what are raised beds for ???
do you need them ???
and what are the pro's and con's ???
I have only grown in pots up to now and am planing how to set out my allotment when i get it
also how wide should beds and paths be ???
Hi Trinity - don't use raised beds myself but size of bed for me would have to be easily reachable from path to be able to hoe the weeds to the middle from each side. Width of path, just enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow if necessary. Think my paths are about 2ft wide. Hope that helps and good luck with new lottie! ;D
Max width 4 foot unless you have very long arms .Our plot is 50 % raised beds I like them and wished we'd made them years ago.
They do make things easier,weeding-watering -sowing -pest control -netting etc and you can see where you have been also planning
is more under control.
.... well i have them and i use them to raise the soil level as i have a bad back.
I have a range of sizes 4ft wide by 10ft long, 3ft wide by 10ft long, 4ft wide and by 4ft long and my asparagus and rhubarb beds are 1ft wide by 10ft long.
The beds are 6 inch high but the steaks i have used allow me to add another board and bring the beds to 1ft high over time.
I find the beds just easier to manage.
we've raised beds due to our ground being under water 3 months out of the year, bad drainage ::)
our gallery shows some of them, all 4' wide x between 10 and 17' long, 3 carrot/parsnip beds, 18" tall, keeps the carrot fly away, they're only 2-4' long, we can cover with fleece much easier
as my mobility has decreased over the last few years, I can sit on the edges of the beds to work on them or put a board between and sit on it :)
I have a full size plot and have ended up (year 3) with four 8x4 beds and then 3 much larger beds.
I like the 8x4 beds for things like carrots, onions, parnsips, french beans and salad - they are easy to maintain and I can treat each bed for the crop being grown in it and I can net easily. I have edged them with wood as it is easier to keep tidy and I use membrane and wood chips for the paths - between the beds my paths are about 18".
However I found that size of bed was too restrictive for things like spuds, sweetcorn, pumpkin, peas and broad beans, so I have 3 larger beds but in effect these are still 'raised beds'
I have raised beds because my plot gets waterlogged.So glad I have made them as at last my crops are growing and not drowning. :)
I have 1 1/2 plots and the full size plot is for spuds, cabbage, main crops and my raised beds on the 1.2 plot are 3x4, 18 inches high are for my 'fancy delicate stuff' lettuce strawbs melons etc.
I put a layer of cardboard then manure then straw then grass then topsoil. ;D
I am fortunate enough to have soil that is excellent quality and crumbles off the fork when turned. I only use raised beds to contain my strawberries, pumpkin and courgette plants.
I use raised beds for a number of reasons:
Better drainage - really proved this last year!
Never treading on the the soil keeps it light and relatively easy to weed.
Closer crop planting - higher yields for most crops
The down side is that its quite a bit of extra work to make them (and money unless yo ucan get hold of cheap materials for the sides) in the first place - and sometimes I have made them too wide and then its tricky to weed them in the middle.
But I am thoroughly addicted to using them now (after 15 years!)
I dont use them, but they will stop weeds like couch creeping into your plot from the edges (although proper edges stop this too...).
Do raised bed need more watering?
Watering? I would say yes.
Use them? Most certainly yes! For all the reasons given. We have 8. But especially:
1. Ease of cultivation - no more diggers.
2. Bite size. You can tackle a bed between Scotches!
3. Organisation. Like a filing system.
4. Ease of covering.
I'd only use them if I had a specific need. If my asparagus doesn't do well, for instance, I might try a raised bed to give it drier conditions.
Tim that sound great but mines a double Jack Daniels on the rocks
an if i drank one of those between beds after the third i would be on the floor an the weeding would not get done ::) ;)
Wouldn't have so far to fall??
Hi Trinity
The main reason apart from the ones that have already been mentioned ie ease of cultivation etc is that the earth can work much better as it is not disturbed every year by spades/forks digging it. The micro culture of earth worms and all the little microscopic particles can get on with their lives and do their bit without the annual disturbance - thereby making the soil much more fertile!
As you probably know - once the beds are made you never walk on them - incidentally they don't have to have a wood surround - although this does make life easier - in the autumn/winter you spread a generous amount of well rotted compost/manure over the bed and that is then done for the year. The worms come to the surface and take the manure and compost down into the soil for you. The root structure of plants also find this medium more natural and settle quicker. The weeds come out much more easily (as you havent trodden down the ground)
As said it is not ideal for all plants - some like to have firm bases like cabbages/sprouts - potatoes would be a pain too - so the ideal is to have mix of beds and see which works for you!
How was the plot anyway Trinity or is there another bit on your other thread?
I will have a look there before I rattle on any more!
Old Bird!
;D
I remember reading that raised beds warm up faster too - allowing for earlier planting.
Not sure how true this is though...
I don't have any problems growing either potatoes or any member of the brassica family in my raised beds, and I generally lightly fork through the soil between crops, as my clay soil has a tendency to settle a little solidly.
As long as brassicas are planted firmly they have no problem and they don't need treading in.
I have raised beds on my second plot, managed to squeeze some scaffold boards from a local firm to construct them. I use the non dig method and have noticed that the raised beds warm up quicker and retain moisture despite the top looking dry.
Apart from the recent potato problems that I and some others are experiencing " manure", the raised bed system has produced very good yields of a variety of veg.
Cheers
Tony