How to Grow and Maintain a Raised Bed Garden
If you have enough space in your home, building a raised bed in the garden is recommended to grow healthy greens. A raised bed garden is a versatile and efficient way to cultivate vegetables, herbs and flowers.
It might look overwhelming in pictures but taking some time to create it in your yard is worth it due to the numerous benefits it offers. Not only does it allow for easier access to the plants from all sides, but it also keeps the garden weed-free and gives you better control over the quality of the soil.
If you don’t have the time to build one properly, just stack some bricks to form a raised bed to separate the growing area from the rest of the space. You’ll never want to go back. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of layering and maintaining a raised bed garden and some features of fabric-raised beds for home gardens.
Benefits of Growing Vegetables in a Raised Bed:
- When you grow vegetables in a raised bed, you will have more control over the quality of your soil. It becomes easier for the plants to grow because the soil is not too compact, and it lets water flow through it better.
- Plants growing in raised beds do not have to compete with other weeds as much and hence get all the nutrients from the soil.
- Because the soil in a raised bed doesn’t get stepped on as much, it doesn’t get squished down. This helps keep the soil fluffy and stops it from washing away when it rains. Hence, there is less soil erosion.
- When you garden in a raised bed, you don’t have to bend down as far to take care of your plants. This makes it easier to plant, weed, and harvest them.
- Since raised beds provide the perfect environment for plants to grow, you can get more vegetables from the same space. That means you’ll have more food to enjoy.
- The soil in raised beds also tends to stay warmer than the rest of the land which leads to better germination of seeds.
Factors That Affect Yield in a Raised Bed:
- Varieties Being Grown: Choose seed varieties suited to your climate in a particular season and growing conditions. For example, most herbs grow well in the spring season in some parts of the country while some regions in India are ideal to grow herbs in autumn as well.
- Material of the Raised Bed: Opt for durable and non-toxic materials like fabric raised beds, which offer superior aeration and root development compared to plastic or wooden ones.
- Drainage: This is the most important factor when it comes to growing vegetables and herbs in a raised bed. Ensure proper drainage to prevent waterlogging and root rot.