Building A Raised Vegetable Garden
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When the soil on the ground is not in the best of condition or when you have a pest problem, then a raised vegetable garden should seriously be considered. There are many great benefits to building one: they are easier to contain, they are easier on your back, and they are easier to maintain. While the cost of making one can be a little pricey, the benefits are well worth the investment.
The first thing you need to consider before buying any materials is the size of the bed. Typically, a 3×5′ garden is sufficient, but if you have a big family, love canning and preserving, or plan on growing many varieties year-round, then opt for a bigger area.
When picking out which type of wood to use, you will most likely want to use something that naturally repels insects, such as cedar and redwood. Both woods are great and can last for about 4 to 6 years or more. One pitfall about cedar is that they can chip easily, so if you will be using plenty of tools while tending your garden, you might want to go for the redwood.
Unless the vegetables you plan to grow are root plants or have very big roots, then a 6-inch height is okay. Ideally, 12″ is better. You will also need to pick up some 4×4″ posts to place in the corner where the other woods will meet. Depending on how high you want to make the garden, you can pick up a few 2×4″, 2×6″, or 2×10″ and higher pieces of wood.
The soil you put inside should be a well-rounded mix of compost and good quality soil. Mixing in some manure wouldn’t be bad either. Vermiculite or sphagnum peat moss are also good to mix in. Because sphagnum peat moss is lighter and softer than regular garden soil, it traps air and water differently and acts as a natural organic soil conditioner. Whatever you decide to put in, make sure that they are mixed up equally or so the difference in amount from one product to the next is not significant.
Next, you will need to pick up some extra materials. If you’re concerned about gophers, pick up some hardware cloth, or wire mesh, that can be laid down underneath the garden. You might also want to pick up some landscape fabric, which helps to prevent weeds from growing through. You will also need some screws and perhaps a T-square.
Now, it all comes down to building your raised vegetable garden. Screw in the ends of your pieces of wood to the 4×4″ posts, lay down some landscape fabric and the hardware cloth, pack in your soil, and start planting!
The time and money that you invest into this project will reward you time and time again.
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October 9th, 2009 - 12:52 am
There is another advantage of raised beds. They have a longer season as they hold the heat in better.
You can plant around 1 month sooner.