| Defining A Raised Bed Garden - A raised bed garden | | | | will use and then after you have built the frames , fill |
| is just that. A garden that is raised above ground and | | | | them with topsoil and the best organic matter you |
| contained in an area with high sides that holds in the | | | | can find. The initial expense of adding soil to the |
| garden soil. The gardener will walk in between the | | | | frames will even out when you consider the soil will |
| beds and the soil will remain undisturbed within the | | | | never become compacted, your maintenance work |
| beds. Your raised beds can be any can be any depth | | | | will be cut way down and that you will have a much |
| that you choose and can be used to grow what | | | | better yield on your garden. Also you will be able to |
| ever you choose to plant. Because the soil is | | | | start gardening earlier due to the soil warming sooner |
| contained in one area you are able to amend it and | | | | in the Spring. Raised beds are a wonderful way to |
| keep the soil in optimum condition to grow in. | | | | garden and with the smaller yards now a days they |
| Advantages Of Raised Bed Gardens | | | | are a good way to get the homegrown goodness of |
| - The soil in a remains loose and friable because it is | | | | fresh vegetables and herbs in a smaller space than a |
| not compacted. | | | | traditional garden. |
| - The soil because it is above the frost line will warm | | | | Maintaining |
| up sooner in the spring. | | | | While maintaining a garden is certainly a lot of work a |
| - Areas where the soil is poor can be easily made | | | | raised bed garden cuts down on that work. All the |
| productive, because you are able to amend the soil | | | | problems with weeding and keeping the area |
| or replace the native soil with a soil mix. | | | | cultivated is cut down because in a raised bed plants |
| - After they are built raised beds require a lot less | | | | are planted closer together and weeds will pull out |
| maintenance than regular gardening methods. | | | | easily from the soil. You will have to water more |
| - Raised beds drain better. | | | | often but it will be easy enough to hookup a simple |
| - Accessibility is increased which makes it easier for | | | | drip irrigation system. In the fall just be sure to work |
| the gardener that may not be able to bend and | | | | in some good compost at the end of the season to |
| stoop to enjoy gardening as well as making it easier | | | | nourish and replenish the soil. |
| in general to garden in a raised bed garden. | | | | Disadvantages |
| Building a Raised Garden | | | | The problem with raised beds is that the cost is high |
| Making a raised bed garden requires some muscle and | | | | for the building of the beds. You must fill the boxes |
| some construction items. Frames for the bed can be | | | | with the best soil possible because you are starting |
| made out of untreated wood, cement blocks, rocks, | | | | from scratch and want to have the best growing |
| boulders, and bricks. Do not use treated lumber or | | | | medium possible. You also may find that you did not |
| railroad ties for gardens which will be used for edible | | | | build the boxes quite large enough and need to build |
| plants or vegetables. Next determine the size and | | | | more beds but once this is worked out I think you |
| location of the beds and layout the area on a piece | | | | will be hooked. |
| of paper. Determine the type of frame material you | | | | |