Time for another Tips from the Yard. Now is the time to consider the garden we will be working with, it’s time to consider raised beds for the garden. Is the yard small, is there a lot of clay in the soil, is the soil mucky and wet in the spring, and the most important question – can the gardener get down and up from the ground. There are other considerations but that last one, in my mind the most important.
The advantages of raised garden beds include;
- the beds heat quickly in the spring and stay warm longer in the fall
- The soil conditions can be controlled, too much clay, rocks, or no topsoil at all is easily improved
- The soil isn’t easily compacted so it drains well
- There is a measure of protection against voles and moles
- Season extending materials are easy to install, like hoops or row covers
- The garden has an organized appearance
- MOST IMPORTANTLY bending to reach the plants is reduced. The edges or the beds make great seating
There are disadvantages that must be considered;
- The beds can get hot fast and cause cool season crops to bolt early
- Small crops work well, big crops like corn or melons not so much
- Filling the beds with a good mix can get expensive
- The materials for building the beds can get expensive.
- Wood for beds must be safe for garden use.
Other items to consider: Vegetables need 6 hrs. of sun, avoid low areas whenever possible, and location, location, location. Keep them close to a water supply, close enough to the house to make tending easy, far enough from pets to ensure no issues.
The best beds are no more than 4 ft wide, to ensure ease of reaching the middle of the beds.
The walkways between should be 2 ft wide for ease of getting around grown vegetables.
A suggested soil mix can be 50% soil and 50% compost (leaf mold 25%, peat moss 20%, and perlite 5%)
The easiest beds to build are 4ft wide by 8ft long by a minimum of 8in deep. The deeper the better. A water permeable membrane is an option for site weed control, and to preserve the base of the bed frame.
The beds themselves can be made of cedar, white pine, treated wood that is certified ground safe, bricks, pavers, stones, cinderblocks, or other recycled materials suitable for a raised garden bed.
Now is the time to let your imagination go. Design and if weather permits build the beds and get the soil ready for an early vegetable garden.
Resources:
https://ag.umass.edu/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/raised-beds
https://extension.psu.edu/quick-and-easy-raised-bed-design-for-urban-growers
https://extension.psu.edu/soil-health-in-raised-beds
-M. Massey