Raised Bed Gardening – A Great Way to Grow

By: Cathy Jones

Perhaps as you drive around you have noticed beautifully laid out gardens. The ones that are neatly contained in raised planting areas with tidy paths between. These raised bed gardens are not only a joy to look at. They are a very productive way to grow plants.

Raised bed gardening is also called square foot gardening. The original concept was to help gardens grow better and produce a higher yield. This type of planting also cuts down on water consumption, and is a great way to grow a garden in areas that have poor soil.

You begin by constructing a simple raised bed that is four feet by four feet square. A bed this size makes it easy to reach toward the middle from any side. Use wood that is eight to twelve inches wide, this will be how tall your raised bed is. Fill the bed with fresh soil. You will want to mix in some slow release fertilizer. This will feed your plants all summer long and will help increase your crop yield.

There are several different ways to plant your raised bed. You can section the bed off in one foot by one foot sections using string. This will give you nine equal growing spaces. This type of sectioning is perfect for small crops like peppers, herbs, etc. If you plant crops that have larger plants like tomatoes, you will only want to put one or two plants per section.

Another option for sectioning the bed is to just divide it equally in two. This is a great way to grow crops like corn, beans, and potatoes. Large spreading crops like squash, pumpkins, and watermelons will each need their own bed so they have ample space to spread.

As you plant your beds, keep in mind how large each plant will ultimately get. You don’t want large plants like corn shading smaller plants. Always keep your plants organized large to small and plant north to south.

This type of planting encourages the plants to grow closer together and so that reduces the room that weeds would have to grow. Close planting also helps to shade the soil so it retains moisture longer and helps you to conserve water. The plants are well fertilized from the slow release fertilizer you mixed into the soil at the start and they have adequate water. They also get plenty of light because you paid attention to their size when planting.

As a result of careful planning, the crops in your raised beds will produce a great yield of fresh produce. You will find that raised bed gardening is easier and more efficient than traditional gardens. The fruits of your labor will be worth it!


Author Resource: Cathy likes vegetable gardening and spending time outside. She enjoys to spend time in the garden using her garden carts to drag all her garden tools. Cathy has searched far and wide to discover the perfect landscape tips for her yard.