Why use Raised Garden Beds:
Most gardeners that I know have turned to some type or form of raised garden beds.My experience:
It's easy to maintain.
No compaction of the soil, except when it rains.
Economical in its use of water and fertilizer.
So much easier to weed.
You can weed one bed at the time and feel like you accomplished something.
Also raised beds can be whatever height you need and your garden becomes almost like an outdoor room in the summer time.
I made my raised garden raised beds out of landscape wood mini-ties and if some of my lower walls need another row or two, I'll just screw some more ties to it.
Raised Beds can be made of almost anything.
I have used rocks, bricks, wood and landscape ties.
Are Raised Beds Really worth it?
Yes!With Raised Beds - keeping your garden fertile, moist, fertilized and pest free, is a lot easier to fix problems .
You can do improve your soil one bed at the time with loose fertile soil that's never walked upon and it keeps my vegetable garden tidy.
Raised Beds will save money on water, because you are only watering the beds and not the paths.
It's a lot easier to add covers to raised beds to keep pests and insects out as well.
I have raised beds, but there's some crops that I would like to grow just in the ground.
Like Potatoes, Squash, Melons and Corn. :)
My raised beds made with stones that we found at our home.
My main reason for using raised beds at my home is - It easier for me to keep my edges tidy, uses less water, easy to amend the soil and it's easier to weed.
Amending the soil with raised beds - is easy.
Example: I grouped my plants that like ericaceous soil in one bed and then I just amend the soil in that bed.
Also, you can do the same with water - if you zone your raised garden beds for water requirements - you don't have to water all of your garden - just the plants that needs it the most.
Are you convince yet? :)
Happy Gardening!