Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
rotation because the soil in one bed is isolated from the soil in
the others. Making sure the same crop isn't grown in the same
bed for three years solves a lot of problems in advance. In my
own mini-farm, beds range in length from 8 to 24 feet.
Start at the Right Time and Grow Slowly
The time between when the soil can first be worked in the
spring and when the early spring crops need to be planted is
about three weeks. This is simply not enough time to create
enough raised beds.
Ultimately, for total food self-sufficiency, you will need about
700 square feet per person. If you plan to raise market crops,
you'll need even more. That will require a lot of beds. The
number will depend on the length you choose.
Assuming the creation of beds that are 4-feet × 25-feet, that
means you'll need at least seven beds per person or 21 beds
for a family of three. Using 4-feet × 8-feet beds, that would be
22 beds per person or 66 for a family of three. In practice,
depending on dietary preferences, chosen crop varieties,
climate, and other factors, a larger or smaller number of beds
could actually be used.
Initial creation of raised beds takes a considerable amount of
time and is very labor intensive, but once they've been
created, they require very little work to maintain. Raised beds
can be created in a number of ways, but even the most
time-efficient methods will take a few hours per bed. If you
have limited time, getting all the beds made in spring will be
physically impossible.
