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Why is everyone going crazy over raised beds?

dont look very practical to me.

how do you get the rotavator in & out?

and all thoose paths ???

whats it all about?

or am i just stuck in my ways?

I'm stuck in the mud too...  ;D

The idea is you don't need to "dig" as you don't compact the soil by walking on it...  :)

Raised beds are a lazy approach to gardening for people who can't be bothered digging. A bit like using roundup because you can't be bothered weeding or using a rotovator do dig instead of a spade.

I should add there are some circumstances where raised beds are considered to be a necessity because people have health or mobility problems which make traditional gardening techniques difficult.

Although I have two small raised beds tucked out of the way just for salad stuff, my next door lotty neighbour  uses raised beds for everything along with the black plastic they put down now that is lotty lazy, personally I don't give a toss what they do, but  being on a slope all their run off water came my way before I dug a trench and a run off channel, ;)   

Raised beds are the more "organic" way to grow food.  The reason being is that when you don't walk on the soil the earth is not compacted, the worms are able to manage their own eco system as are all the micro organisms that live in the soil without the annual disturbance of being "dug over". 

Having had raised beds without the wooden support last year when making the new beds properly this year I noticed that there were loads of worms in the earth plus all the earth had worm holes in it - which  - when undisturbed provide both ventilation and drainage.  The micro organisms - and I don't know much about them except they can multiply easier if undisturbed.

It is not just bein "lazy" about digging - it is a different form of providing growing space - and - as far as I am concerned it is more in tune with nature and natural development.

I would say that unless you view things with an open mind gardentg44 and are prepared to understand why people make and use raised beds - then you are stuck in your ways - and in my opinion - that is like sticking your head in the sand!!  Nothing wrong with that - carry on digging like your forefathers - one day you may see the light!

Old Bird

;D

It seems to me that some people have a very odd attitude to raised beds.

Out come the offensive remarks .

I use raised beds as my ground becomes very easily waterlogged.

It seems to me that some people see tending their plots as a statement of how hard working and clever they are.

What a bore ;D

check out this site for proper info  re no-dig
http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/index.php
http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/index.php?main=inside/index

You don't need raised beds in order to have beds you don't walk on; you can have all the advantages of that on the flat. I think they're a tool for specific situations. I'm actually thinking of putting them in now; I'm not only tired of not being able to grow a lot of flowers I like because of winter damp, I've been getting damage to my veg due to waterlogging over the last two years. I had drowned spuds last summer, and drowned rhubarb the summer before.

The soil in this area is a mix of clay & slate when it rains the puddles formed typically take 3-4 days to dissappear when it's dry the ground is like concrete apart from the odd lobworm & a lot of millipedes there is not much apparently living in the soil.

My beds were dug over the worst of the stones removed & plenty of organic matter (compost, manure, leafmould etc..) has been incorporated over the years. I also use OM  to create thick mulches. Now my beds are well drained neither drying out or becoming waterlogged, there are thousands of worms in the soil in addition to numerous other insects there are also several slow worms which have taken up residence, the plants grow well as I don't use additional fertilisers this suggests the soil is fertile/healthy. If I accidentally step on a bed my foot sinks shin deep which should give you an idea how aerated it is.

What is it I am doing wrong by digging the beds over?
How would my beds be better if they were raised/no-dig beds?

It doesn't sound as though you're doing much wrong at all. As long as it crops well and suits you, that's what matters!

Exactly ;D

I like my raised beds because weeding takes virtually no time, I just pull on a bit of couch and I often get 8 or nine feet long threads out in one piece.  Don't need to dig them anymore and the plants seem to do better in them.

Similarly I have a bad back and it's easier to weed.  I have a piece of moveable scaffolding board that goes down the longside of the adjacent raised bed which I can use as a seat when weeding.

I also have the normal sort for my fruit bushes which I don't weed and only trim.

I have small raised beds for strawberries - I loose less of my crop, they don't sprawl so easily.

I have a raised harlow 3x3 bed for veg.  It's not so tall that the frogs can't go-a-slugging in it and I got plenty of produce in it.  It's a designated space and it's easier to mark out for what goes where.

My raised beds are quicker to warm up in the summer, but obviously the downside is in the winter they're more affected by frost.

This year I'm going to tackle the last bit of my space, I don't really know what I'm going to grow in it, but probably going to put in a large amount of sweetcorn because I love it so much.  It'll go straight in the ground.

I don't see why anyone has a problem between raised beds and normal 'digging'.  Why is anyone fussed over what their neighbour is doing?

Saying that, since I started on my plot I've noticed many new raised beds appearing.

Sounds good to me Baccy Man - but you did say if you accidentally step into a bed your foot sinks in shin deep - which means that you don't let the soil become compacted.

There is nothing wrong with the way you garden - I think it is great if you want to carry on digging.  Personally I wouldn't grow potatoes and jerusalem artichokes in deep beds.  But it is a matter of what works for you.

Yes the traditional way works - yes the deep bed system works - two ways of doing it two ways of working soil and producing produce!!

I will be sticking with my deep beds and - no doubt - you will continue to dig every year!

Old Bird

;D

I use raised beds of a sort.

My allotment it is the bottom of a very steep slope, on heavy clay. I found it easier to dig sections of it at a time. Once dug and organic matter had been incorporated I found that the soil wanted to travel down the hill, so it made sense to contain it in some way, hence the raised beds.

Having said that, the beds are all different shapes and sizes, due to the wood that I managed to beg, steal and borrow and the lack of any DIY skills that I have.

Also find it easier to train the kids and dog on what not to tread on, if beds are in place.

I still have to dig the beds at the mo. to try and get the soil workable and to be honest I enjoy it as it is very satifying, once done!

Also, just to be pedantic, raised beds have been around for a long time, at least since the romans, and probably before that...

Think it is a case of whatever works for you.... as long as stuff grows, who cares ;D

Raised beds have been appearing on a lot of plots on my site since we've had a scaffolder as a plotholder. He gets us regular supplies of used boards. But it's noticeable that 90% are on the side that floods.

Choose the way of growing vegetables that suits you! - Easy !! Done!! Dusted!

Duke ;D

Quote from: Baccy Man on April 03, 2009, 09:29:38
Raised beds are a lazy approach to gardening for people who can't be bothered digging. A bit like using roundup because you can't be bothered weeding or using a rotovator do dig instead of a spade.

I should add there are some circumstances where raised beds are considered to be a necessity because people have health or mobility problems which make traditional gardening techniques difficult.

Lazy ! ! ! What a crock of poop. I am out working 45 hours a week. I have been down every morning, every day I have off and ALL weekend most weeks (allowing for hols etc) since last February. What an incredibly narrow minded point to make.

Mine arent really raised more boxed in areas. I just like them the way they are.

P.s I use both a rotivator and a spade and would quite happily use round up.

My plot is heavy clay and the lower half slopes, so I am terracing it with whatever wood I can get hold of, just to keep everything in place, and putting planks/weed membrane down as paths so I dont tread on the soil. I imagine I will still have to keep digging it though.

Did find a large bookshelf on a skip last night though, and with the shelves removed it makes an instant raised bed. So I plan a little experiment with the no-dig method to see what happens!

I love my raised beds but if someone told me I had to grow that way  I would tell them where to go and then grow everything on the flat ;D

My garden is a great place for relaxing where I make the rules - where else can you do that these days?

A few other hobbies; beekeeping for instance. If practice, of course, most of the rules are made by the plants and the bees! This is where it's important to resist the development of any sort of 'orthodoxy'. Wherever there's room for different methods, we need to be able to use them as what works for me probably won't for you, and if we keep trying new methods we'll eventually develop ways of doing things that really are better all round. In which case, they'll catch on of their own accord.