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Are raised beds worth it? #4947150
03/04/15 06:24 PM
03/04/15 06:24 PM
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 420
Northern VA
jeepsyco Offline OP
trapper
jeepsyco  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 420
Northern VA
Until now, I've only grown my veggies in regular in-ground beds or in large pots. This year I'm hoping to substantially increase the garden and was wondering if I should stay in-ground or go raised beds?

Some of the items I'm thinking are corn, spinach, carrots, brussel sprouts, beans, zuchini, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Also, I'm looking to include various blueberry, elderberry, honeyberry and goji. You guys any any plus/minus's on these or have anything other random berry I dont know about for zones 7a/b?

Re: Are raised beds worth it? [Re: jeepsyco] #4948182
03/05/15 08:55 AM
03/05/15 08:55 AM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,627
Ohio, 55yrs old
Pasadena Offline
trapper
Pasadena  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,627
Ohio, 55yrs old
If your garden is subject to flooding or just wet in general, then raised beds are a good option. If you don't have a lot of water in the area and have to carry or pump it in then I would say stick with regular garden. Raised beds dry out extremely fast. You can mulch around your plants to try and keep some moisture in.


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Re: Are raised beds worth it? [Re: jeepsyco] #4999118
04/07/15 10:46 AM
04/07/15 10:46 AM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,131
Kentucky
K
Kyt Offline
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Kyt  Offline
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K

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,131
Kentucky
Raised beds are a lot of work to build and you have to use rot resistant material or they won't last long. I made my first one originally for carrots so the soil would all be sifted and free of rocks that sometimes cause carrots to be misshapen.
The good thing about them is you can custom mix the soil as you fill them with the best mix of sand, peat,and rich, loose, stone-free garden soil, etc to fit what you want to grow. But beware, all that great soil and growing medium is great for weeds. If you can't keep them mulched out be prepared to do a lot of weeding, over and over, since you can't mechanically cultivate. Corn, tomatoes, and similar crops take a great deal of space, so I wouldn't grow them in one, although they will grow great in them.
I have made several more and have had great success growing sweet potatoes, kale, onions, garlic, and carrots. I think spinach would do well in them, but I quit growing it here because i could not keep snails and slugs out of it without spraying insecticides on it every week, which meant I wouldn't eat it.
This year I plan to grow only watermelons in all mine because the raised beds were recently renovated with a lot of river sand. Sandy soil is great for watermelons and I mixed it just for them, as most of my garden space is marginal for watermelon. I can mulch around the plants with weed fabric covered with straw and cover the ground alongside the beds to keep down weeds where the vines will trail. So, no weeding after the plants are established and mulched--just pick the melons when ripe.

Re: Are raised beds worth it? [Re: jeepsyco] #5000178
04/07/15 10:07 PM
04/07/15 10:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,561
Northern MN
Dale Torma Offline
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Dale Torma  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,561
Northern MN
Raised beds seem to produce better for me, but are higher maintenance, and have to hand weed. I used mounded garden beds only wide enough so you could weed from both sides. Didn't need to use any lumber or anything to hold the soil. Just loosened up te soil and shoveled and raked the mounds. I had some fantastic gardens, one appeared in a magazine. But I don't have the time to intensively garden lately. If the weeds get out of hand, you're done.

My best year gardening, my wife and I kept it weed free, then when the plants were growing well, underseeded with white clover. The clover kept the weeds at bay and seemed to help the garden alot. I wish I could find a picture of it that year.

Row gardens are easier to maintain.

Re: Are raised beds worth it? [Re: jeepsyco] #5035136
05/03/15 08:18 AM
05/03/15 08:18 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,460
Newton N.H.
T
trapete Offline
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trapete  Offline
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T

Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,460
Newton N.H.
Yes they are very much so worth it if you are not Planting a huge garden. I notice a higher yield in the raised beds as apposed to the field tomatoes. They do use a lot more water as it evaporates from 4 sides and the top.

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