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Hi Im Tricia an organic gardener I grow organically for a healthy and safe food
supply
for a clean and sustainable environment
for an enjoyable and rewarding experience
gardening in raised beds is an old technique
that never seems to go out of style
the benefits of gardening in raised beds are plentiful
good drainage, the soil warms up quickly
and usually you have a little bit more productivity
raised beds can be as simple as a mound of dirt about three to four feet wide or
as elaborate as my redwood raised beds
framed beds should be at least six inches high
mine are two feet tall which is great to make a bigger root zone or if your
gardening from a wheelchair
for maximum sun exposure
lay out your garden beds for low growing crops in a north-south direction
for trellis crops and vines it's recommended that you do an east-west direction
position your beds away from the roots of big trees or shrubs
and make sure you have full sun and enough room between the beds
for your wheelbarrow or garden cart
your bed should be no more than four feet across
you want to be able to reach across and work in them comfortably and you don't want to step in them
your beds can be as long as you like twenty five feet is ideal because most
fertilizer application rates are by the hundred square feet
four feet by twenty five feet
that's pretty easy math for me
for long beds like that it's important to have supports stakes every six feet or so
once you've decided on your location lay out your bed
strings and stakes or field paint are great options
now it's time to choose your materials you can make raised beds out of recycled
building materials such as cinder blocks bricks wood and composite decking
a word of caution about lumber don't use lumber thats treated with either creosote
or pentachlorophenol those are toxic
untreated redwood and cedar will last the longest
there are also kits available like this mini farm box that are easy to install
once you've chosen your location and your materials
loosen the soil
and remove all vegetation
a digging fork or broad fork are the best tools for this job
if you have a gopher problem like i do
put down gopher wire and then
lay weed fabric on top of the wire to prevent weeds from growing into your beds
gopher wire is better than aviary wire the holes are smaller and it's heavier
duty and will not rot out as soon as aviary wire
these mini farm boxes are great
they come in tables
rolling containers, or beds as large as four feet by eight feet by seventeen inches
these are made from attractive untreated cedar
and don't worry about irrigation there are kits available for the mini farm box
another option especially if your using recycled wood are
these decorative garden end braces
simply slide any two inch lumber into the brace and embrace your garden
end braces are a great option because it's easy to change the size and location of
your raised bed later
out of the box the end braces
are not rusted but they will rust overtime if you don't like the rustic look
just paint them before installing with a rust proof paint
for really inexpensive raised bed
use these three hundred gallon smart pot
for a twelve inch rooting zone use this big bag bed
the smart pots last about three to five years just unfold them and fill them up
with good potting soil
soil for raised beds can usually be purchased in bulk from a landscape supply
company if you don't have that resource
trying a mix of one part compost or other organic matter one part perlite
and two parts soil
the mini farm boxes, the end braces and the smart pots are great options
if you have a small space a patio garden or if you're renting your home
if you move you can take your garden with you. So build a raised bed and grow
organic for life