Raised Vegetable Garden
Constructing Raised Bed Gardens

A raised bed garden has many advantages over conventional gardens and constructing raised bed gardens is not as difficult as you might think it is.

Advatages of a raised garden bed:

• They are much easier to manage: weeds and pests like garden slugs are more easily controlled.
• Drainage is never a problem.
• They can make gardening possible for handicapped or older people.
• A raised bed vegetable garden is much more back friendly!
• Raised beds can be installed in backyards even if you have no soil or garden.
• You can adjust soil quality.

Find a selection of Raised Bed Systems here

Raised Vegetable Garden

by Garnet Valentine

When the soil is not in the best of condition or when you have a pest problem, then a raised vegetable garden should seriously be considered.

There are many great benefits to building one: they are easier to contain, they are easier on your back, and they are easier to maintain. While the cost of making one can be a little pricey, the benefits are well worth the investment.

The first thing you need to consider before buying any materials is the size of the bed. Typically, a 3x5' garden is sufficient, but if you have a big family, love canning and preserving, or plan on growing many varieties year-round, then opt for a bigger area.

What you will need for making raised beds:

When picking out which type of wood to use, you will most likely want to use something that naturally repels insects, such as cedar and redwood. Both woods are great and can last for about 4 to 6 years or more. One pitfall about cedar is that they can chip easily, so if you will be using plenty of tools while tending your garden, you might want to go for the redwood.

Unless the vegetables you plan to grow are root plants or have very big roots, then a 6-inch height is okay. Ideally, 12" is better. You will also need to pick up some 4x4" posts to place in the corner where the other woods will meet. Depending on how high you want to make the garden, you can pick up a few 2x4", 2x6", or 2x10" and higher pieces of wood.

Next, you will need to pick up some extra materials. If you're concerned about gophers, pick up some hardware cloth, or wire mesh, that can be laid down underneath the garden. You might also want to pick up some landscape fabric, which helps to prevent weeds from growing through. You will also need some screws and perhaps a T-square.

Now, it all comes down to building your raised vegetable garden. Screw in the ends of your pieces of wood to the 4x4" posts, lay down some landscape fabric and the hardware cloth, pack in your soil, and start planting!

The time and money that you invest into this project will reward you time and time again.

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Constructing Raised Bed Gardens

How to build raised beds:

Prepare the area where you are going to have your raised bed garden. The ground should be reasonably level. You should also make sure that you pick a sunny spot.

It might be a good idea to treat the timber with a sealer to prolong its livespan.

Anchor the posts down into the ground and assenble all the panels. A spirit level, a string and a few pegs are very helpful when you are making raised beds.

If you want you can line the ground with a wire mesh to prevent anything digging into your beds from below. You can also line the sides with a liner or some strong plastic sheets to preserve the timber and avoid leaching of chemicals from treated timber into your soil.

You can now fill in a layer of rotten manure at the bottom. Cover that with a mixture of good quality top soil and compost.

Investing some time, good quality soil and compost is vital for the success with vegetable gardening in raised beds!

Now it's time to plant your raised garden bed! Lean back and watch your vegetables grow.

If you are not so handy (like me!) and want to do it the easy way you can buy pre-made Raised Bed Systems . They come in a variety of sizes and hights. You can arrange various shapes and sizes and create your perfect raised bed garden!

And don't forget...Enjoy your raised bed vegetable garden!

Photos: totalpodcastrophe

Where to buy seeds?

Are you looking for good vegetable and flower seeds for a reasonable price?

At www.genericseeds.com you will get a great selection of flower and vegetable seeds including Heirloom varieties at great prices. The seeds are guaranteed, tested and non GMO.

They use a cheaper way of packaging their seeds and can pass the saving on to you. That way you will pay for the seed and not the seed packet! GenericSeeds offers a great selection of seeds for fantastic value.

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