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Tom Greenthumb Gardening

Friday, February 17, 2006

Raised Gardens - Making Raised Beds


So where's the best place to locate your raised bed garden? Well, generally you'd like to find a space that has an adequate amount of light hitting it. A full day of sunshine would be ideal, but 6 to 9 hours will do. I had my garden raised in such a spot to catch an extra hour of sunlight by adding a few extra loads of dirt. You also want to use a spot that allows for drainage. You want moisture to reach the roots of your plants. Water sitting on top of the soil is of no use in your garden. If you don't have such a spot, you can always create a raised garden.

I've used cinder blocks when making raised beds in an area as small as three feet. The garden bed can be as high as you like. This can create easier maintenance since you are dealing with a compact space. Fewer weeds, more efficient use of the soil, and nutrients make it ideal. What will you plant?

You'll definitely need to add soil to the garden plot. If you're like me you can head out to the wheat fields and use your own soil. If you're not as fortunate, try buying your soil in bulk from nurseries. When making raised beds it's your biggest cost besides the material used to create the structure.