Raised vegetable gardens offer superior drainage compared to traditional gardens and are easier on your back and shoulders, since you don’t have to bend down as often to tend your vegetables.
For maximum effectiveness in your garden, select a spot with full sunlight. It will encourage plant growth while helping prevent weeds.
Location
Considerations should be given when planning where you place raised beds when selecting an ideal spot for a vegetable garden, both to maximize its productivity and care requirements. This makes the best location a key element.
Initial consideration should be how much sunlight a location receives; most vegetables, fruit, and berries require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day to thrive. If possible, seek a site which receives full sun all day; southern exposure provides optimal heat and sunlight during afternoon hours.
Avoid shaded sites to promote vegetable growth. This includes any areas shaded by fences, walls or structures; in these instances trellises or wall-trained fruit trees could provide enough sunlight without direct sun rays striking their plants directly.
Wind is another factor to take into consideration, as its strong winds can damage your garden and lead to diseases like mildew or mold growth. To help minimise wind exposure, find a place with less wind exposure when selecting your site.
Find a location close to a water source if possible; this will make caring for your garden easier by making watering crops simple. Furthermore, it will reduce drag time with your hose across the yard while saving energy costs as a bonus! Additionally, it is wise to contact local utility providers prior to digging so you don’t hit any underground wires or pipes which could pose potential danger.
Materials
Materials you select when building your raised garden bed will have an enormous effect on its longevity and ability to produce nutritious food. When possible, opt for rot-resistant wood such as cedar, cypress or locust; otherwise consider other long-lasting and durable options like white oak or fir as well as recycled material for greater affordability.
Once again, another consideration when building your box over grass or pavement should be whether to cover the turf with newspaper or cardboard before adding soil – known as the no-dig method this technique will suffocate grass while stopping any potential weeds from popping through to the new soil layer. Digging could hasten nutrient loss from soil while potentially harming complex organisms that make up its composition if done too frequently.
If your box will be built over pavement, cover its surface with a thin layer of newspaper or cardboard to prevent weeds from sprouting through the newly added dirt. In addition, spreading a layer of compost or well-aged manure mulch onto its surface may help control weed growth as well.
Your best start for cultivating vegetables lies ahead when filling a box with an ideal blend of nutrient-rich soil and compost, half made up of regular topsoil and the other half from homemade or purchased bagged compost – or alternatively organic material such as mushroom manure, animal manure or fish compost can also be added into this mix.
Avoid pressure-treated wood as this type can contain harmful metals such as arsenic and copper that could harm you. If unsure, ask the lumberyard clerk whether there are any alternatives that have been treated with less toxic preservatives; an older treatment known as Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) containing high levels of arsenic was banned for residential use in 2004.
Design
If the soil in your yard doesn’t lend itself to productive gardens, consider building raised beds as an effective way of cultivating vegetables in limited spaces. These freestanding, box-like frames typically elevated on landscapes offer several advantages over traditional gardening techniques – including easier access to plant roots and greater control over planting environments; plus they make it more difficult for animals to reach your produce!
Before beginning construction on your raised bed vegetable garden, make a careful plan using DIY plans available online to get an idea of its size and layout by gathering scrap wood, string or broomsticks and laying them out roughly in the shape of your vegetable garden on the ground. This will give you an idea of how you want to organize it as well as which size box you will require.
Consider carefully the materials you will use when building your raised garden bed. When possible, opt for rot-resistant lumber like cedar, cypress or locust; alternatively you could try using reclaimed barn wood or another solid and durable lumber alternative such as reclaimed barnwood.
Reusing recycled materials is one way to be even more eco-friendly when creating a raised garden, such as using cinder blocks which are inexpensive and readily available at most hardware stores. But older blocks may contain fly ash that leaches into the soil around edible plants – though newer blocks made of concrete should be safe enough for growing vegetables without worrying.
As you select materials to build your garden, keep soil depth requirements for specific crops in mind. Some plants have deeper root systems than others and will need a deeper bed. Weed cloth or hardware cloth should be placed under raised gardens to prevent any unwanted growth from taking root at their base.
Consider how you’ll irrigate the plants when planning a raised garden bed. If watering will need to be applied manually, opt for a drip or soaker hose mounted to one of its side panels; this allows you to set a timer and eliminates guesswork involved with manual watering.
Assembly
A vegetable garden box can be an easy and efficient way to grow vegetables in your backyard, requiring far less effort than traditional gardens and being suitable for all skill levels. Simply decide where to place it, clear out its area, assemble the bed and fill with soil rich with nutrient and compost – this will allow your plants to flourish while simultaneously helping prevent weed growth!
The frame should be constructed out of weather-resistant lumber such as cedar or pressure-treated wood; any lumber treated with creosote should be avoided. Underneath your raised bed, it is also recommended that landscaping fabric purchased at garden centers be installed to prevent the growth of weeds; at least 3 feet (0.91 meters) wide should be utilized but cutting can help save money!
Once the frame has been assembled, begin by layering landscaping fabric on the bottom of your raised garden bed to prevent weeds from emerging through the soil and choking out your crops. Next add layers of compost followed by planting soil; mix these together thoroughly so they become one.
A 4ft by 8ft garden box should provide ample room to grow most vegetables successfully. It should be placed with its northern-southern orientation facing towards sunlight for optimal performance.