If you are thinking of starting a garden next spring or want to make changes in your current garden, consider raised bed gardening. A traditional garden has orderly, narrow, single rows with plants in line with one another. You start with a plot of land, then till the soil, plant seeds or put bedding plants into the soil and then hoe between rows and between plants. But there is a better way to grow the same great food with a lot less work. There are two main versions of raised bed gardening. One is “uncontained,” in which you just rake existing soil into a mound, add soil amendments and then plant. The second is “contained,” in which the soil is held in place by a structure. If you choose to use the mounding method, plan to test the soil — pH available nutrients, etc. With contained raised beds you have better control of soil as you provide amendments and good drainage occurs naturally. Where should you place a raised bed? Consider the following: • The bed needs 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. • Avoid trees that would shade the raised bed and compete for nutrients. • Avoid low, wet spots. Plants don’t like wet feet and cold air can be trapped. • Avoid areas that get high wind. • A level spot is easiest. • Is there a water source nearby? • Is it close to kitchen and garden tools? Raised bed gardening’s advantages are many. The soil warms up earlier in the spring for faster/better growth; there is no deep digging required, and since you do not walk on the soil it stays loose and well aerated and thus ideal for plant roots. You use space more efficiently so more vegetables can be grown per unit area. It is easier to water. If you add drip irrigation, you may really see results in water conservation. The best part is that weeding is easier. You can get by with only hand weeding or light hand hoeing. You can also include hardware or posts that let you use shade cloth, plastic sheeting for frost protection or netting for bird control. There are a few disadvantages to raised beds. There is the upfront cost of materials and the labor required to build the beds (unless you buy premade beds). To start, measure the area where bed(s) will be placed and make a drawing of the location, size and shape of bed(s). Decide if the bed(s) are to be placed on dirt or grass. If on grass, put down several layers of cardboard or newspaper, then add dirt. The best size for a bed is 3 to 4 feet wide by 6 to 8 feet long so you can reach inside comfortably. The depth is a minimum of 12 to 18 inches deep to accommodate deep roots but can be deeper. The shape is typically rectangular. It’s best to orient north-south to minimize shade on short plants. But the shape can be square, triangle, circle, etc. Get creative! Treated wood is the most common material for the beds but you can also use concrete blocks, bricks or pavers, plastic — pre-made beds, even metal such as stock water containers. Again, get creative! Another nice touch is to add a bench seat on the bed’s edges. It’s nice to sit down while working. Then consider the space between the beds. Will you need to get a wheelbarrow on the path, or just space to walk? Next consider what will be placed on these paths. If bare soil is left, there will be weeds and you don’t want to deal with that extra work. Material choices for paths include bricks, pavers or gravel, but keep in mind these are permanent and costly. If you have grass you need to water and mow, so better to put down weed barrier such as black plastic and then add wood chips or shredded bark, which does need to be renewed periodically. If you have difficulty bending, stooping or even sitting, waist-high beds are the answer; they can even be adapted for individuals in a wheelchair. With the ease of raised bed gardening you can enjoy homegrown healthy vegetables or the beauty of flowers necessary for pollinators. In our next column we’ll continue the discussion on raised bed gardening. Powered by WPeMatico The post Master Gardeners, Sept. 15: Raised bed gardening – Yakima Herald-Republic appeared first on HouseDecorIDeas. via HouseDecorIDeas https://ift.tt/34O6DMA
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