used whether you live in the city or out in the country. It will be less expensive in some ways but as with all gardening, it does take a commitment of time and resources.
Living inside an urban city is tough since you don’t have hardly any space outside to work with. However, one of the things you can do if your balcony or deck can support the weight is use a raised bed to grow your own food. You will want to use a light soil that you should be able to purchase at your local nursery or hardware store.
Use common sense when placing your bed for the fall through winter months as the sun does change position and the plants will need as much sun as they can get during this time. This will also help you with heat as well. Depending on where you live, you will need to invest in a covering of some sort. A good milled plastic will work to block out the wind and you may need to add a heater for the evenings that are below 45 degrees mark.
There are some alternative ways to heat your space that includes hot rocks, using water heated by the day’s sunlight or just heating water at night setting that in the area. No matter what you use, make sure you have plenty of clearance between the heat source and the cover. Some people also use cold frames and small greenhouses for this purpose as well.
So not only is it possible to grow your own food year round, it is possible to do it in a small space. Yes, it takes effort, time and commitment but that comes with just about everything that is worthwhile in life. Figure out what works best for you and your situation and go for it. You will know it was worth it when you are eating fresh vegetables in January. Have fun!
You can’t go wrong with vegetable bed kits to grow your own food. Also check out BevoWorks for all of your gardening and garden structure needs.
