Survival UK Forums

Full Version: Raised Beds in the Veggie Patch
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Pages: 1 2
After mixed results in the veggie patch, I've decided to put in a few raised beds to see if they make any difference to production of crops and the quality.We're quite lucky here in East Anglia - the soil quality is in most parts very good and fertile. Where I am, however, it tends to dry out quickly in summer and get quickly boggy in winter. This is fine if you have the time to be constantly tickling the surface to break up the pans in hot weather and to help the drainage in wet weather. I do not have the time to mollycoddle the garden. It was dry here in summer and I found that treading across the borders to plant and out and dig up left impacted pans of pathways. These not only wasted space, but encouraged the growth of perennial, hardy weeds that were hell to get out without a lot of swearing and digging.

Have any of the Forum members had much success with raised beds, and did you have an optimum size? I don't want to have to lean across to access plants, but equally I do not want to waste space on the "walls" of the beds. I have no problem in providing the soil and muck to go into the beds - we have the equine equivalent of the forth bridge on the manure producing front. Also, would wooden walls or brick walls work best? I have never really used raised beds to raise veggies, and I do not wish to make a start on it without some idea as to the best method. I can't afford to waste the time constructing and reconstructing during the growing period.

As always, any info gratefully received.
I installed and used raised beds this year and would recommend it to everyone. I put might quite high, bottom part was drainage. Remainder was good earth and compost.

1) It saves all that back breaking work. Worth it for that alone imo.

2) It gives a fresh start free of weeds and allows you to keep them under control easily. Especially if you have a cloche type roof on the bed.

3) I found while the garden got waterlogged in heavy rain the drainage I had installed in the bottom on the beds paid off and the beds never got flooded.

4) I installed soaker hoses in every bed about 6 inches down and as I was watering just the beds as I needed to I was able to use less water.

I'm doing the same again this year and I'll be adding a couple more raised beds where I have the space and funding.
I've used raised beds in the past, but I'm no longer a fan of them and use a completely different method of gardening now, but you need to find what works for you, the thing that will really make a difference to the quality of your crops is improving the condition of your soil and if you have the access to plenty of really well rotted horse manure use it as a thick mulch about 2 inches thick.

The ideal way to stay on top of weeds is little and often hoeing so they don't become established, but if like me it's usually a quick dash to the plot to get veg for tea and a couple of hours once a week to try and sort things out weeds can soon get on top of you, I stopped digging the plot which encourages weed seed to germinate and use lots of mulch material as ground cover and tolerate some weeds like clover and chickweed to help keep the soil covered between larger plants like brassicas and to suppress other weeds. I spend a lot less time weeding now, but more time making and spreading compost and mulches.
Raised beds are also good because of the depth of the soil, as you are creating a deep horizon of nice, compost rich soil with relatively few stones or compaction, so it's good if you are looking to grow potatos or root crops.
I only use raised beds and have found them to be excellent in every way. I top up the beds regularly with those bags of compost from B&Q and I no longer have to dig them over. The soil is mostly compost now and easy to weed and very healthy, I can basically push a spade into the soil/compost and turn it over without any effort needed. I will add though that it has taken ten years of constantly adding compost to get them to this stage. I very rarely feed my crops as the beds are highly fertile and are superb at holding moisture in hot weather.
good to see some self sufficiency threads on the forum at last.
What do you mean BP!!!!! the beds are high enough to act as a detterent to the hordes of illegal isis migrants, whilst hiding the entrance to my underground nuclear bunker, and massive weapons cache. You cheeky sod!!
your expecting a lot of ISIS immigrants on Humberside then TH??
Raised beds appear to be popular. What do you use to make them - bricks, planks, sleepers? I'd like to reuse as much stuff as possible.
we used planks for ours.
Pages: 1 2