Raised bed gardens are best for growing various plants in a small space. This is also a solution for the place where the Soil is not good enough to grow plants. If you are thinking about why not house-in gardens, here is your answer,
- Less weed problem
- Less space more plants
- Plants grow faster
- Irrespective of the Soil around the site, the plants grow in the bed
- Easy to harvest
- Better drainage means less erosion
- Less bending and kneeling means appropriate for the elderly.
- Soil does not dry out soon, which means less watering.
So that’s a win for the raised bed gardens. The list can be never-ending, but these are the main reasons gardeners choose to get raised bed gardens.
So what do you need to build raised bed gardens?
Selecting the location:
Raised beds need direct sunlight for at least 6 to 10 hours. So choose a spot that gets enough sunlight in the fall season. If you are from a hotter climate area, you need to shadow over your raised beds.
Clean the site:
It doesn’t have to be your backyard; it can be your front yard, even on a hard concrete floor. Clear the space; if there are any weeds or unwanted grass, get rid of them. Spray some weed control. So that when you install your raised beds, weed doesn’t grow through the Soil.
The Soil:
Soil is the most important part of the raised beds. If you belong from an area that Soil is not good enough for your plants, you can buy the best raised bed soil. You need 30% of compost and 70% of topsoil for the beds. You can purchase compost and mix it with the Soil or create your compost using the green wastes. When the Soil becomes dark black, mix it with more Soil and pour it into the beds.
Drainage:
There should be proper drainage in the raised beds. The solid should hold enough water to hydrate the plants but not excess water because that’s how that will kill the plants. In comparison between house-in gardens and raised beds, raised beds are better for soil drainage.
When everything is in consideration, you must consider what plants you can grow in your raised beds or above ground garden planters. Here are some suggestions depending on the height of the raised beds what plants grow better in which size:
For 6” to 10” depth:
Leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, onions, salad greens, mint, parsley, thyme, basil. Their roots don’t grow very long.
For 12” depth:Â
Beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, sage, and many more vegetables grow well in this depth.
For 16” to 18” depth:
Tomato squash okra eggplant potato squash pumpkin potatoes grow better in this depth.
So it is better to create the maximum depth for the raised beds and pair your plants. That not only creates variety but also enhances the growth of the plants. Make the most of your gardening space because raised beds gardening is a hobby for all ages.