“Why are raised beds the recommended route for a garden?” is a common question I get asked by friends and customers. In this post, I will be sharing nine reasons raised beds are the right choice for small gardens.
#1 Less work to get the garden ready
When you start a garden, you need to prepare the soil and have it ready to grow things. Most native soils are not suitable for planting, especially in urban areas. You may need to do a lot of tilling and adding amendments to fix its texture and nutrient content. Most likely, you will have to apply a soil test to learn more about its salinity, pH, and mineral content. All of these are steps that require effort and time to accomplish.
In the raised bed situation, these steps are skipped. Once the location is chosen, and the beds have been placed, all you need to do is to fill them up with the right soil and get planting.
#2 The correct depth for the right plant
Raised beds make it easy to have the appropriate depth for your crops. Instead of breaking your back digging holes or trenches, build a bed as deep as you need. Raised beds do not only work for vegetables or flowers; they also work for trees.
#3 Good drainage
Elevating your crops above ground ensures better drainage. During torrential rains and continuous storms, raised beds keep the plants’ roots dry and prevent them from drowning in water puddles leading to root rot.
#4 Prevent soil erosion
Contrary to open rows, raised beds hold the soil and reduce erosion caused by downpours and strong winds.
#5 Easy to tending
When you plant in raised beds, you can easily tend to it and keep it on top of weeding. Planting straight in the ground allows grass and all sorts of weeds to invade your growing crops. Setting up the raised beds properly from the start reduces the number of weeds and blocks the grass. They also reduce your chances of working in mud.
They also require less bending over to reach since you can have them as high as is comfortable for you.
#6 Prevents soil compaction
Soil compaction reduces drainage and air in the soil, which may tremendously affect the garden’s productivity. When growing in raised beds, you do not walk over the ground, causing it to be compact and dense.
#7 Aesthetically pleasing
Raised bed gardens are by far the most attractive gardens. They are structured and defined by having distinct pathways and growing areas. You can also have them made out of wood, stone, steel, or brick to fit your personal preferences.
#8 Fewer seeds and plants with high productivity
Contrary to conventional gardening, raised bed gardening applies high-density planting. This technique uses planting spaces more efficiently to increase the yield. In addition, since the soil is full of nutrients and has the right texture, the plants will grow just right. As a result, you will use fewer seeds and more diverse plants than conventional gardening methods.
# 9 Help with pest control
You might be wondering: “how would raised beds keep pests away from the garden?” Well, maybe not all pests but a few. High-raised beds prevent rabbits and opossums from munching on your greens. In addition, having a steel fabric at the bottom of the bed blocks underground rodents from digging it up.
In more drastic measures, some gardeners build a full-screen cage over the beds or the garden to prevent all animals from getting to it. That might seed extreme, but some are more than happy with the outcome.
Conclusion
At last, raised beds are an excellent option for homeowners with a small growing space.
