The past 30 years have seen a big change in vegetable gardening in this country, with wide (often raised) beds replacing the traditional row cropping in many cases. This might seem like something new, but very little is really new in gardening (except when new materials lead to the development of new techniques). If something works to make gardening more productive, you can be sure it was\u00a0 used and refined a long time ago, when growing your own food was a serious business (though it may have been forgotten in the interim). Wide beds are actually a very old method of growing plants and predate row cropping, simply because they work so well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intensive growing beds have\na number of advantages over the traditional rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating growing beds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bed size<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The width of a bed is\nusually decided by how far you can comfortably reach to the center. This\nusually works out to a bed somewhere between 3 and 5 feet wide. Wider beds give\nyou more growing area, while narrower ones are more convenient to work with.\nThey are easier to dig from each side and step over, so there is less chance\nyou will stand on them (you can also straddle them with a wide garden cart.)\nHowever they require more paths, which means less growing area, which may be an\nissue in very small gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is convenient to\nstandardize the width of a bed, as it facilitates planning and record keeping\nand you can use standard size cold frames and row covers. French market\ngardeners made their beds to conform to their standard size cold frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bed length is less critical\nthan the width and is usually dictated by the size and shape of the site. Don\u2019t\nmake the beds too long though, or it becomes a nuisance to walk all the way\naround them (this is particularly important if the paths are narrow). One way\nto decide on a length for the bed, is to make the length multiplied by the width\ninto a nice round number (e.g. 4 ft x 25 ft = 100 sq ft, or 5 ft x 40 ft = 200\nsq ft). This simplifies your garden mathematics (yield per square foot, how\nmuch amendments to add, etc).<\/p>\n\n\n\n To maximize the growing area\nyou may want to keep the paths fairly narrow (in small gardens they can be as\nnarrow as 12 – 14\u02dd). If you make the paths narrow don\u2019t make the beds too long,\nas you can\u2019t easily get a wheelbarrow down very narrow paths. You don\u2019t want to\nhave to carry spadefuls of compost half way down a 100 foot bed. Generally it\u2019s\na good idea to bisect your garden with a nice wide path, so the furthest\ndistance you would have to carry that spade would be 25 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have lots of space\nyou can make your paths wider (18 – 24\u02dd), to facilitate getting a wheelbarrow\nbetween them. The disadvantage of wide paths is that you have more unproductive\narea to take care of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bed shape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of people fill\ntheir gardens with rows of straight beds without thinking about any other\noption. Straight beds make sense if you just want to grow as much food as\npossible in a small area. They are easier to enclose with wood, easier to set\nup for watering and easier to protect with gopher wire and bird netting. Their\nuniform length and width also makes it easier to calculate the square footage\nof your crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are of a more\nartistic inclination you might consider the possibility of using more\ninteresting shaped beds. These greatly affect the appearance of the garden and\nare worth a little thought. Curved beds can create an interesting pattern and\ngive the garden a more informal and attractive appearance. Circular keyhole\nbeds are favored by permaculture gardeners. They say there is more growing area\nand less path and they are easily irrigated with a single sprinkler. I\u2019m not\ntotally convinced by these arguments, but I do like the way they look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any kind of bed preparation\ntakes some effort and is one of the most physically demanding aspects of\ngardening. I have heard people say that they aren\u2019t strong enough to prepare\ntheir own beds, but it is really a matter of conditioning and isn\u2019t that hard.\nIf you are not very fit or strong you just have to do it incrementally. Prepare\na couple of feet of bed every day, and you will soon have all of the garden you\nneed. You will also get stronger by doing it and will be able to do more next\ntime \u2013 in a few weeks you will be able to happily double dig all day! This is\nanother way your garden can help to take care of your body. You do have to be\ncareful and conscious however, or you can hurt yourself. Fortunately much of\nthe heavy work of establishment need only be done once. In later years the work\nbecomes easier because the soil is in better shape and doesn\u2019t require quite so\nmuch preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to prepare beds: <\/strong>The right\ntime to prepare the beds depends on the soil texture and moisture content. Clay\nand silt soils are commonly dug in autumn, as the soil tends to be drier at\nthis time (such soils drain slowly in spring and are easily damaged if worked\nwhen wet). They were traditionally left rough over the winter to allow the\nfrost to break them down to a fine tilth, but using a cover crop is a much\nbetter idea. Clay and silt soils can be prepared in spring if they are dry\nenough. Light sandy soils can be worked while quite wet, even at field\ncapacity, so may be dug in spring or fall. I prefer to do most of the\npreparation in fall (including double digging) and then plant a cover crop to\nprotect the soil over the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moisture<\/strong>: Before\nyou do any kind of cultivation <\/strong>the\nmoisture content of the soil must be right. If the soil is too wet, or too dry,\nnot only will it be much more difficult to work, but also you may damage its\nstructure. Start monitoring the moisture level a few days before you want to\nstart digging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too wet<\/strong>: One of the quickest ways to damage the soil is to\ncultivate it while it\u2019s too wet. This mashes the softened soil particles\ntogether, closing pore spaces and destroying the crumb structure. It is also\nphysically harder to dig wet soils, as it sticks to your spade and boots rather\nthan sliding off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To test if the soil is\nsuitable for digging, take a handful of soil and lightly squeeze it into a\nball. Drop this from waist height, if it doesn\u2019t break up it\u2019s too wet to work\nwith (obviously sandy soils don\u2019t stay together as readily as clay ones). If\nyou poke your finger into the ball it should fall apart. If you walked upon the\nwet soil (which of course you wouldn\u2019t dream of) your footprints would\ninitially be shiny as water is squeezed from the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the soil is too wet you\nmust postpone working until it has dried out. As a desperate measure I have\nhastened drying in wet weather by covering beds with plastic sheeting or\ncloches to stop them absorbing any more water (these are also useful to help\nthe soil warm up). Sloping sites drain a lot faster than flat areas, which is\none reason they are considered to be superior. Cover crops can help the soil to\ndry out faster in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too dry<\/strong>: Dry soil\noften becomes a problem in hot <\/strong>weather.\nClay soils are the most problematic, as they can bake very hard when dry (they\nmay be almost impossible to penetrate) and tend to crumble to powder when\ncultivated. When the powdered soil gets wet again it sets solid almost like\nconcrete and becomes impossible to dig. The soil is too dry if it won\u2019t hold in\na ball when squeezed in your hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remedy for dry soil is\nsimple, just water with an overhead sprinkler overnight. It\u2019s important to\napply enough water initially, as a dry soil can absorb a lot of water (sometimes\nseveral inches of water!). Don\u2019t apply too much of course, you don\u2019t want to\nhave to wait for it to drain before you can start work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water has a miraculous\neffect on dry clay soils, when it is dry you need a pick to make a mark, but\nonce it is moist you can push a fork into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearing existing vegetation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before\nyou can prepare new beds you have to deal with the existing vegetation. The\neasiest way to do this is to cover the ground with black plastic for several\nweeks, which kills most plants by heating and depriving them of light. This is\na good way to deal with tough sod with a dense network of roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The commonest way to deal\nwith the vegetation is to incorporate it as you dig the beds. You can also\nremove the vegetation from the soil surface and compost it separately. See Soil improving Crops<\/strong> for more\non these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Loosely rooted old crops,\nweeds and soil improving crops can often be pulled by hand, but well\nestablished crops may require thorough skimming. If there is a lot of\nvegetation, you could scythe off the tops for composting and incorporate the\nroots into the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Removing tough grass sod is\nparticularly hard work. You may have to cut through a section on all sides,\nslide the spade underneath to cut the roots and then lever it from the ground. Don\u2019t\nbury (or chop up) perennial weeds or grass clumps, as they may start to grow.\nIt is amazing what will survive and grow if you give it a chance, I\u2019ve seen\nalder twigs root themselves. The end result should be a totally clean area of\nsoil with no plant material on it at all). Grass sod can be composted in a\nspecial pile to make valuable turf loam (see Compost\nand composting<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n An easy way to kill existing\nvegetation is to cover the soil with black plastic for a month or so. The\nextreme version of this is soil solarization, which can be used to kill a\nvariety of soil pests. See Soil solarization<\/strong> for more on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marking out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to mark the layout of the beds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Linear beds<\/strong>: Most gardeners use rectangular beds because they are easier to water,\nset up drip irrigation and lay gopher wire in. Once you have decided on their\nsize and location, set out string lines and pegs to define the edges. Keep\nthese almost at ground level initially, so they are out of the way while\ndigging. These will help you to make all of the\nbeds perfectly straight and uniform in size and shape. This makes them look\nbetter, though it won\u2019t make them any more effective. If you don\u2019t care about the beds being straight and uniform, then you\ncan forget about this, but the edges of your beds may wander all over the\nplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Non linear beds<\/strong>: If you want a more interesting looking\ngarden you might go for curved beds. They are slightly less practical, but\nreally can add visual appeal. Perfect circles and arcs tend to look a lot\nbetter than misshapen ones, so make a compass from a length of string and two\nstakes, so you can get nice neat arcs and circles.\nMark the lines on the soil with\nground limestone or wood ashes (fill a\ncoffee can with ground limestone and punch a \u00bc\u02dd hole into the plastic lid).\nYou can lay out irregular curves with a\nhose pipe, just lay it down to define the required curves and then mark out the\nshape with ground limestone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several ways to make\na bed, depending upon the condition of the soil and how much effort you want to\nexpend. I will start with the most labor intensive procedure for preparing a\n\u201cstandard\u201d intensive raised bed and will then describe some of the easier (or\nharder) methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The initial establishment of\na raised bed garden is quite a lot of work, especially if you intend to double\ndig the beds. Fortunately there are ways to reduce the work (and the stress on\nyour body) to manageable proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Don\u2019t exert yourself\nany more than you would in your everyday life, or try to do too much at once.\nThis is especially important in spring when your muscles have weakened from\nwinter inactivity (this is the commonest time of year for injury). If you have\nany medical problems I suggest you avoid double digging altogether, as it is\nstrenuous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Double digging is hard\nwork, but it can be enjoyable if you work slowly and carefully. Dig only a\nsmall section at a time (perhaps 30 minutes a day), resting as necessary. I am\nfairly fit and strong and I find the repetitive hard labor of double digging\nquite therapeutic in small doses. More like a combined exercise and meditation\nthan an unpleasant chore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Break yourself in slowly and you will soon be able\nto double dig from dawn to dusk (or even dusk to dawn if you are particularly\ngung ho). <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Don\u2019t strain yourself by picking up more soil on\nyour spade than you can comfortably lift. Two small loads are a lot less\nstressful than one big one. You should also understand how your body works,\neven the strongest people can injure themselves through poor body mechanics.\nBend your knees when lifting, rather than bending from the waist (I admit this\nis one I have never quite got the hang of). Use your strongest hand to hold the\nbottom of the spade (where the weight is) and use your weakest arm to\ncounterbalance and maneuver it around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Dig efficiently. Jump on to the spade and use the\nweight of your body to push it into the ground, rather than trying to use your\narms and back. Use your heel or the middle of your foot to press down on the\nspade. Learn to lever and slide the spades full of soil into position rather\nthan lifting them (they break up less and it greatly reduces back strain). Push\nyour spade (or fork in heavy soil) into the ground vertically for deepest\npenetration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 You don\u2019t have to dig\ndown the full 24\u02dd the first time. If it\u2019s a lot easier to only go down 15 – 20\u02dd\nthat\u2019s fine. You can go deeper next time, when the soil is looser and the\ndigging is easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 If you have enough\ntime you could plant deep rooted cover crops for a season to loosen the soil\nbefore digging (see below). This is a good argument for establishing the garden\nincrementally, over several years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are not very strong and fit, you may want to spread this\ndigging over several years, doing 1 or 2 beds each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tilthing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The prepared bed may need to\nbe tilthed to break up any remaining soil clods and leave a fine loose tilth.\nThe larger lumps of soil are broken up with glancing sideways blows with the\nfork (sideways to minimize the compaction that might result from downward\nblows). This should be done immediately after digging, otherwise the soil may\ndry out leaving hard clumps that are almost impossible to break apart. If you\ndid your digging and forking well then only a minimum of tilthing should be\nnecessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shaping the bed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbest tool for shaping beds is the back side of a rake (the front side doesn\u2019t\nwork very well because the tines have a tendency to dig in and move too much\nsoil). Begin shaping by removing any leftover debris, hard clumps of soil,\nrocks and weeds (rake them into the path and remove – clods of soil can be\nwalked upon to break them up). To get the required shape pull soil from high\nspots to low spots, then rake diagonally both ways, as well as straight across.\nIt\u2019s easier to work from the opposite side of the bed, pulling soil up towards\nyou, rather than pushing. I raise the string about 9\u02dd off the ground while\nshaping, so it doesn\u2019t get tangled in the rake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The intended crop dictates\nhow thorough your soil preparation must be. Carrots needs more careful\npreparation than potatoes or tomatoes. For a seed bed the surface particles\nshould be fairly small, roughly the same size as the seed which will go into\nthem (see Direct Sowing<\/strong> <\/strong>for more on preparing seed beds) The bed may be a lot rougher if\nyou are growing transplants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beds\nshouldn\u2019t be too tall (10\u02dd at most), I\u2019ve seen raised beds that were 18\u02dd above\nthe paths and looked more like fortifications than a garden. Beds in clay soils\ncan be higher than sandy ones, because they hold water better and benefit from\nincreased aeration. If beds get too high, you should either raise the path, or\nremove some soil (this can be added to the poorest beds, or used for\npropagation or composting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bed profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There isn\u2019t one correct profile\nfor the top of the bed, it depends on the soil, climate and the crop to go in\nit and there are a number of variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gently rounded beds are\npreferred for numerous small plants such as lettuce or spinach. These go right\nto the edge of the bed (especially if they are to be broadcast) and this shape\ngives you the greatest growing surface. If your soil doesn\u2019t absorb water\neasily, then sloped surfaces may not be a good idea – you apply water and most\nof it simply runs off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beds with flat tops and\nsteeply sloping sides (no more than 45\u00b0 or they will erode) are used for root\ncrops such as carrot (they ensure a more even depth of soil). They may also be\nused when only a few plants will go in the bed (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers), or\nwhere plants will be in rows (such as peas or beans). If the soil isn\u2019t very\ngood you should make sure the top of the bed is totally flat, otherwise water\nmay run off instead of soaking in. You might also create a lip at the edges to\nhelp it hold water. In some cases the center of the bed may even be slightly\nsunken to facilitate the penetration of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In northern areas beds are\nsometimes tilted slightly (5 to 10\u00b0) to the south, to help them absorb the suns\nheat, so they warm up faster. To increase this slope, you could use a 2 x 12\u201d\nboard as the northern side of the bed and slope the southern side down to ground level. These beds might also be surrounded by a\nwindbreak (or even a berm of soil) to conserve warmth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beds don\u2019t have to be raised\nat all. In hot dry climates they can be flat, or only raised a few inches, so\nthey don\u2019t dry out so quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In very dry areas the beds may actually be slightly sunken to\nminimize the use of water. Such beds may also be useful in humid areas for\ngrowing semi-aquatic plants such as watercress. To prepare such beds you\nbasically dig a trench the size of the bed, fork the bottom and re-fill it with\nsoil, organic matter and other necessary amendments. Remove the subsoil only;\nkeep the topsoil to one side for re-filling the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you remove your string\nand temporary stakes it\u2019s a good idea to replace them with attractive,\npermanent, rot resistant stakes, such as 2 x 2\u2019s. These should stick up about a\nfoot or so above ground and permanently define the corners of the beds. They\nprevent encroachment at the corners and keep hoses from dragging across the bed and damaging the\nplants. These can also add a decorative touch if nicely made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One disadvantage of\npermanent corner stakes is that if you don\u2019t watch where you are going they are\neasy to trip over. You might want to round the tops to minimize scraping your\nshins on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the beds are finished\nyou should clean up the paths and rake off any debris. Make sure their width is\neven along the entire length and that each path is of equal width (they should\nbe if you used string to mark the ends). Attractive paths do a lot to make the\ngarden look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In dry areas it is best to\nleave the paths bare, they will bake hard to create a good walking surface that\ndoesn\u2019t provide hiding places for pests. In wet areas bare soil can get muddy,\nso you may want a covering of sawdust or wood chips. This will rot down in a\ncouple of years and can then be incorporated into the soil (this is actually a\ngood way to add highly carbonaceous material to your soil).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If space is very precious you could even have\nstepping stone paths and put low growing crops in the spaces in between them.\nYou wouldn\u2019t be able to use a wheelbarrow though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the bed is prepared it\nmust be watered like a seedbed to keep it moist, even if it isn\u2019t going to be\nplanted immediately (ideally you should plant into the bed as soon as it is\nprepared). This is also the time to install drip irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t walk on the finished\nbeds again. If you absolutely must stand on them for some reason, lay down a\nboard and stand on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Double digging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the best known, most\nthorough and effective way to prepare beds and appeals to the methodical kind\nof person, someone who likes order and science (and is also fairly physically\nactive). It loosens the soil down to a depth of 24\u02dd or more, which has a number\nof beneficial effects. I have a separate devoted to this topic. Double Digging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Single digging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the next step down\nfrom double digging, but still allows you to thoroughly incorporate fertilizers\nand amendments. The process is simply the first part of double digging. Scatter\nthe appropriate amendments on to the bed, dig the first spit, then throw a\nlayer of organic matter into the trench in the usual way and throw the soil\nfrom the next trench on top (I often give it a token forking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forked beds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This quick and easy way to\nprepare beds can work quite well if the soil is in good condition (such as in\nan established garden). It doesn\u2019t work so well on shallow, poor, compacted or\nweed infested soils though, as they usually need more intensive treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Begin by scattering the\nappropriate amendments on to the bed, and then thoroughly fork them in to the\nsoil to a depth of 8 – 10\u02dd. The flat tined spading fork is the best tool for\nthis, as it\u2019s more effective at opening up the soil. Throw any topsoil on the\npaths onto the beds and shape it to the desired shape with a rake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tilled beds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Small scale commercial\nmarket gardeners (and large-scale home gardeners) often make raised beds with\ntractors or rototillers. This is the easiest way to create a large raised bed\ngarden, as they require a lot less labor. Of course the resulting beds aren\u2019t\nas good as double dug beds, though you wouldn\u2019t expect them to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several drawbacks\nto the use of mechanical tillers. They are noisy, smelly, expensive, hard to\nhandle and kill earthworms and other soil organisms. Worst of all they\npulverize and compact the soil, which has a horrible effect on its structure.\nThey may also cause a plow pan on heavy soils where the tines smear and compact\nthe soil at their maximum depth. If the soil has a lot of pernicious weeds you\ncan\u2019t use a tiller, as you will simply propagate the weeds when you chop them\nup. On the plus side they can also save a lot of labor and if you are growing\ncommercially they may mean the difference between profit and loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To create a bed with a\ntiller, begin by marking out the entire area to be covered in beds, and spread\nout all of the amendments on the surface. Then till to loosen the soil in\nseveral passes, going deeper each time, until you get to the maximum depth\npossible. If it\u2019s a large area you may save a lot of time and effort by hiring\na tractor to do it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the area is thoroughly\ntilled, set out stakes to mark the outline of the beds (always keep to the\npaths) and string lines between the stakes. Then transfer surplus soil from the\npaths to the beds (there is actually a tiller attachment which does this for\nyou). You then shape the beds and plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triple digging (Trenching)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Triple digging is sometimes\nused in very poor clay soils. Suitable for the serious penitent only, this is\n\u201cextreme gardening\u201d, a form of self-flagellation for those that don\u2019t consider double\ndigging to be enough work. Basically it\u2019s similar to double digging, but\ninvolves moving a lot more heavy soil around, as you dig and move 2 spits deep\nand then fork the third spit. You can incorporate organic matter at the bottom\nof both spits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enclosed Beds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Garden beds enclosed with\nwooden sides are everywhere these days and in urban areas they may well be the\nmost popular way to grow vegetables. These beds look neat, make mulching paths\neasier and because they are somewhat raised they reduce stooping (good for\nelderly or infirm gardeners).<\/p>\n\n\n\n One reason they are so\npopular, is that they provide an instant garden and so simplify the task of\ngrowing vegetables. There is no need to learn about your soil, if you can\nsimply buy an imported soil mix. All you have to do is build the beds (or pay\nsomeone to build them), fill it with mix (or pay someone to fill them) and you\nhave an instant bed, ready to plant (or you can pay someone to plant). In no\ntime at all you will be eating vegetables you have grown yourself (or be paying\nsomeone else to eat them for you). The only problem with paying someone else to\ncreate your garden (not to mention buying the soil), is that it thoroughly\nmesses up the economics of growing vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though generally I tend to\nbe averse to the world of instant gratification and associated consumerism, in\nthis case I am a little more understanding. If this is what it takes to get\npeople to grow vegetables, I have only a very small problem with it (and who am\nI to comment anyway?) Okay since you\nasked, my problem is that the owners of such beds haven\u2019t put much emotional\ninvestment in them and frequently they tend to not take them as seriously (of\ncourse that\u2019s not my problem). This is why you frequently see abandoned, half\nempty enclosed beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These kind of beds are great\nfor people not physically strong enough to garden in any other way. They are\nalso useful if your garden has very poor soil (such as a highly alkaline or\nrocky one), as you can simply import soil to fill the frames. They are the best\nway for creating gopher free beds, by simply stapling gopher wire to the bottom\nof the frame (make a good tight fit). Wooden frames also make it easy to create\na modular system for attaching drip irrigation, trellis or cloche hoops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have used wooden beds for\nyears to combat gophers, but have never grown to love them. My biggest\nobjection is that they are time consuming and labor intensive to make. They\nalso require the use of quantities of lumber, which isn\u2019t very ecologically\nsound as it usually doesn\u2019t last very long, unless it is expensive rot\nresistant wood, or treated with toxic chemicals (I always used salvaged\nredwood). The edges of the bed can provide hiding places for pests (soil\nsometimes shrinks away from the boards slightly, leaving a crack that is a\nperfect hiding place). They also tend to dry out fairly quickly. I also found\nthat if they weren\u2019t built and maintained carefully gophers would sometimes get\ninto them anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another significant problem,\nis that when you raise up the beds vertically, you expose the sides to sunlight\nand the soil can heat up much more than it would in the ground. This can be a\nbig problem, because when the soil gets above 80\u00b0F, organic matter breaks down\nrapidly. I often see neglected wooden beds that are half empty, a result of\nmost of the organic matter they once contained being destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The material for the sides\nof the bed may be railroad ties (beware of toxic chemicals), concrete blocks,\nbricks, stone or wooden 2 x 10\u2019s or 2 x 12\u2019s. You can fill them with garden\nsoil, mixed with compost or aged manure and other amendments<\/p>\n\n\n\n Square foot gardening<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a variation on\nraised bed\/wide row gardens that was popularized by Mel Bartholomew. It is\nparticularly well suited to creating gardens in very small areas, such as\npatios or decks. You build wooden beds and fill them with an imported mix, thus\navoiding a lot of work, time and tools. It is called square foot gardening\nbecause you plant each crop by the square foot, putting in a certain number of\nseeds or plants in each square foot of soil. This is gardening reduced to a\nminimum and works well for many people. It doesn\u2019t produce an enormous amount\nof food however and is best used to grow expensive gourmet foods like heirloom\ntomatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick and easy way to prepare a growing bed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the soil is already\nfairly fertile, you don\u2019t necessarily have to \nspend a lot of time on bed preparation, you can make lazy beds. This is\nan old peasant technique that minimizes the work required to establish new beds\non grassland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The simplest way to prepare\nlazy beds is to mark out the area of the bed with string and then cover it with\na barrow load of manure for every 50 sq ft. You then cut the turf from the\npaths and fold it over so it falls upside down on the bed. You then finish by\nremoving any topsoil from the paths and pile it on the bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A more elaborate method is\nto skim off the turf, lay down a layer of woody brush and then replace the turf\nupside down (include the turf from the paths). You then add layers of manure,\ncompost or other organic matter and finally a layer of soil skimmed from the\npaths. In cool weather the decay of the bed can be hastened by covering it with\nblack plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lazy beds should initially\nbe planted with a vigorous crop like potatoes, that doesn\u2019t mind a rough seedbed.\nTheir cultivation involves turning the soil three times (planting, hilling and\ndigging), which thoroughly loosens the soil and transforms it into a real bed.\nIn future years this can be used for other crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your soil isn\u2019t very\nfertile, you may want to think about growing green manure crops in most beds\ninitially, to improve the soil. You might also think about adding rotting wood\nto the soil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bed preparation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Digging the beds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Corner stakes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Paths<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Watering<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Finished<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ways of preparing beds<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n