Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed keep your garden organized.

One of the best ways to grow your vegetables, herbs & flowers is by using raised beds. They can be built to any size and height, using a variety of materials. Common sizes are 4’ x 4’ and 4’ x 8’, which also compliment the Square Foot Garden methodology.

Grow Longer

The soil in raised beds warms up earlier in spring, so you’ll be able to plant cool-season crops sooner. As an added benefit, soil tends to stay warmer for a longer period of time.

Avoid The Clay

Raised beds allow you to have the proper soil from the start, so you aren’t having to deal with tough or unusable soil. You can used purchased garden soil or fill it with your own compost.

Drain and Retain

Since you’ve put in good soil from the start, that soil tends to have more efficient drainage, due to the makeup of the soil placed in it. If your soil is more sandy, it will retain more water. Soil erosion isn’t a concern, especially if the raised bed is framed.

Greg Holdsworth in his garden.

No Need To Till

Because you never walk on the soil in a raised bed, it never gets compacted to the point of needing to be tilled. This is important when it comes to soil biology and structure, as the soil isn’t “disturbed” as much.

Accessible Anywhere

Raised beds can be placed almost anywhere, allowing folks without yards or traditional garden space to enjoy the gardening experience. The bed can be built higher up, allowing more accessibility for people who can’t reach or bend over.

More Growing Space

Since you aren’t having to devote as much space to walking areas, raised beds allow you to plant more per square foot. This efficient use of space tends to produce more veggies per square foot than traditional plantings.