photo credit: suburbandollar
A raised bed vegetable garden is useful when bending is difficult or cultivation is made from a wheelchair. The main drawbacks are the initial cost of materials and the labour required to build them. Slugs also tend to find the edges an attractive place to live. On the other hand, raised beds are very useful when there is a poor drainage and drastically reduce weeds, as dormant seeds are not brought to the surface by the soil being turned over.
The soil in a bed is treated in the same way as in an open plot. Raised beds are especially appropriate, where a “non-dig” system is used. “Non-dig” is an organic technique that can be used to grow any kinds of vegetables. Its main characteristic is that the soil is not turned over and soil improvers or fertilizers are spread over the surface. They are incorporated to the inner levels of the soil by earthworms and other organisms. Soil organisms will later on decompose what worms drag down.
Siting and Orientation
They should be in an open, sunny position, wherever possible, running north- south to minimise shade from taller crops; these ones should be growing on the centre of the bed, with smaller crops on each side. If your beds have to run east to west, grow tall crops in the bed furthest from the sun, or in blocks with rows running across the bed, to minimise shading.
Edging material for raising beds:
-Bamboo rolls
-Bricks
-Concrete blocks or slabs
-Kerbstones
-Logs
-Railway sleepers
-Roofing tiles and slates
-Timber
-Synthetic wood
-Woven willow or hazel
-Proprietary edging rolls made from recycled plastic
Sowing and planting
In the same way as in a dug bed. The surface will be crumbly and ideal for seed sowing. Young vegetable plants can be set into holes made with a trowel.
Harvesting:
You may be able to simply pull roots out of the ground or use a fork to gently loosen them.
Sheet mulching: Particularly useful in non-dig systems as raised beds. Always mulch when the soil is warm and after heavy rain. Mulching cold soils delays soil warming, slowing plants growth and increasing the risk of slug damage.
Make the sheet with two or three layers:
Base layer (Biodegradable, excludes light)
-Large sheet of cardboard
-Flattened cardboard boxes
-Full thickness newspapers
Middle layer (soil improver, anchors base)
-Garden compost
-Grass clippings
-Leaf mould or fallen leaves
-Well rotten manure
-Mushroom compost
-Shredded soft pruning
-Spent straw or hay
Top layer (optional) (retains moisture)
-Straw
-Hay
Related Blogs
Related Sites
- Ray Ritchie Organic Raised Bed Vegetable Garden | Gro-Rite
- Maria Rodale: How to Build a Raised Bed « health, mens health …
- Raised Bed Garden to be a Big Improvement as a Hobby
- Creating a Raised Bed | Raised Bed Vegetable Garden