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Growing your vegetables
in raised beds may be the best method for you if:
- You want control over your garden plots
- You have some time to devote to gardening
- You are reasonably handy and can hammer nails or lay bricks
Raised beds contained by bricks, landscape timbers or treated lumber are
suggested as you can have more control over the soil you will grow your plants in (you mix
it yourself to their needs), less water is required because like a large pot the water is
contained longer and more available to the plants, you stoop less when gardening, it looks
neater, you are better able to organize your garden (peppers in one bed, herbs in
another...) and of course weed and nematode control is easier.
| Placing 1/2" of
newspapers or laying landscape cloth in the bottom of the bed prior to adding your soil
will help to prevent weeds from coming in through the bottom of the bed. |
Planting a raised bed garden is a little more involved than a container garden as
you first need to build the edges to form the bed (4' in width, by whatever length you
desire -- a 4' width allows easy tending of the garden from the sides without having to
step into the soil). After that, if you blend your own planting mix from compost,
peat moss, perlite and coarse, clean sand you can avoid or limit the problems inherent in
the native soil such as nematodes and weeds.
After mixing then adding your soil, simply sow seeds or set out transplants as
recommended for the variety, water and fertilize as required. |
