Tucson Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds can be set up almost anywhere—with less effort than digging and regardless of soil conditions to produce more vegetables per square foot. This makes them ideal for a wide range of applications from backyard gardens to urban rooftop gardens, agricultural gardens, school gardens, community gardens, and more.
Raised beds have many advantages:
They greatly reduce soil compaction. Plant roots need air and with a raised bed you do all your gardening from the path between beds eliminating
tromping down the soil as you weed, etc.
Plants can be spaced more closely together in a raised be because you don’t need places to step.This increases the productivity per square foot. It also reduces weeding. The risk you run is to crowd your plants. Raised beds tend to grow much larger plants so overcome the urge to really pack them in.
Drainage is easier in a bed built above the ground. The contrary to this is if you live in a very dry climate you may have to water more frequently.
Raised beds are closer to you so there is less bending and gardening can be done on a garden seat or wagon seat. This has great advantage to the elderly or those with limited mobility.
The growing season can be significantly lengthened with beds that are above ground level because they warm up sooner than the ground beneath them. You can also cover them effectively to prevent frost or damage from hail and high winds.
Its also easier to keep pests and weeds out of a raised bed, so if you live in an area with lots of rabbits or moles or gophers you may want to consider this option very carefully.
Finally, studies have shown that raised beds produce up to 1.5 to 2 times more vegetables and flowers per square foot over ordinary beds. You can have a smaller and more manageable garden that produces more for your table.
Since my space is relatively small I find this appealing.
The disadvantages are few. As mentioned above you may have to water with more frequency in a dry climate. Raised beds can take more money initially to establish as they must be built as opposed to plowing up a piece of your yard and sticking seeds in the ground.
So, after all is said and done the decision has been made that raised beds are the way to proceed.
Now to plan the layout and design of the landscape. I’d recommend to start observing how many hours of sun different areas of your property receive.
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Today!
Happy Gardening
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