The Benefits of Raised Beds
Raised beds are ideal for growing you’re vegetables and herbs because these plants are generally shallow rooting.
It is not a good idea to plant large trees or shrubs in raised beds. This is because their roots run deep, spreading out into the ground in all directions when planted properly, like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. They can eventually destroy the bed frame or become root-bound when they outgrow the structure depending on the material it is made of. The higher and wider you make the raised bed though, the more room you have to include deeper rooting plants.
Large trees and shrubs should be planted in native ground, or in retaining wall structures designed with the capacity for their roots to move. The area you choose should be able to support these deeply rooting trees and shrubs with plenty of room to grow for many years to come.
Focusing on raised beds for growing your herbs and vegetables, here are some key points to consider.
The raised element makes it easy to harvest and plant your crops. Herbs and vegetables tend to be the most consistently used edibles. This makes hearty growing mediums and ease of maintenance important. The raised bed system is ideal for this.
Raised beds provide outstanding drainage of soil. They make your garden less dependent on the variable characteristics of your native soils.
Raised beds are easier to weed because the soil does not compact like in-ground beds that get walked on. You have more air flow with a higher level of oxygenation.
They are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing when set up and designed to flow in your unique garden ecology.
Remember to consider the basic elements of sunlight, bed size (height, width, length, and depth), soil and fertilizer type based on the plants you are going to grow there, and trellising support for plants that need them.
Raised beds can be constructed with wood-based frames. Make sure that you choose wood that is not pressure treated or dipped in toxic chemicals. For more information on this you can click the following article from Fine Gardening on Are Pressure Treated Woods Safe for Garden Beds.
I believe stones are ideal for creating raised bed frames because they eliminate the above concerns. Stone doesn't break down like wood and can last a lifetime. You can also use straw bales as a frame. These will break down like wood, and the toxic chemicals consideration comes back into play depending on how the hay was farmed.
Your raised beds can be everything you want them to be, providing you and you’re family a healthy, beautiful, edible, and medicinal garden.
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