What is a Raised Bed Garden?

A raised garden bed could be a good suggestion if you have inferior soil or heavy clay soil or find gardening hard due to a physical problem. Though it will take longer to create a raised bed, or to begin with be more expensive if you opt for a raised garden kit, it will pay for itself in the long run. Cedar raised garden kits are very well-liked as they are water resistant and exceedingly durable. A raised bed has various marked advantages over conventional gardening and may make your gardening a great deal easier, more fun and even more prolific.

Advantages of Raised Gardening

• In a raised bed you have extensive control over the the components of the soil so you will be able to grow vegetables or flowers that may need particular pH’s and nutrients effortlessly
• The soil can be bought free from weeds so you will not have to do much weeding.
• Plants in a raised garden are much easier to maintain and usually develop better. The soil does not become compressed from people walking on it, so oxygen and nutrients can get through to the roots more easily.
• Raised gardens heat up more rapidly in the Spring so you can transplant a lot sooner allowing you a much longer growing season.
• It is much easier to tend a raised garden than a regular garden as you can create the garden at a suitable height. For persons with physical problems, or are in wheelchairs this is perhaps the only means that they can take pleasure in gardening.
• Raised gardens are much kinder to the knees and back! You won’t put pressure on your knees or back from working in the garden.
• In a well prepared raised garden, drainage is superior to that of a normal garden. You will not have waterlogged soil and the plants will grow better.

Where to Place Your Raised Bed Garden

Before you decide where to place a raised garden watch your garden for at least a complete day to see which parts receive more daylight or which are in the shade. Will you be growing sun loving plants or those which prefer shade? Find  a part where you can have room around the garden to make gardening more convenient. It is also beneficial to have paths round the garden to make moving around it with a wheelbarrow etc easier. If you are installing one for a person who is in a wheelchair you must make certain that access is easy from every side and it is a comfortable height.

How to Fill Your Raised Garden

After your garden is ready fill it with high-quality soil and compost. A mixture of 50% soil and 50% compost is usually recommended. Top soil is frequently obtainable to buy in bulk but be cautious of the quality as there are no standards in place. Top soil can vary a lot in composition. Garden centers also supply soil in bulk and you can be confident that it is high-quality. You can use earth from your garden but you will need quite a lot and it may not contain all the nutrients necessary. It will also inevitably have wild plant seeds and probably stones.

For saving money you may possibly need to combine garden soil with purchased soil but make sure you mix it thoroughly and if possible have a soil test to ensure the pH and nutrient levels are good enough. Whichever option you choose blend in a small amount of sand to improve drainage. You will also need to top up the earth occasionally as it compacts down and mix in some organic matter on a regular basis. A good suggestion is to produce some ground cover plants during the winter for protection which can then be dug in in the Spring to add some nutrients.

Conclusion

Raised gardening has many distinct advantages over traditional gardening for all of us but especially for the elderly or individuals who are physically challenged. Whether you select to put together your own raised garden bed or select from one of the various raised garden kits obtainable you will be confident you will have many years of agreeable gardening.