Raised beds filled with nutrient rich, organic soil warm faster in spring due to their elevation away from the cold ground-and their improved drainage. Offers a head start on the growing season If your garden soil is normally wet into springtime, elevated beds solve this problem by lifting the soil above ground level and giving your plant roots room to breathe.
#USING TREX BOARDS FOR RAISED GARDEN INSTALL#
If you have weed problems, you can install a weed barrier beneath your bed’s soil at installation time to ensure invasive weeds or tree roots don’t invade the bed. Raising your beds also means moving crops away from dogs that may otherwise (ahem) urinate on your garden. They also make it easy to install copper slug ‘fencing’ and other deterrents around the perimeter. Raised garden boxes are known to deter rabbits, which will handily nibble in-ground crops growing at eye level.
#USING TREX BOARDS FOR RAISED GARDEN SERIES#
In the backyard or the front, a series of raised planters surrounded by paths looks neat and well tended all year round. Raised bed designs come in a variety of heights to make reaching your crops less stressful on your body over time. Easier on your backīending, stooping, and kneeling can all take its toll on your back and joints. This is a good practice for both soil and plants. Instead of digging up a compacted bed year after year, many gardeners add compost and other soil amendments to the top of their elevated beds in fall, then let nature do the rest over the dormant season. Raised garden beds require less tilling than traditional, in-ground beds. There are a lot of great reasons to build raised beds that contain and protect your garden soil. So why should you bother assembling or building a raised bed garden? Benefits of raised bed gardening
There are also do-it-yourself options if you have the time or the inclination.
Whether you’re handy with tools or don’t know a drill press from a driver, there are kits on the market that are easy to build with little time or expense. But not all raised bed systems are the same. Unfortunately some raised bed systems are costly to buy and time consuming to install. Not only do they look stunning in a backyard garden, they also ease the workload that comes with maintaining traditional, in-ground beds. There’s no question that raised beds are popular for a reason.