Gardens

Raised Bed Gardens

simple rasied beds

I have always mixed up my beds, that is, I created a few raised beds, but mostly plant in-ground. I have converted ny large in-ground garden into simple rasied beds. I used old fence boards and deck screws at the corners. This way, I can easily take them apart. The dirt is compost I got from the City of Lawrence, mixed with sand, top soil and bags soil. Now I use compost I make myself.

 

Raised Beds

Almost ready. The first planter has three rows of melon seeds.

Raised beds from above

Second week of June. Shot through screened wondow. And eye level, below. Three Sisters mounds in front

raised beds eye level

raised bed fall crop Tomatoes2012

Left: Here is one of the small raised beds off my back porch(with a compost drum on the background). These are early spring vegetables: onions, bok choy and carrots. Right 2012: You should rotate your plants every two years, at least. On right are tomatoes in place of the cold weather vegetables.

Raised beds are an attractive option for those who want to garden but do not have a lot of space, who have poor soil, or for those unable to withstand the rigors of caring for an in-ground garden. Raised beds can be very small (2 x 2, 3 x 3 feet), or up to 4 feet wide and most desirably, no more than 8 feet long if you use wood as a border. You can stack the borders as high as you want to preclude bending over and stressing your back.

I find raised beds to be highly productive. Our raised beds have always thrived and in the summer of 2008 (at least up until late June when this is written) they have done especially well because they are designed to drain. Baldwin City has had heavy rainfall in the spring and early summer, and that is not such good news for our large in-ground garden nor for Kansas farmers.

Raised beds drain well, which is desirable when you face sustained rain, but drainage can be a drawback when rains stop and dry weather sets in. You must to be diligent about watering in hot months.

raised beds corn June corn happily growing in mounds of dirt.

How do you construct a Raised Bed?

Beds can be as extravagant and expensive as you want. Some cost thousands of dollars and are made of stone or high priced wood and corner joints. Other beds, however, can be made of common materials that you can locate in junk yards, garage sales and even in your own discarded “stuff” pile behind your garage.

Easier Version

Dig into the ground about a foot to break up the hard soil.

Pile fertile soil (a mix of soft topsoil, potting soil, peat moss and sand) into foot high mounds if you are planting corn or potatoes (or into a solid rectangular area for other plants such as peppers). However, the challenges with simple mounds include soil washing away because of no boundaries. Also, grass and weeds find it easy to invade your plants’ space.

This method is how we grew Tosh’s Three Sisters garden and the potatoes (see the grass eager to take it over; it is held back with black matting covered with cypress mulch and old-fashioned pulling).

Raised Bed Garden

More Successful Versions

Use wood, stones, or railroad ties as boundaries. See from the shots below that I use 2 X 8s and 2 X 4s as borders. I bought my “Stackable Corner Joints” from Gardeners Supply Co.

You do not have to use these joints. You also can buy metal joints from a hardware store.

If you use railroad ties, stones, or bricks you don’t have to use joints.

If you use wood, do not buy “pressure treated” wood as the chemicals may leech into your soil.

Butterfly Garden
Butterfly garden in foreground; squash, peppers and melons; peppers; 3 Sisters.

Butterfly raised garden with containers of green beans, peppers and melon.
Butterfly Garden

After almost ten years, the raised beds broke down, so we replaced them in spring 2018


butterfly Garden
Same gardens, May 2008.

Tosh with canteloupe
Tosh with cantaloupe in raised bed, August 2006

Ari and Tosh
Ari and Tosh looking for peppers in another raised bed, 2006. This bed became overgrown with cucumbers on the west end.

Three Sister in a raised bed
Three Sister in a raised bed, doing well. Late June 2008.

After you select your border, construct it on level ground. What do you fill it with? This is what I put into my raised beds that are 4 x 8 x 1:

(in this order* and use a rake to smooth down)

10 bags of topsoil or good soil you have in your yard

15 bags potting soil

Last four inches: mix of 2 bags sand, Miracle Grow Potting soil and Peat Moss.

*some gardeners advise that you first lay down thick layers of newspapers or cardboard to prevent grass from growing up. I have not had grass grow through a foot of soil, but it could happen.

**if you decide to have a garden longer than 8 feet and plan to use wood, be careful that your wood does not bow outwards from the weight of the soil and the water that often with saturate the dirt. You can drive a three-foot length of rebar into the ground next to the wood every four feet to kept the wood straight.

Water:

I use soaker hoes buried in the soil, but you can also use a regular water hose to spray the water.

Mulch:

Be sure to spread either wood chips (I use cedar or cypress) or straw as mulch all around the plants after they are planted (or after the seeds sprout).