Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

The raised bed vegetable garden system a great option for growing vegetables because, no matter where you live, you can use this system. The raised bed vegetable garden can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. As long as you use the principles associated with this type of garden bed then you can expect to get great results with a bounty of fresh healthy vegetables.

Growing Vegetables In Raised Beds

This type of garden is something similar to growing vegetables in containers only the 'container' can be so much larger. For growing vegetables, the soil doesn't need to be very deep as most vegetables don't have deep roots apart from the root crop vegetables that is and then a depth of about 12 to 15 inches or 30 to 40 centimeters is mostly ample, potatoes are fine as you mound as they grow.

Raised Garden Bed Sizes

You only need your garden bed to be raised to about 12 to 15 inches. The length can be whatever length suits and the width needs to be a comfortable reach for you to the center from both sides without stepping into the bed. The height of the bed should be whatever height suits you. If you don't want to bend over while tending your garden then build your raised bed to a comfortable height that will allow you to tend the vegetables without the need to bend your back.

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

If you wish to build your own raised beds then your options are many. You can use timber, concrete blocks, retainer wall paver blocks, stone. If using timber, only use non-treated timber like a cedar as the treated timbers usually contain toxic substances that can leech out into the soil and you will run the risk of your vegetables taking up the toxins. There are also kits and ready made raised bed vegetable gardens that you can purchase and save the time in building them yourself. Check out your local nursery suppliers or have a shop around online.

Sideless Building

It is also possible to have this type of garden without solid sides. Start with a good layer of gravel for drainage and then mound up the soil you wish to use, make sure you loosen the ground underneath before putting down the soil. As a surround for the bed you could use a thicker border of mulch as an edging. I would only do this if the pathways between the beds were not grass but a mulch or gravel so that weeds or grasses couldn't find their way into the growing area. The pathways can be an attractive and low maintenance option too, especially if you use a wood chip or bark mulch or something like decomposed granite.

Advantages

Raised bed vegetable gardens are meant to be low maintenance. That means by using this system, that is, adding your own soil mix to the beds, the weeds, pests and diseases are all but eliminated. Better drainage is another advantage as having the bed raised allows the water to drain away and not leave the plants water-logged. Crop rotation is very important when growing vegetables. Simply put, crop rotation means not growing the same vegetable two years in a row in the same spot. With raised bed vegetable gardens, you can have the beds whatever size you want. This size should be determined by the size of your family or your vegetable needs. So if you are a person living on your own or have a family of ten, your raised vegetable garden can cater for your needs. You don't need a big area to have a vegetable garden using the raised system. If you have a small yard or even a balcony then you can use the same principles to grow your very own vegetables. The best advantage for you the gardener is, by using this system of raised bed vegetable gardening it has been shown, compared to the conventional vegetable gardens, to produce nearly twice as much in a smaller area.

As long as you follow the principles of raised bed gardening then you can be growing and eating your own vegetables in no time. That is the beauty of vegetable gardening, your wait is only a matter of weeks in many cases.

Arthor and Source: Carmel Baird

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