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Re: Intro RE: raised bed construction

Selena,

I'm sure if you really want plans you could find some at the library. But
once you understand the basic premise of enclosed raised beds you probably
won't need them.

There are at least two types of raised beds. Enclosed and open. We have
both in our garden, and for our soil conditions neither is better than the
other. An open raised bed is simply a bed where the soil has been worked up
and mounded either by adding compost and other materials to the soil or by
digging out a path and adding this soil to the bed.

A closed raised bed is basically the same thing but it has some type of
frame around it: rock, brick, wood, plastic lumber. I personally use
plastic lumber and cinder blocks since I don't want to use wood. If you do
choose to use wood be careful about using pressure treated wood since they
are treated w/ arsenic which can leach into your soil thus killing your
plants and certainly not helping you either.

To build either type of raised bed you should first prepare the sub soil if
possible by double digging. I say this is the best way, but in a hurry
we've simply turned over one shovel full and broken the clods with a
hoe/rake. Then you need to lay you enclosure. Bricks take a while to get
level then we pack soil into them and rebar into the corner bricks for more
stability. Then just start filling the bed in with soil and compost.

Some people line the edges of the bed with plastic or landscape fabric, but
we have found that this is an unnecessary step.

If you are interested in layer mulching, which sounds like an easier (but
you need to plan it) way of building a raised beds, ask Lee Flier on the
Organic Gardening List.

Good luck,

Natalie


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Natalie McNair-Huff
Publisher/Editor Mac Net Journal
http://www.blol.com/web_mnj/
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