Introduction - Raised Bed Gardening - page 4

Improves Soil Quality - Thesoilisimproved because theraised bedcreates vertical space
to add compost and other organic matter to the garden soil. Decomposition can occur most
quickly in soils that are both moist and aerated.
Prevents Soil from Compacting -Partofsoilqualityismaintainingthelight,deepaerated
soils. So walking in the raised bed is a no no. Keeping beds to 4 foot or less will allow
reaching to any place in the bed without stepping into it.
I have some beds that are wider than 4 feet. I either have a walkway down the center (8x10
bed) or I place stepping stones or boards so we never have to step directly onto the soil.
Walking on compacted soil is not a big deal because the soil is already compacted. If you
walk on freshly dug soil that is two feet deep with lots of organic matter, your footprint
may sink 4 or 5 inches. If you stepped beside a plant that was growing in that soil, a 4 or 5
inch indention may break all the roots off one side of that plant.
Longer Growing Season - Beds allow soil to be worked earlier in the season and the soil
starts warming earlier in the raised bed than the soil at ground level.
Higher Yields becauseofbetter,deepersoilprovidesplantswithloose,deep,welldrained,
well aerated soil - Higher yields per square foot is also because we can intensively manage
small raised beds.
A farmer that plants a crop in a 500 acre field plows it to disrupt weeds and to create light
aerated soil, but he plows it with a 10 ton tractor which also compacts the soil. When the
cropisgrowing,hecanonlycheckasmallsampleofthecroptocheckformoisture,proper
growth, insects or ripeness.
In small raised beds, deep aerated soils are easier to maintain. Nearly every plant can be
checked at least on a weekly basis for moisture, proper growth, insects or ripeness. Any
problemscanbequicklyspottedandcorrected.Theentirebedcaneasilybewateredorjust
oneortwoplantsthatneedwater.Asinglepestcanbesmashedorasingleleafwithaphids
canbedippedinsoapywaterbeforetheinfestationhasachancetospread.Ifyoudetermine
that a pesticide needs to be used, you decide how much is used and which plants need it.
Bed Frames Support Trellises, Cold frames, Covers and Irrigation - A wooden bed
frame makes a ready foundation to attach trellises, supports orcovers over the raised bed. I
also like to attach drip line in straight rows on the inside of the bed frames with staples.
• Trellis
• Tomato Supports
• Support Bird netting
• Support for Fabric or Plastic Sheeting
• Irrigation Drip Line