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Raised Bed Gardening
Raised
beds are garden areas that are higher than ground level and small enough
to work without actually stepping on the bed. The beds don't have to be
enclosed, but framing will hold the soil and look neat and attractive.
Raised
beds offer many advantages, especially if space is at a premium. In a
raised bed, it is easier to improve the soil. You add compost and fertilizer
only to the garden bed, not the pathways. This saves time and money and
the plants grow better in soil that is never compacted by garden traffic.
Raised beds allow higher yields and use less water. You can plant things closer together, offering more vegetables and flowers per square foot. Plants grown closely together crowd out weeds and shade the soil, reducing evaporation and keeping roots cooler.
Raised
beds also can extend the gardening season. The soil warms up earlier in
the spring and dries out more quickly after a rain. In the fall, it is
easier to cover the plants to ward off frost damage.
Raised
beds should be no wider than about 4 feet so that you can reach into the
center of the bed. They can be what length suits the gardener's needs.
You
can make the frame from materials you have around the house including
bricks or cinder blocks. Rocks are popular in southern New England because
of ready availability.
Pressure-treated
lumber is often used to make raised beds. However, as of 2003, EPA is
banning it for residential use because of environmental and safety concerns.
In the URI Master Gardener Demonstration Vegetable Garden, we are testing
readily available alternatives to pressure-treated lumber. Though more
expensive, the materials are durable, attractive and safe for garden use.
Plastic
Lumber, manufactured in Rhode Island, is made entirely from recycled plastic.
It is easy to work with, rot resistant and comes in many different colors.
The cost of a 4 by 12 foot raised bed made with 2 by 10 inch boards and
4 by 4 inch posts of Plastic Lumber is about $230.
TREX is made from recycled plastic mixed with recycled
wood. Like Plastic Lumber, it is durable and easy-to-work with. The cost
of a 4 by 12 foot bed made with TREX is about $130 - $150.
Cedar is an attractive, rot-resistant wood that works
well for raised beds. Although more expensive than pressure-treated lumber,
a 4 by 12 foot raised bed made of
cedar is in the $100 range. (Using one of the lower grades of cedar.)
For more information on raised beds, visit the URI GreenShare Factsheet website. Or, call the URI Master Gardener Hotline. In Rhode Island, call 1-800-448-1011; out of Rhode Island call: 401-874-2929. Hotline hours are Monday –Thursday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.