Are Raised Beds Good For Beginner Vegetable Gardeners
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Raised beds are the way to go if you want an easy and effective way to be able to provide better soil control, drainage, and easier access for planting and maintaining your next garden.
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I love how raised beds allow you to develop the soil over time and most importantly it's easier for me to manage the weeds.
Plus with improved soil drainage my plants look way better than when I tried to grow them directly in the ground.
I have that hard North Carolina clay plus a high water table where my garden is, so adding raised beds definitely improved my harvests by being able to give my plants better drainage and better weed management.
Where To Put My Raised Garden Beds In My Yard ?
The first thing you want to consider when your adding raised beds to your garden area is the amount of sunlight that area receives.
You're going to want to build your garden in an area of your yard that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily.
Most vegetables and flowers need plenty of light to thrive, so this is key to growing a lot of fresh food at home.
If you are brand new to gardening I would begin with one or two raised beds and use the square foot gardening method to grow several easy plants in a small space.
The plants I recommend for a beginner gardener are tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, herbs, and even growing your own salad greens at home is easy to do.
How To Build Raised Garden Beds
Luckily, you can build raised beds from various materials, but wood is popular because it’s affordable and easy to work with.
Cedar and redwood resist rot and last longer, but they can be more costly.
Also avoid treated wood that may contain harmful chemicals you don't want leaching into your soil.
You can also consider other options like using bricks, concrete blocks, or metal.
Just be sure to choose a size that fits your space and is comfortable to reach across.
Check out these galvanized steel raised beds. I think they are a great investment because you get a solid garden bed that will last, it ships to you easily, and you don't have to worry about it rotting plus they have a variety of sizes and colors making it easier to customize your next garden.
If I had to do my garden over again I probably would go with something like this just because I like the convenience and durability of a product like this.
How To Prepare The Ground For Raised Beds
To prepare the ground for your raised beds begin by clearing the chosen area of grass, weeds, and debris.
You can lay down cardboard or newspaper to block weeds from growing up into your bed.
I highly recommend putting down a solid layer to prevent issues with unwanted weeds.
This layer will decompose over time and enrich the soil below, so it can be pretty thick.
If you have hard or compacted soil you can loosen it with a garden fork or tiller to improve drainage.
How To Fill Raised Beds Cheaply
If you want to save money on filling your garden beds add a layer of cardboard and sticks to the base of your garden bed along with leaves.
This can create a bulk of the filling for your raised beds, it's free, and it will breakdown over time.
This simple tip can save you a ton of money when it comes to filling your raised beds for the first time.
Then you can top it off with a mix of quality soil and compost.
A good blend is about 60% topsoil, 30% compost, and 10% potting soil or peat moss.
This mix provides nutrients, good drainage, and moisture retention.
How To Plan Your Raised Bed For Planting
Start with easy to grow plants like lettuce, radishes, herbs, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes.
Looking into square foot gardening it allows you to space your plants easily, so that you get the most use out of your raised beds.
These crops grow quickly and give you a sense of accomplishment making them a great choice for getting started.
Arrange plants with taller ones at the back and shorter ones in the front for better sunlight exposure.
Follow seed packet instructions for spacing and depth plus water regularly for the best results.
How To Maintain Your Raised Bed Garden
Maintaining your garden is easy, just be sure to water your garden regularly, especially during dry spells.
Raised beds dry out faster than ground gardens, so check moisture daily.
You can do this by checking the soil about two inches deep to see what the moisture level is.
Also be sure to mulch around plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds.
And keep an eye out for pests removing them by hand or use natural remedies like neem oil.
Should I Get Raised Beds For My Vegetable Garden?
Be proud of yourself for taking on the challenge of growing fresh food at home this is a simple change that can lead to a big impact in your life and across the world.
Creating your own garden beds is also a fun way to help bring the family together and incorporate children in a fun hobby that teaches real life skills.
Growing your own food is an empowering skill that is truly rewarding and I want to make that even easier for you by sharing what works and what doesn't in the garden.
Thinking about raised beds?
I say go for it!
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