All You Need to Know About Raised Bed Vegtable Gardening
The raised beds at the Garden Farm™.
Are you lot building a raised bed garden, or are you looking to improve your raised bed crops? You have come to the right place.
Earlier this year, I invited my email grouping to send me whatsoever questions they would like me to reply on the topic of raised bed gardening. Little did I wait the flood of responses I received.
Every bit a long-time raised bed gardener, I am thrilled to come across how many of yous are looking to start your raised beds for the very first time – and want to make sure you get off on the right foot. And then many of you lot, too, have experience with raised bed gardening only have questions on how to improve your results. One thing is certain, the information bachelor on the internet regarding materials, methods, risks, etc. – well, permit'due south just say it's conflicting at best.
Joe Lamp'fifty is enjoying time (and a comfortable raised bed perch) on his GardenFarm.
My hope with this raised bed gardening series (and yeah, so many questions to answer it's morphed from one podcast to a series!) is to put that conflicting data, well, to bed for yous. It's my goal to respond all your questions from A to Z, planning to harvest and maintenance, starting with this first episode in this raised bed gardening series.
If you would like to join the conversation and contribute to future topics, click the cherry "Get Free Updates" button at the top of this page.
My Raised Bed Gardening Groundwork
You might be feeling intimidated by the idea of edifice a raised bed garden. Believe me, I understand. I had been gardening all my life when, several years agone, I was selected to host the DIY Network telly series, Fresh from the Garden.
Joe Lamp'fifty on the prepare of Fresh from the Garden in 2005.
The focus of the show was backyard food product in raised beds from seed to harvest. I was given free range on pattern, gardening methods – the whole deal. The only grab? Failure was not an option. Iii years, 2 different locations, 52 episodes, and aught failures afterward, I aspect my gardening success in large part to all the practices that I will share with you in this serial.
Nearly 14 years have passed since Fresh from the Garden. Since then, I've designed and overseen many raised bed installations. My Growing a Greener World team and I accept traveled all over the country and seen many raised bed garden setups. We've seen beds over concrete, lots of community gardens, just most everything. We've seen what works and what didn't.
As function of the Growing a Greener Earth serial, I congenital my GardenFarm and turned what was v acres of overgrown castor into a big, productive raised bed garden and developing landscape. Six seasons ago, I congenital the raised beds I now see from my function window. If you're interested, I invite you lot to watch the episode on construction and see details of the blueprint instructions I used for edifice raised beds at my GardenFarm, plus the raised bed diagram.
Six seasons later, the gardens are beautiful, incredibly productive and a little easier to keep in "tv set-set" shape.
Layout sketch of the GardenFarm raised bed set up during early planning.
The truth is, I feel that all these years televising my gardening techniques – regardless of the location – my garden has been … everybody's garden. I've but been in charge of building and maintaining it. I've made plenty of mistakes and, like you, I never cease learning. I hope this series helps y'all become a head outset.
Why Apply Raised Garden Beds?
Raised beds provide you lot control over the wellness of the soil in which you are growing your plants. A raised garden bed is simply mounded soil or a contained bed of soil higher up the surrounding grade. The goal is to create a deep, wide growing area that encourages plant roots to grow downward and outward.
Challenging native soil weather condition can be overcome through the employ of raised bed gardens.
Raised beds can put plants at middle level for better ascertainment of pest bug. When the bed is contained in a construction, you are meliorate able to really get in there and piece of work your bed without impacting the overall shape.
I as well prefer not having to bend over to maintain the beds. Simply that little chip of added convenience makes it easier to work in the garden, even on those days where I might be tempted to just boot back with a cold beverage. Believe me; I have those days too.
Do you live in an expanse with hardpack clay, heavy clay (like my red Atlanta clay), fine-grained sand, or mayhap your domicile is surrounded by physical? Peradventure, you've washed a soil test and discovered atomic number 82 or some other contaminants in your native soil?
Raising the garden surface raises your plants to a higher place problem soil and can forbid found roots from reaching those contaminants. By using raised beds, there really aren't any surface problems that should hold you dorsum from gardening.
When your soil bed is elevated in a higher place the surrounding terrain, y'all control its health and drainage. And so, no matter how bad the ground you're starting with, anyone anywhere can grow a productive raised bed garden.
Frankly, I besides just love the look of raised beds. I find their aesthetic value to exist a bully benefit to my holding. Given the options, I tin't imagine not gardening in raised beds.
Exercise the Benefits of Raised Beds Outweigh the Costs?
At that place are lots of variables to make up one's mind if raised beds are your all-time garden selection. Some cracking gardeners prefer in-footing gardening. A frequent invitee of these podcasts gardens in-ground with mounded beds, and he wouldn't have information technology any other way.
Mounded, in-bed garden rows thrive at the Lee Reich gardens.
Building raised beds can be expensive. It doesn't need to exist, but it tin can exist. In 2009, I was challenged to build an entire garden (including plants) for $25 or less and was fortunate to detect 110-year-one-time barn wood to employ for my raised bed structure. Information technology may be worth checking sites like Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org for materials you lot can repurpose.
Some other potential downsides to raised beds:
- Their permanence. For about, this is a do good, but if there'south a possibility you volition need to relocate your garden in coming years, a permanent raised bed structure will demand to be deconstructed.
- The raised soil is more exposed to rut and cold than surface soil. If the sidewalls of your bed aren't very thick, the bordering soil and plants could be impacted by extreme conditions.
- Raised soil can dry out more apace than surface soil. During this serial, I'll encompass some ways to significantly reduce this downside, only the fact remains.
- Raised beds crave space between the beds for motion, pathways through the garden. If y'all have a very limited real manor, losing some of it to walking space might be a dealbreaker for y'all.
Garden Expanse Planning
There is a myriad of raised bed designs and variations out in that location. Nosotros'll become to that more than adjacent week, but first, consider your space. Bear in mind that these guidelines and principles use almost to an edible garden – growing fruits and vegetables.
You don't need to have a lot of space to build a raised bed garden. What y'all do need is a spot that receives full sunday for near of the day – at least six hours. Those edible plants require lots of sun to mature fully and set fruit for your harvest. And then, the sunniest surface area on your property will be the best garden spot.
If your property is shaded by lots of trees, you may desire to consider some selective pruning to permit the sun to reach your garden spot. Be certain to check out the Growing a Greener World web log on that topic and the considerations on this.
The GardenFarm raised beds during harvest time. Their 18″ summit makes for easy picking!
It's best if the garden area is relatively level. Many of you are starting with hilly terrain, so I recommend digging into the colina, if possible. Become that area as level every bit you tin before yous build.
If your spot isn't level, and you lot don't have the ability to level the ground, only conduct in mind that your raised bed surfaces volition need to be level once complete. So, starting with an uneven surface will need to be taken into account in your overall design.
Be sure the raised bed area volition accept piece of cake access to water. Is at that place a spigot nearby? If not, will information technology exist practical to lay a garden hose from the spigot to the garden expanse?
It'southward easy to forget that a strung-out garden hose volition need to be pulled back in regularly (if not daily) to mow, employ the hose elsewhere, prevent information technology from existence chewed up past the canis familiaris, etc. Water is key to gardening success, so you want to be sure your method will be practical for y'all.
Consider proximity to your home too. I am a potent advocate for getting out into the garden every day. Have at least a few moments to enjoy the beauty of what you've congenital. Spending some time each twenty-four hours also helps you catch pests and affliction in early stages.
Let's be realistic. If your garden is tucked abroad on the other end of your yard, and that distance feels like a expedition after a long mean solar day; you might exist inclined to have a seat on your favorite chair instead. And don't forget, y'all want those garden edibles to be equally shut to the kitchen every bit possible for a quick dinner. Why grow it if you're too busy to harvest and eat it?
A spot located too far away from your home may be inconvenient and impractical.
What are your ecology conditions? Is there anything else which might impact your finished beds? For case, is the selected spot in an surface area that receives some runoff in heavy rain? Take into consideration how the runoff will touch on your bed structure, or incorporate a fashion (similar a French drain) for that runoff to go around the garden expanse.
If at all possible, don't site your garden in an expanse where water tends to pool on your property. Fifty-fifty though the beds will be raised up, pooled h2o can withal wick up into the beds and drown your plants over time.
Will you be contesting predators? If you are in a rural area and subject to visitation by frequent furry nibblers, like deer or raccoons; comprise debate planning into your overall design. Keeping the garden nearer to your home may as well help to discourage predators from visiting your garden in the kickoff place. No sense taking the problem to abound all that produce, only to lose it to your wildlife neighbors.
While you're planning, know that how you orient your raised beds just doesn't matter. It won't affair if their length runs north-to-south or e-to-westward. What volition matter is the placement of your plants, and I'll cover that further afterwards in the series.
Orient your alpine plants on the northward side of your raised bed gardens. Planting them on the north or west side prevents their shading smaller plants from the dominicus.
Raised Bed Size Considerations
No dubiety you've already been looking at dozens, if non hundreds, of images of other gardens. So, you lot know that bed sizes and shapes vary widely. I've seen just about everything too – even plants inserted straight into bags of garden soil (not something I recommend). Hither are the guidelines I practice recommend:
1. Pinnacle: 12-eighteen" is ideal, all the same even as low equally half dozen" tin work and be productive. Most feeder roots are in the first 6", but the deeper the roots, the taller the shoots. Going college than xviii" can potentially cause more structural bug down the route – due to the weight and pressure level of all that soil.
Think virtually what types of crops you want to grow (root vegetables which require more space, herbs which require less, etc.). Think as well about the foundation on which you will exist edifice. Will the surface permit the soil to erode out the bottom (get higher), or might it exist impacted by the weight of the bed (don't go as well high)?
Provide as much room as possible – and practical – for your plant roots to grow. (If y'all checked out terminal week's podcast, you'd know that an 18" depth is also the perfect seating elevation.)
The GardenFarm raised beds, gear up for planting. Built of half-dozen″x6″ cedar beam, each bed is 18″ tall, three′ or 4′ wide, and 12′ long.
2. Width: 4 anxiety is perfect, but 3 feet can likewise piece of work. Four feet allows more flexibility for spacing rows, only more importantly, not edifice beyond that width will allow y'all to easily reach the center from either side of the bed. It's important that you don't have to step into the bed to weed, plant, etc., equally that will compact the soil and touch on drainage and overall health.
3. Length: Whatsoever fits your needs. You could build 4'x4' squares. You could build four'x20' rows. As long as you stick inside a four-foot maximum width, your length is only express by your space and budget.
iv. Shape: As mentioned, yous can build squares, rectangles, T's, circles, ovals, etc. As long as you can reach all areas of the bed from the border (staying within that four-foot width), you're all set.
Preparing the Garden Bed Area
Mayhap you are truly blessed and have blank, level, beautiful world just waiting for you to come along and plunk some beds down. No? Then, you are like the residue of us who have (or had) to put a niggling claret, sweat, and tears into claiming our garden spot from turf or shrub or weeds.
If your Space is Currently Lawn:
- Rent a sod cutter to remove that turf pretty quickly and easily – simply be forewarned, this will involve a striking to your budget.
- Dig up the sod the old-fashioned way. Hello, shovel, my onetime friend.
- Smother and compost that high-maintenance grass away. If you are willing to expect a little while, (a few months) this method will provide a nutrient-plentiful base for your garden bed. I have listed the steps for this "no-till method" in my no-till gardening video blog
If your Space is Currently Weed-Infested:
- Solarize the expanse. Solarizing will take some time (4-8 weeks), but it is a great way to kill much of the weed growth and seeds for 2-3" below the soil surface. Solarization utilizes trapped moisture and heat and is best done in the hottest months of the summer.
- To solarize, mow the area as low to the ground as possible, so thoroughly wet it down – really soak it well. Then, cover the area with clear plastic sheeting (clear plastic allows more estrus from the dominicus to penetrate to the soil surface than black or cloudy plastic).
- The key to solarization is ensuring a tight seal of the plastic edges. Your goal is to trap all that moisture underneath and not provide pockets for rut to escape. It's all-time to bury the edges of the plastic under an inch or and then of dirt.
- Periodically, check over the area throughout the summer to be sure the plastic is still well-sealed. If any holes are poked into the plastic at whatever point during the solarization process, encompass them with duct tape.
- Don't leave the plastic on for longer than 8 weeks, at most. Solarization will kill some of the beneficial microorganisms in your soil, but they will quickly repopulate the area. Remember that this process kills the weeds down to about iii" of soil, so if y'all dig afterwards solarization, you lot'll be bringing those deeper weed seeds back to the surface to crusade you lot more grief.
- One drawback to solarization is the ultimate disposal of the plastic sheeting. Recycle that plastic, if at all possible.
How you orient your raised beds isn't important. What does thing is how yous orient your plants.
- Bermuda grass. If you are contending with this adversary, solarization is your best weapon. Bermuda grass is grown intentionally in some areas, but it tin besides get a very persistent, invasive weed. It grows above ground – using runners – and below ground – using rhizomes.
- The proficient news is that solarization can impale Bermuda grass runners also as some of the rhizomes. However, those rhizomes can run very deep (six inches or more), beyond the attain of the heat of solarization. So while solarization can be effective confronting Bermuda grass, be prepared to continue this battle for many years to come.
- Bermuda grass is so persistent; it is the simply time I might consider placing a layer of landscape cloth under my raised bed structures. Alternatively, I might lay down several layers of cardboard.
- I strongly encourage you to build some sort of edge effectually the edge of your bed to prevent Bermuda grass creeping in from the perimeter. Bermuda grass needs plenty of sunlight, then when buried under layers of soil, information technology'due south non as likely to sprout upward from underneath. More than likely, any sprouts in your garden volition be due to seeds diddled in.
If your Infinite is Currently Shrubbed:
- In some cases, it might be necessary to grind out or dig out a stump or two. Fortunately though, raised beds prevent the necessity to remove near of the stumps and roots left backside. Much of the remaining woody textile will exist buried in your garden beds and will break downward over fourth dimension, adding a few nutrients to the soil.
Y'all may also opt to till the garden area to tear up existing roots, weeds, etc. and as a means to level the spot. There is some drawback to tilling your soil that I talk over at length in the video blog mentioned earlier.
Tilling can salve time and create a surface that is easier to level. Simply understand the drawbacks to tilling before you have that step. There are important soil construction elements which tin can exist lost due to tilling. Every bit with all these decisions, once you lot are educated on the benefits and risks, you can take the direction that all-time suits you lot.
The GardenFarm raised beds provide structure, beauty, and a healthy growing environment.
Detect that I did not recommend the apply of any topical lawn or weed killing products – either commercial or home-fabricated. If yous use a topical production, that production will remain in the soil and will bear on your garden bed. It doesn't take much to kill a season or more of garden ingather, so think twice before deciding to take this item shortcut.
If your Location is Hardscape:
- I've received lots of questions near building raised beds on this. I take seen many habitation and community gardens built on parking lots, sidewalks, etc. If this is what you take to work with, then go for it! These tin be productive garden locations likewise.
The primal to building on hardscape would as well exist drainage ability. Water should be able to catamenia out of the bottom of your raised bed onto the concrete. Some people layer cardboard beneath the bed structure to help with h2o retention, but that cardboard will break down so rapidly, it'southward not a worthwhile step.
If your only area is gravel, know that gravel might impede drainage. Studies have shown that h2o doesn't move as freely from a dense to a less-dumbo layer. Yous can check out a video demonstration to go a better understanding. The deeper yous build your beds, the less likely this will be a problem, and again if this is the best surface area you lot take to work with, don't let that agree you back!
The GardenFarm raised bed height of 18″ allows Joe Lamp'l to better detect growth and early problem alarm signs.
Which Materials are Condom for Containing your Beds?
Size and shape will likely too be dependent on your materials. More chiefly, many of you expressed concerns and had questions about which materials are safe. Here's where things can really go sideways. There are and so much conflicting information and surprisingly few studies on the various materials available for use.
Why do materials matter? First of all, the materials you use will be in close quarters to your food crop. In all likelihood, the roots and foliage will be regularly making contact with your material surface.
Secondly, the soil you place in your bed will need to remain fairly moist, and the outside surfaces of your bed will be spending a lot of time in the hot sun. Most materials dethrone when exposed to abiding moisture and sunlight.
I used 16' lengths of vi"x6" untreated cedar at the GardenFarm merely living in the heavily-populated Atlanta surface area offers me a better supply of woods materials than will exist available for many of you.
Regardless, hither are pros and cons to the materials y'all may be considering:
Raw Wood:
The best types of untreated wood are black walnut, cypress, cedar, redwood, oak, black locust, or osage orange. These are known for their rot-resistant backdrop and last for many years, even under moist conditions.
These forest can be difficult to detect available for buy in some areas. They are too expensive. Untreated pine is a less expensive untreated option, merely it volition besides have a shorter lifespan.
Some other consideration: Aside from pine, these woods are not as sustainable as other materials. Oft, these woods are harvested from old-growth wood. If you lot choose to use ane of these woods, cheque that it is coming from a sustainable source. Look for the Woods Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on any wood you lot buy. The FSC is an international system that has developed standards for responsible wood direction.
All types untreated forest will need to be replaced at some bespeak. The lifespan of your wood will depend on wood type and your environment. If y'all live in an arid climate, untreated wood can last for several years. If you live in a hot and muggy surface area, untreated wood may only come across you through a couple of years.
A robust raised bed garden grade congenital with wooden structures.
Replacing your wood does not signify failure. The untreated wood is decomposing and fifty-fifty adding some nutrients to your garden bed in the procedure. It'due south more a matter of maintenance and realistically assessing what volition work best for y'all and your family.
Woods Stains & Paint:
Y'all may opt to extend the life of your untreated woods by staining or painting information technology. I recommend using a natural treatment like raw linseed oil or raw tung oil.
It's of import to look for the raw form of these, as those not marked "raw" will likely include other chemicals. The chemicals are added to speed upwards the oil drying procedure, and so by using the raw versions, allow for additional drying time.
Some other thing to acquit in mind is that linseed oil is a nutrient source for mildew, so if mildew is a problem in your area, that may not exist a good choice for yous.
At that place oasis't been many studies on the bear upon of using paints or stains for garden bed structure. Pigment and stain ingredients vary, and overall, the touch on is relatively unknown. But common sense should remind you that these all include chemicals of some nature, and those chemicals may impact your crop.
I recommend against painting the outside only of your raised bed construction. The wood exposed to the moist soil will wick upward moisture, just the outside pigment won't permit the wood to fully "breathe." And then by painting the outside merely, y'all volition be trapping the wet inside and shortening the lifespan of your wood.
Treated Wood:
Treated wood has been infused with chemical elements to preserve the wood. CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) woods used to be the most commonly available. The primary business organisation with treated forest is that those infused elements leach out of the wood. The arsenic in CCA led manufacturers of CCA-treated forest to discontinue its availability for residential applications in 2003.
Although yous may find older CCA-treated wood, today'due south retail options will more than likely be ACQ (Ammoniacal Copper Quat) or MCA (Micronized Copper Azole). They have a higher concentration of copper but don't have the arsenic.
Leaching occurs at the highest levels under the following weather condition:
- Smaller surfaces – i.e., the ends and – especially, the sawdust
- More recently treated (although CCA-treated wood is shown to retain uniformly-high levels of CCA)
- Moist conditions – i.e., later on rain or in a muggy surround
- In unhealthy soil
Raised bed garden structures beingness built of treated wood and ready to be filled.
So to put this into an interesting perspective, studies exploring the bear upon of treated forest when used for raised beds accept shown that the greatest risk is really in touching the exterior of the bed. When you lot (or specially, your kids) sit on or lean on treated wood, your skin or article of clothing is near likely to absorb the copper or arsenic leaching out of the wood to remain on the surface.
If you currently accept beds made of the older CCA-treated woods, don't be alarmed. If you're using lots of compost, you lot should be fine, since plants don't even take up arsenic unless the soil is deficient in phosphorus. And that's probable non the instance since phosphorus tends to be immobile and ongoing amendments of compost but add to the overall book.
In other words, really healthy soil with lots of organic affair does not take up arsenic by plant roots. However the more acidic or alkaline your soil, the more likelihood of those elements being taken upward by your plants. And then, just another reason for getting a soil examination to get your soil closer to a neutral pH (6.5-7.0 – also the ideal range for vegetable growth). Ditto for soil with a low amount of organic affair, and so brand certain your soil analysis tests for organic matter percent also.
As for the newer ACQ and MCA treated wood (which have higher copper levels), plants in your food garden won't be able to tolerate high levels of copper, and studies show that healthy soil too prevents uptake of copper.
Even if copper levels are high and being taken up, the plants will die before you ever take a chance to recall about eating them. At whatsoever rate, that would exist a adept indicator of a potential trouble – in which example you lot might want to think about having your soil tested for metal concentrations.
While nosotros're on the bailiwick, root vegetables are at greatest risk of existence impacted by leaching, as most metals (when taken up) remain in plant roots. Studies further evidence that those root vegetables are impacted most on their surface. And then past thoroughly washing all the impacted soil off and peeling the skin off your potatoes, beets, etc.; you volition exist eliminating potential contamination.
Your tomatoes and your eggplant could absorb copper or arsenic into their roots, simply it is generally not shown to touch on the fruit. Leafy greens are an exception and tin can take up arsenic in their leaves.
In short: Keep your soil near neutral and add lots of compost (more on both of these later on), thoroughly wash off the soil and peel the skin from your root vegetables, and avoid contact with the exterior surface of the treated woods. As an extra precaution, grow leafy greens and root vegetables more toward the eye of your bed (12" from the perimeter if possible), furthest from the treated wood.
A final annotation: When edifice treated wood beds, make your cuts somewhere that allows you to contain the sawdust. Wear a grit mask and gloves, and remove and dispose of the sawdust promptly. Don't add together it to your compost.
Cinder or Concrete Blocks:
The truth is, these days the terms are used interchangeably. If your "cinder" blocks are decades old, they may really be cinder blocks, simply only concrete blocks have been in production for the past fifty+ years.
What are your concrete blocks made from? That depends somewhat on your expanse, but there are consistencies. Virtually all physical blocks are made of what's chosen Portland cement as well as aggregate, like sand or gravel.
One of the ingredients of Portland cement is fly ash (ranging from 15% to 25%). It's used to make concrete blocks lighter yet stronger. Fly ash is a fine powder byproduct of coal called-for, so In other words, information technology's a petroleum byproduct.
And hither'southward the real rub: wing ash contains various amounts of toxic metals; including arsenic, lead, and mercury. And so, yes, those metals are in the concrete blocks that line your vegetable garden also.
A concrete block raised garden bed under structure. (photograph: Joan DiSante)
While that might sound scary, the adventure of those metals becoming available in the soil just happens if office of the concrete cake is pulverized. And so, it'south a thing of several factors that determine the potential risk to what you are growing.
First, the proximity of plant roots to the damaged area. Next, soils higher in organic matter are ever beneficial but especially in this case, considering they help chemically bind the metals – making them unavailable for absorption into the establish. Just as with CCA-treated wood, root crops and leafy greens are about susceptible when exposed to higher concentrations.
Then, how much fly ash is absorbed by soil held within a concrete cake construction? Well, if the block is intact, petty to none. But not much research has been washed on this specific subject field.
If you have beds made from concrete blocks, just avert anything that would crusade them to suspension to the bespeak that the dust from pulverized pieces tin can come in contact with plant roots.
And if y'all really desire to "do something," seal the interior lining with a polymer paint (the most practical pick), or line the interior side with PE plastic. It's up to yous to decide if it'south actually worth the trouble.
If building raised beds over a physical surface, the same risks and preventions would apply.
A raised bed garden built on a concrete expanse.
The bottom line: It's non a huge chance, and in that location are many other ways y'all are likely taking unintended and harmful materials into your trunk, far beyond the risk posed by these blocks. That's my opinion, only I exercise encourage yous to do your own research on this if you lot'd similar to larn more. There is so much information out there on the subject, and it will quickly accept you lot in many directions. So, only be mindful of the reliability of the sources of these manufactures.
Composite Wood:
Blended wood is made of recycled materials and can last for years. Some composite textile, when used in long side walls tin can buckle a bit. Here again, there hasn't been much inquiry on the use of blended forest in proximity to edibles.
Are in that location whatsoever chemicals or elements released by the composite material? It appears to be a benign product for garden use, just there isn't much information out there to make a solid determination.
Railroad Ties:
Railroad ties are made with creosote, an oil distilled from coal tar. Creosote is used every bit a wood preservative for industrial utilize and is the black, oily stuff you see oozing from the sides of the ties.
The heft of railroad ties has made them a popular choice for raised beds and garden retaining walls. While there have been few studies on the impact of using them to incorporate edible plants, I'll take the advice provided directly from the EPA on creosote:
"…Creosote is not approved to treat woods for residential use, including landscaping timbers or garden borders…. Creosote is a possible man carcinogen and has no registered residential utilise."
Galvanized Metal:
There'due south little scientific data available examining the effect of galvanized metallic in the utilise of raised beds. What I can tell yous is that the galvanization process typically involves dipping the metal in molten zinc or zinc-based coating.
While dangerous if consumed in big quantities, zinc is a micronutrient that plants and humans actually need in small quantities. If too much zinc were leached into the soil, it would probably reverberate in dying plants, earlier information technology would ever pose a health risk.
Also, galvanized metal has been used to hold or transport h2o for humans and livestock for many years. All that to say: I can't guarantee there'south non a negative health touch, but the take a chance is certainly low.
A galvanized tub raised bed garden provides a home for herbs and vegetables. (photo: Dennis Huckabay)
One thing you should comport in mind, still, is heat and drainage. Livestock troughs are a popular selection, but it'due south critical to provide lots of drainage holes in the lesser of the trough. That wet will need a place to escape, so you don't inadvertently drown your plant roots.
Whether you lot employ metal sheeting or a trough, that metal will absorb and reflect heat from the sun – more other materials. As a effect, your soil will tend to dry out more chop-chop, and foliage in the line of that cogitating power might suffer. The soil nearest to the sun-facing metal will also warm upwards more the rest of the bed.
It might be wise to plant those tender vegetables – like lettuce – toward the center of the bed where soil temperature will remain well-nigh abiding.
Tires:
Just don't. Don't do it. If you must do it, do it just for a flavor or two at about. Tires are a petroleum-based product. Their rubber degrades in the heat and moisture, and the chemicals incorporate into your soil. They may be convenient or look kitschy and fun. It may continue a tire out of the landfill, sure. But in that location are more than drawbacks to using tires than there are benefits.
At that place's a reason that most landfills prohibit tires. If garbage shouldn't be subjected to decomposing tire rubber, neither should your family's nutrient.
Most landfills prohibit tires. If garbage shouldn't be subjected to decomposing tire rubber, neither should your family unit's food.
Pre-Made Kits:
It doesn't get much easier than ane of the many raised bed kits available for purchase today. These can exist used with blended woods and can be cut to varying lengths. Some can exist expensive, and the material with which they are made can vary widely. I recently built raised beds on an episode of Growing a Greener Globe, so check that out.
Liners:
If you use any of the above materials with the potential of leaching, you might be inclined to line the bed with plastic. Yes, this will provide a barrier between the bed material and your soil. But don't lose sight of the plastic textile itself.
There are so many plastics out in that location, and they are of widely-diverse safe grades. If you use plastic, look for nutrient-grade polyethylene. This is considered one of the about nutrient-safety plastics. Line only the outer perimeter of the bed – not the bottom surface. Don't block drainage with plastic.
With all of these products, I recommend you lot do your own research to feel comfortable in your choice. There are many reputable and non-so-reputable resources out at that place, so ever exist mindful of your data resource.
Raised bed kits, similar to the parts beingness used here, brand information technology easy to build a bed at any size and in whatsoever location. Seen here are widely-available builder blocks with blended forest, which can be cut to any size.
Exist certain to picket for adjacent calendar week's podcast when I'll continue the raised bed journeying, discussing two of the raised bed topics that generated the most questions – structure material and soil. There is a lot to cover there, so I encourage y'all to heed in and read up.
Speaking of listening in, if you haven't already washed and so, I recommend listening to this podcast recording (linked at the superlative of the page). I include a few anecdotes and other tidbits that I think yous will observe enlightening and entertaining.
Links & Resource
Podcast Episode 006: Weedless Gardening with Lee Reich
Episode 041: Small-scale Infinite Garden Blueprint joegardener Blog: No-Till Gardening: If You Love Your Soil, Ditch the Tiller
Episode 043: Raised Bed Gardening, Pt. ii: Perfect Soil Recipe
Episode 044: Raised Bed Gardening, Pt. 3: Animal Command & More than
joegardenerTV: How to Become the Best Drainage for Your Container – Why What You lot've Been Taught Is All Wrong
Growing a Greener World
GGW Web log: Limbing up Trees
GGW Blog: Salvaging 110-year old forest – My Quest for a Twenty-five Dollar Organic Victory Garden
GGW: GardenFarm Raised Bed Instructions
GGW: GardenFarm Raised Bed Garden Diagram
GGW Episode 406: Setting Upwardly a Garden
GGW: Episode 804 Gardening for Butterflies & Other Beneficial Insects
EPA: Creosote
PennState Extension: Ecology Soil Bug: Garden Apply of Treated
Craigslist.org
Freecycle.org
Milorganite® – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joegardener.com
About Joe Lamp'l
Source: https://joegardener.com/podcast/raised-bed-gardening-pt-1/
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