The traditional garden is truly amazing, but here are some of the problems we may face. But we can easily remove those problems if we start using alternative garden techniques such as raised beds.
The benefits of such a garden are great. Also, you can read the best contributions you can have if you start practicing raised beds in your garden.
A raised bed, by definition, is a garden bed that is built up instead of down, into a position that solves all manner of gardening challenges. You can create raised beds simply by heaping soil up into a pile, or by using boxes to enclose and contain garden soil.
Garden boxes are often synonymous with raised beds because some retaining wall or material almost always has to be used to maintain the integrity of the bed over time.
Easy on the back
If you are having frequent problems with your back every time you grab a shovel or hoe, you might need a break. Container gardening is easy on the back. Container gardening is the answer for people who have had to give up the pleasure of gardening due to various physical limitations as well.
No tilling is better for the soil
A raised bed is a way of setting up your soil for the easiest possible gardening—the ‘no work’ kind. Instead of tilling up the soil from year to year to add fertilizer and amendments, gardeners usually maintain their raised beds by simply adding materials on top.
Compost, mulches, manures and other soil conditioners can all go directly onto the top few inches of the soil without the need for backbreaking work. And, the soil is capable of doing its own tilling as worms and roots push their way through. While regular tilling by human hands tends to deplete the soil structure, doing nothing builds up the organic component of your soil over time.
Decreased chance of disease
Container-grown vegetables certainly aren’t immune from disease, but plants in a well-drained container filled with lightweight potting mix tend to be less susceptible than those grown in the ground. Just ensure you are watering properly and remember that the soil should not be soggy, and you are good to go.
You will have fewer weeds and crabgrass
Tilling creates more weeds by burying weed seeds and giving them the perfect opportunity to propagate. Successfully raised bed growers to swear by covering their beds with mulch, cardboard, or black plastic in the spring to kill all the plants that grew up in the winter. When it’s time to start planting again, simply rake off the dead weeds before they have a chance to go to seed. One of the most effective ways to battle crabgrass is with a raised bed. Install a weed barrier on the bottom of beds at least 10″ high to stop the grass from infiltrating.
Raised beds are great for beginners
Raised beds provide an easy way to start gardening by removing many barriers for beginners. They take a little bit more investment upfront, but in many ways guarantee success in the first year. Add a box, some soil, some compost, some seeds, some water, and something will grow. “Row crows” can’t boast the same success: till fertilize, till again, seed, weed, weed some more… the process isn’t as clear as the path the raised bed provides.
Extend the gardening season
The raised beds will thaw much faster in spring than the frozen ground. So you can transplant your veggie seedlings earlier and give them a good head start. It can make a big difference to gardeners who have only a small window to grow edibles out in the open.
Vegetables like onions require a long growing season. Onion sets need 3-4 months while growing them from seeds takes even longer. Since fewer varieties of onions are available assets, there is a definite advantage in growing these vegetables from seeds. The seedlings grow best in cool weather, so the earlier you plant them in the bed, the better.
You can extend the growing season of your veggies on the other end by adding hoop covers towards the fag end of fall. Adding a few metal pipe brackets to the frames will enable you to attach and remove hoop covers easily. You can even get custom-made cloche for each of the beds.
