Designing a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden: 11 Things to Think About
>> Tuesday, February 10, 2009
During my recent quest to make my raised bed vegetable garden easier to maneuver through I've discovered some handy tips that may help others not make the same mistakes I did when initially setting up my raised bed vegetable garden.
- Set it up the right way in the beginning! Plan your garden exactly how you want it because it can be difficult to move later. Trust me, I know!
- Make each bed a separate entity. Originally I connected a few beds together and discovered that it a pain to move around.
- Leave a space of at least 2 feet between beds for easy access. Larger spaces might be better for wheelbarrow access or (if needed) handicap access.
- Consider the materials. Over time the initial costs of the materials will even out. Stone will last as long as you could hope for but it's expensive and while cedar will last much longer than other types of wood it tends to be more expensive. Using cedar might last you beds 3-6 years as opposed to 1-2 for pine. I'll be replacing the pine wood I used next year.
- Level the ground underneath the raised beds as best as you can. A slight slope isn't a big deal but you definitely don't want your soil to flow out of the raised beds.
- Consider how to execute an irrigation system. Drip lines are relatively cheap to install but soaker hoses work well too. Which ever route you take place the water line underneath your mulch, this will keep it from evaporating your money...oops, I mean water!
- Sunlight! Position the garden to maximize the amount of light it will receive. Most vegetables like full sun and will thrive in open areas with plenty of exposure. For those that may prefer less sun consider interplanting taller vegetables as shade cover or use a trellis with a vine vegetable like cucumbers.
- Plan what kinds of plants you want to grow ahead of time. This will help to determine how much space you need. Consider making a layout of each vegetable bed to help plan it out. Graph paper works well for a quick and easy sketch garden plan.
- Consider companion planting your plants to maximize space. Many plants have repellent properties to ward of pests and others help enrich the soil with nitrogen fixing properties like members of the legume family. Some plants may be used as a trap crop to catch pesky bugs like aphids then maybe either removed from the garden or treated with insecticidal soap.
- Situate your beds to make them suitable for crop rotation. Plants need different nutrients in different amounts and a heavy feeder in one year needs to be replaced by one that nourishes the soil. Crop rotation will help improve the sustainability of your garden.
- Compost! Putting your compost bin near your garden will make things more convenient.
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16 Comments:
Good tips Dave especially the one about the materials used. It always seems that quality takes more effort - and usually costs more.
Some kind of fence around it, if only for aesthetics. Also the orientation of the beds. I like mine east/west. I really liked the style of your beds last year even if they didn't work out. .
I used cedar boards on my raised beds and have gotten at least 5 or 6 years out of them, but they are starting to rot. I'm thinking about digging deep into my pocketbook and getting some of that "engineered lumber" or whatever it is called, that they use for decks.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Dave,
All great thoughts to keep in mind. Think I will clip this list to use in future gardens....it all makes sense right now.. but oh how the memory fades.
Janet
I'm sure many would find these tips helpful and for me too, when I have a place have raised beds on ground!
Good points Dave and when I plan my vegetable garden ---I am working on Mr I to take charge of them--I will heed your advice! I do think that the connected beds looked attractive, but I see how they would make it difficult to get at the plants.
gail
Sound advice Dave. This is a well timed post since I am getting ready to build my raised veggies in the next week. Thanks for the great tips!
Excelent tips, Dave (which I've cut and pasted into a text file for future reference). I'll look forward to your photos in growing season.
The engineered lumber an above commenter is talking about is called trex, though if you search on craigslist you can often find free bricks. I'm thinking of trying that route out next.
Good post Dave. I tried raised beds once but the roots from neighbors pine trees eventually won out. They also have wild honey suckle that is invading my garden/yard. So that is the reason I garden in large nursery tree containers. Also I have a couple half whiskey barrels. Not to mention the fact I can't get down on the ground so I have to have it up off the ground.
Hi Dave,
I read your blog last year when I was first considering building my raised beds. It is a learning process isn't it? I used cedar and I'm happy with them. I definitely recommend two feet (at least)in between. It is really important to me to get around in my garden with ease. Plants always grow over the edges.
I recommend planting a perennial hedge near your garden especially if it is out in the open. It will help with attracting the beneficial bugs and placed correctly can also help with wind.
I am doing more companion planting this year than last year. It is an age old method that works with nature.
I have an automated irrigation system. I made the mistake of planting my pole beans too close to one of the rotating sprinkler heads last fall. They got pummeled each time the irrigation ran. This season I've planted lower growing veggies near that sprinkler.
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel
My brother built a new home and he and his wife went the raised veggie garden route. He used 2x12's and lined the inside of the boxes with the black plastic dimpled material that is used to wick water away from foundation walls. I figure that since the outside of the boards will dry out quickly and the insides have these liners that keeps wet soil off them and allows all other moisture to wick away, that his beds should last a dozen years or so.
Mike
We are building similar raised beds in our new garden this year and the one thing we are having to consider is keeping gophers out so we are lining them with chicken wire that we will also run up the sides and staple to the boards. We are thinking we will dig down about 6 inches to give us deeper root protection from gophers.
These are all great tips!
Has anyone here come across information or somebody that has built a rooftop raised bed vegetable garden? Our property is urban and space constrained, but we have a flat roofed detached garage that is about 300sf. We'd like to know about how best to build the garden beds, protect the structure, and any other advice.
DC
DC,
That is a very interesting question. I've never done it but have seen several articles on the subject of rooftop gardens. One article discussed a rooftop garden that was nearly a farm - I think in New Jersey. I can only give you a few tips but it can be done.
First make sure your rooftop is capable of holding the increased weight of the soil/beds/plants and foot traffic. A qualified engineer/home inspector might be able to evaluate your roof and tell you how to shore it up enough to suit those needs.
Keep water access in mind.
Make sure your roof is very waterproof. You may want to install a drainage system to take excess water away from the roof.
There are probably other things to think about but I would say the most important is to make sure your roof can hold the weight. You could start small with your garden and use Earthboxes or pots for your vegetables.
I'm building my first raised bed today using standard pine boards. I couldn't afford cedar, and I definitely didn't want treated lumber.
What I'm trying is "sealing" the boards with olive oil to hopefully get a little extra life out of them. I'm just using a cheap extra virgin olive oil and nothing else.
Great site!
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