I love our raised garden beds! Not only do they make an easy to care for and convenient growing location, but they utilize space efficiently and our yard looks beautifully organized. We built our own and you can too. In this article I'm discussing how to create and care for your raised beds. Of course, as with any type of garden plot – whether in containers, raised beds, or strait in the Earth – basic gardening principals apply. Let's jump right in...
Shelter
Shelter has to do with your garden's housing. In this case, the raised bed is the house. Whether you want a small flower box up against your house or a large scale veggie garden, raised beds are an excellent and versatile shelter choice. The key is: accessibility. As long as you can easily work the soil and reach the plants, the style, shape, and size is entirely up to you. Based on the space available and your personal needs, you can build your boxes right on top of the ground (like we did) or lift them up on legs. You can make your beds square, round, star-shaped... whatever you like. You can have a single layer or create levels. Some people include a large glass top that opens up, turning their beds into green houses for winter growing and early spring planting. The ideas are endless. Do a simple internet search for "raised garden bed images" and get some inspiration.
We built three new garden beds this year, each 6x6 feet. Fortunately, since we like to use materials that are readily available, we had some untreated cedar boards left over from the fence we built last year. We used plumbers tape and screws to secure the corners, and set the frames directly on the Earth. Since our beds are so large and close to a fence, we placed stepping stones in the centers, making it easier to get to plants in the back. If your beds have plenty of walk room around them, this won't be necessary. You can build your box walls as high as you'd like. If you don't want to bend down while working with your plants, save your back and build your beds up to a comfortable level. Some people have boxes that are as tall as 4-feet. Our new beds are only 6-inches high (the width of the boards we used), however, next spring we plan on adding a second level, bringing the height up to about 12-inches. These beds are not meant to be permanent and only need to last us a couple of years before we plan to move.
There is a vast selection of materials to use when building raised beds, some lasting much longer than others. You can buy kits that are easy to assemble or design your own. I've seen sides made of clay and pebbles from a dried up seasonal river. I've also seen aluminum siding, wrought iron, and metal poles used. Some people use plastic borders. Personally, I stay away from plastic as much as possible, but it is long lasting. Brick, stone, and concrete options are my preferred long lasting materials. I have concrete blocks in a couple areas and grow herbs and flowers inside the holes. If you're familiar with permaculture techniques (which I'll discuss in future articles), then you'll find value in using concrete blocks as raised bed boarders so complimentary plants – ones that attract beneficial insects or repel unwanted ones – can easily accompany your garden. Of course, wood is the most common material used. For a few years, I used round logs. Caution: if using wood, beware of any chemical treatments, such as creosote (used on wood railroad ties), because these chemicals will seep into your soil and plants.
Sunlight
As I always say: location, location, location. Photosynthesis is a process that uses sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen. Not all plants need full sun, some even require full shade. Depending on what you plan to grow in your raised box will determine the spot you place it. If you're placing a flower bed next to your north-facing front door, chances are that spot doesn't see much direct sun. This would be an ideal location for shade-loving flowers and ferns, but not vegetables. Most veggies require at least 6 hours of sun every day. Place your box in the appropriate location for your gardens needs.
Food
Plants absorb nutrients through the roots, thus soil provides their food. Healthy soil is the key to a healthy garden. Just like with container gardening, raised beds make controlling soil conditions easier. Proper soil balances the right amount of nutrients and moisture (which also controls the pH level of the soil), and gives an airy space that allows roots to roam. Before we placed our boxes, we had to clear the space. The area that we used has been covered with decorative landscape rock on top of a hideous plastic tarp for decades. Needless to say, the ground hadn't seen sunlight since the 70's. It's dead clay; not even an earthworm to be seen. Because the composition of the dirt in your yard may not support healthy plants, I don't recommend using it to fill your beds. Fill boxes with high quality soil and compost to give your plants the nutritious food they need, no matter what the native soil beneath is like. Once we cleared the spaces and laid down our frames, we filled our beds with a combination of organic soil that we purchased and our own compost, making sure the soil was loose and fluffy (overly compact soil makes it harder for roots to spread). As plants use the nutrients from the soil, those nutrients need to be replaced. Caring for the soil is an on-going process. As always, I encourage you to avoid commercial chemical laden fertilizers. Instead, choose natural fertilizers (like fish meal), use rotation techniques and cover crops, and, of course, compost is amazing. If you're interested in creating your own soil mixtures and plant foods, stay tuned for upcoming articles.
Although I've grown in raised beds plenty over the years, I have far more experience with growing directly in the ground in farm rows because that's how my dad did it. The biggest difference between ground and bed growing is that there's no need to till the soil in a bed (which is a good thing since I burnt out the motor on my rototiller working some particularly rocky ground and Keith hasn't fixed it yet). Although I don't till or plow, I do turn the soil in each bed with a shovel before and after each season, usually while adding more compost. This aerates the soil and redistributes nutrients throughout the bed.
Water
Just like soil nutrients, balancing the right amount of water is essential to a healthy garden. Plant roots that sit in excess water tend to rot and develop diseases. On the other hand, plants require water for living (just like us animals). One major benefit to raised beds versus growing directly in the ground is improved water drainage. Soil should be moist but not soggy. As plants absorb water through their roots, good quality soil plays a role by helping hold the right amount of moisture in between watering. If you live in a particularly hot or dry region (like we do here in the Sacramento valley), you can cover the soil with mulch, tree leaves, or straw to keep moisture from evaporating too quickly. I give our garden a good dose of watering by hand 2-3 times each week (which is my personal therapy and so relaxing). We also have a drip hose winding its way around the plants, which we use in the interim. Some people like to keep watering as simple as possible by installing a water system with timer. How you water is up to you. Just don't over or under water.
Air
Even without lungs, plants still need air. Airy soil allows roots to grow. Air circulating freely around plants helps reduces certain plant diseases. And, having a fresh supply of carbon dioxide to take in is part of the photosynthesis process. Most outdoor gardens get plenty of the air they need, so the only thing I'll mention here is that if your region is having a string of 100+ degree hot days with completely stagnant air flow, a little fan blowing around your plants can get things circulating a bit more. On the other hand, if you're in a location with heavy winds, you may want to provide extra support for taller plant so they don't blow over and break a stalk. Reinforcing with a stake or bar, even using tomato cages or lattice, can help provide that support.
Planting Basics
Sowing seeds and planting seedlings in your raised bed is just like in any other garden plot. In future articles I'll get more detailed about choosing plants, starting seeds, and transplanting. However, I will say that before planting in your brand new raised bed, soak the soil first and let it drain over night. Then, plant seeds or starters as normal, watering again, very carefully so that seeds or roots are not disturbed.
A Word About Weeds
Keep the weeds around your raised beds trimmed or pulled. This minimizes the likelihood of weeds growing where you don't want them. If a few weeds do happen to popup in your box, pull them right away (which is easy since the soil is so loose and airy).
One Final Note
Watch for signs of plant diseases, such as discoloration or shriveling of the leaves, holes or insect damage, or anything else abnormal. Some diseases can be healed by adjusting water, soil, sun, or air. But some diseases may be more serious and need further treatment or (knock-on-wood) sanitation. Keep a look out for my pest control guide coming up.
Gardening is one of my very favorite activities. I love watching plants grow from seed to harvest time. Understanding these basics principals is incredibly important to supporting this natural cycle of life with minimal effort. Remember, it's a symbiotic relationship: you care for the plants and they'll care for you.
Have you gardened with raised beds? Please, share any tips or trick – or anything that I might have missed here – in the comments below!
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