Raised Bed Gardening – Some Tips
Article by janet ashby
If you have poor soil in your garden or very heavy clay soil you may want to consider using a raised bed garden. In a raised bed you will be ale to add good quality soil full of nutrients and organic matter which will aid drainage and ensure your plants grow well. A raised bed garden is also ideal for those who find gardening physically challenging. You can build a raised garden yourself or opt for the many raised garden kits widely available. Gardening will be more enjoyable and you will not suffer a bad back or sore knees!
Advantages of Raised Gardening
* In a raised garden you will have extensive management of the the components of the soil so you can raise vegetables or flowers that need specific pH’s and nutrients without difficulty * The soil can be bought weed free so you will not need to spend time weeding. * The plants in a raised bed are a great deal simpler to maintain and by and large grow better. The soil doesn’t become compressed from people walking on it, so oxygen and nutrients can get to the roots more easily. * Raised gardens heat up quicker in the Spring so you can sow a good deal sooner allowing you a much longer growing period. * It is much easier to nurture a raised garden than a conventional garden as you can construct the garden at a suitable height. For folks who have physical problems, or are in a wheelchair this is perhaps the only way they can take pleasure in gardening. * Raised beds are a good deal kinder to knees and backs! You will not hurt your back or knees from cultivating your garden. * In a correctly made raised garden, drainage is superior to that of an ordinary garden. You will not have saturated soil and your plants will develop better.
Where to Place Your Raised Bed Garden
Before you choose where to situate a raised garden monitor your backyard for at least a full day to check which parts receive more daylight or which are in the shade. Do you want to grow plants that love the sun or those which favor shade? Find a spot where you can have room round the garden to make gardening more convenient.
It is also helpful to have pathways surrounding the garden to make moving around it with gardening equipment easy. If you are installing one for someone who is in a wheelchair you must make certain that access is easy from all sides and it is the right height.
Filling Your Raised Bed Garden
After the garden is built load it with high-quality soil and compost. A blend of 50% soil and 50% compost is customarily suggested. Top soil is frequently obtainable to buy in bulk but be careful of the quality as there are no standards set down. Top soil can fluctuate a lot in it’s components.
Garden shops also sell soil in bulk and you can be certain that it is excellent quality. You might use top soil from your own garden but you will need rather a large amount and it may not contain all the nutrients needed. It will also certainly have weed seeds and perhaps stones.
For economy you may possibly need to combine garden soil with bought soil but take care you mix it completely and if possible have a soil test to ensure the nutrient levels and pH are acceptable. Whatever option you select mix in a small amount of sand as an aid to drainage. You might also need to top up the earth intermittently as it compacts down and mix in some organic matter regularly. An excellent word of advice is to grow some ground cover plants through the winter for protection which you can then dig in in the Spring to increase the level of nutrients.
Conclusion
There are many advantages to using a raised bed over more conventional gardening. For those who cannot easily cultivate a conventional garden, due to physical limitations, it may be the only way they can enjoy the pleasures of gardening. For all of us, raised bed gardening is easier and more productive. With a longer growing season and ideal conditions we can have beautiful, productive gardens much more easily with less back ache and no sore knees!
About the Author
For more information on gardening visit Raised Bed Gardens or see our range of Raised Garden Kits
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.
