Raised vegetable beds are a fantastic method of growing vegetables. They allow you to dictate the soil type whilst allowing the addition of organic matter to the surface of the soil without the hassle of it spilling onto pathways. They also make the plot more manageable and efficient and they look great - an important aspect when growing veg in your own garden as opposed to an allotment.
The idea is simple. A framework of wood or recycled plastic is made to a convenient size. This is placed onto the soil surface and off you go - either work the existing soil or add organic matter to improve and nudge the properties of the soil to where you want it to be. But the size of the raised bed is vital to its efficiency. If the bed is too wide it makes weeding, sowing, planting and cropping difficult without the need for stepping on the soil surface - and the idea is that you shouldn't ever need to walk over the surface of soil in a raised bed. It's also a good idea not to make raised beds too long. This avoids the need for a long walk to simply get to the other side (jumping over the bed isn't a good idea for a variety of reasons!) So, make the beds wide enough to accommodate plants but only wide enough so you can comfortably reach into the middle without overly stretching or straining a back muscle. When you are designing or fitting out your new veg plot ensure you can comfortably walk, with a barrow, between your raised beds. The better the access the more you will want to work them and this leads to increased productivity and quality of your crops.
You can make raised beds from any material you have to hand - but wooden beds warm up the soil quickly and makes fixing cloches and mini tunnels so much easier than other materials. It's also worth remembering that once the beds are full of soil there is a lot of pressure pushing the wooden boards outwards so make sure you buy raised beds that have been made to exacting standards. There's nothing worse than bulging sides with soil and plants spilling onto pathways. You can of course buy wooden planks and make your own - but be careful as any old preservatives can leach into the soil and has the capability to taint your veg. A quality product bought new will last for many years.
Once installed the real fun begins - what to grow! A raised bed is exactly the same as any veg bed - but better. You will have control over the soil type so can adapt conditions to what you want to grow. Put simply, you can grow anything in a raised bed! But be warned - once you see the results you will want more!
Sophie Delves writes for specialist vegetable growing website, VegGrower.co.uk, on subjects such as raised vegetable beds and growing vegetable plants
No comments:
Post a Comment