Avoid Stubborn Soil With
Raised Garden Beds

Fertile Garden

Wouldn't you love to have a healthy abundant garden? Raised garden beds may very well be the answer you have been looking for. This type of garden is simple and avoids a lot of common difficulties. As a result, they have become a popular form of gardening by the yard.

A lot of areas of the country have soil problems. If poor soil is one of your concern, raised garden beds eliminate that drawback.

You're essentially creating a large container of rich soil with the structure that is built. Growing plants in an elevated container of soil especially makes sense for gardeners with clay-like or heavy soil that drains poorly.

The following are some basic instructions and benefits of having raised garden beds:

• Prepare the area by digging a shallow trench the size of your planned enclosure. You can snap lines or stretch string to identify the outside edges.

• Set the excavation up to receive the enclosure a couple inches below grade. Till or turn the soil to about two shovels deep. Mix this good loosened topsoil thoroughly for a great root base.

• A good size for the enclosures is 3’ to 4' wide x 8' to 10' long. This works well with the nominal size of lumber and the narrow width is easy to manage from each side. The height can be from 1’ to 2’ tall

• The perimeter of the enclosure can be made out of the variety of materials with wood being the most common material. White or yellow pine 2" x 12" coated with linseed oil works well.

  Cedar and redwood also work but are going to be more expensive. Manufactured lumber that can go below grade is also one of your choices.

• Avoid any pre-treated timbers if you are doing vegetable gardening. The toxins used to treat the timbers can possibly be dangerous around your plants.

  If treated lumber is used, make certain to use a landscape fabric or plastic between the timber and the soil.

  A majority of the treated timbers nowadays are treated with non-toxic chemicals and may be fine to use. Check with your supplier for details on lumber in your area.

• When building out of wood, use metal angle iron brackets to join the corners and securely fasten them with galvanized screws. Put additional support at the bottom halfway along the length to keep the sides from bowing out.

• It is also a good idea to stake the fame down with stakes on the inside at six locations. Get or cut stakes to go half way into the ground and project half way above ground to attach the sides to.

• Concrete blocks, interlocking stones, pavers, and natural stone are other suitable masonry building material can also be used. Some of these applications can look very nice but lumber products are going to be least expensive when building raised garden beds.

• No foundation is required if you're building the beds out of concrete blocks, interlocking stones, or natural stones when your walls are not going to exceed 2' tall.

• Alternate the placement of stones or blocks so that vertical joints are staggered. No mortar is necessary but could be used if more reinforcement is desired. Frost and heaving conditions may be an issue for maintenance of the joints in temperate climates if mortar is used and there is no concrete footing.

Raised gardening can be the perfect fix, especially for those that have poor soil. You now have a garden above ground that is comprised of fertile soil that you add garden fertilizer and home composting to for excellent results.



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