Raised Bed Gardening Guide

Learn to build: Raised Bed Gardens Straw Bed Gardens Straw Bale Gardens

Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed garden plants are grown above ground level in a structured bed. As an alternative to traditional in-ground gardening, raised beds provide unique opportunities for people with limited space, physical disabilities or contaminated ground soil. While this type of gardening can be more expensive and require more work to set up initially, the many benets make it worthwhile to many gardeners.

Benets
Flexibility
Raised bed gardens can be customized to your unique needs and preferences. They can be built in almost any shape, size or location and with a variety of materials.

Accessibility
Beds can be built to any height, allowing gardeners to work while sitting or standing, providing more comfortable gardening and a great option for persons with physical disabilities.

Safety
Raised beds provide a barrier between your growing space and contaminated soil. If the safety of your soil is unknown, soil tests can be done but can be more costly than building an above ground garden.

Soil Control
Traditional gardening typically allows for extra nutrients to be mixed into the soil several inches deep. In raised bed gardens soils are custom mixed to ensure proper nutrients and texture throughout the entire bed. This also allows beds to drain water more eciently, preventing over 1

Raised Bed Gardening

Ecient Productivity
Compared to gardening in the ground, raised bed gardens can require less water and produce higher yields. The absence of pathways through the garden bed reduces water use, allows for dense planting, and eliminates soil compaction issues. The dense planting patterns, means dense plant foliage as well, reducing water evaporation and keeping plant roots cooler. Weeds and other pests have a more dicult time reaching raised bed gardens. Beds warm faster than the ground allowing soil to be worked sooner.

Opportunities for Art

In addition to making beds out of a variety of materials in any shape or size, they can also be decorated, adding creativity to gardening.

Drawbacks
As an alternative to gardening in non-contaminated ground soil, raised beds are more expensive and require more materials to build.

Planning a Raised Bed Garden

Now that you know some of the benets and possible drawbacks of raised bed gardening, youre ready to start your own! This section provides a guide to planning and building a garden that will meet your unique needs. Gardening of any kind requires many considerations. The following are some tips for creating a successful raised bed garden. Enjoy!

Location
The following suggestions and considerations can be used to determine the most ideal location of your raised bed garden. Dont feel limited by a small yard or no yard at all. Roofs, concrete areas, even decks are all great locations for a garden. 3 Sketch your site to imagine possible locations Include pathway space for walking and equipment (wheel barrow, lawn mower, etc.) Create a list of plants you want to grow and the amount of sun they need Observe sun and shade patterns on your site Think about north-south bed orientations for maximum sunlight exposure Look for areas that are level and dry

Raised Bed Gardening Bed Design

The size of bed and materials used to make it really depend on your unique needs and preferences. The options are as endless as your imagination! Functional beds can also be very creative in design. The following options are merely suggestions, dont be afraid to experiment with size, shape or materials.

Dimensions
Length - Keep in mind your available space and room for pathways around beds. If walking around a long bed may be an issue, consider two smaller beds. Width - Determine by measuring the length of your arms reach. Calculate this by sitting or standing at a table and reaching toward the center until you bend slightly (2 feet is average), double this number for the total bed width if you plan to garden from all sides of the bed. Depth - Herbs and many owers need be 8 to 9 inches, vegetables, most fruits and shrubs 12 to 18 inches. Height Choose a height that will make gardening comfortable for you. If you wish to garden while sitting, estimate bed height by sitting in a chair, reaching your arm out and measuring the heights you can comfortably reach. The same test can be done standing. Raised Bed Kits Kits are available that include materials and instructions for building a raised bed garden. They can be ordered in a variety of sizes and styles. They can be more expensive than making your bed by hand but can also be easier to build and save time.
Natural Yards http://naturalyards.com/raisedbeds/ Raised Garden Beds http://www.raised-garden-beds.com/

Materials
The following information will prepare you to build your raised bed garden. In addition to the basic tools needed for gardening, a variety of materials can be used to build and ll your bed. Possible bed materials Concrete blocks Plastic lumber Metal siding Scavenged materials Bricks Old tires Glass Wood Metal Edging Rope Stone Straw Hay

Reinforcing your bed Metal Stakes Wood Stakes

Mortar

These are just a few options, be creative and experiment with dierent materials. On a basic level, your bed just needs to contain the soil, but they can also add an aesthetic element. Keep in mind some materials are processed with chemicals that could potentially leach into your garden. Pressurized wood such as railroad ties is one example. If using wood, pay attention to the rot resistance. Cedar is one good option that is more resistant to rot. If you are planning to build with degradable materials, straw is typically preferable to hay because it contains less seeds and thus less potential for weeds. Plastic lumber is often used to construct decks and sometimes patio furniture, making it a very sturdy option for a garden bed. The weight of your soil, expansion and contraction with the seasons, and the length and height of the beds are all factors that can lead to the need for reinforcement. If using concrete blocks, bricks or stone you can mortar for additional stability. Metal edging can be wrapped around the bed to reinforce. Stakes made of metal or sturdy wood can be placed around edges (about half the stake should be underground) or drilled directly through the bed material into the ground. 5

Raised Bed Gardening

Basic Gardening and Building Tools Shovel Garden Spade Spading Fork Tape Measure Rope Hose Rake String Stakes

Soil and Mulch Options Top Soil Compost Ground Bark Manure Peat Moss Small Stones Sawdust Sand Straw

Tools like shovels and rakes will help move and level soil. Stakes, string, and tape measure can be used in the preliminary stages ofbuilding the bed by creating the outline of a geometrical shaped bed, a hose or rope can be used to for a curved design (further explanation in Time to Build on page 4). While there are a variety of opinions on how to make the perfect soil, a sandy loam soil is considered the best for most plants. Some people simply alternate layers of compost and soil until the bed is lled. Others create 3 equal part mixtures of organic matter (like peat moss), compost and sawdust or ground bark. Another common recipe calls for equal parts of top soil, peat moss, and sand. Mulch materials can be straw, bark or small stones to name a few. Benets of mulch include moderating soil temperature, reducing water evaporation from soil, preventing erosion, suppressing weeds and other pests, while creating a haven for benecial organisms that will help your garden. Some people also use mulch to make gardens more aesthetically pleasing. Before building the garden bed, some people smother the existing grass or weeds with black plastic for weeks to ensure they are dead. Others do this at the time of construction as the rst construction step. The bottom of beds can also be lined with cardboard and newspaper for the same result. 6

Building a Raised Bed

Steps: 1. Gather all materials 2. Create outline of your garden
Use stakes, string and measuring tape for geometrical shapes or a rope or hose for curvy designs

3. Build bed and reinforce if necessary

For ensured soil drainage, beds can be built on a slight (2%) incline or an initial layer of small pebbles can be used. First layer should be a ground covering (cardboard and newspapers or plastic) Insert soil according to your preference (alternating materials or inserting one uniform mix) Plant in a zig-zag pattern to maximize space Locate taller plants on the north side of the bed

4. Fill bed

5. Plant

6. Add a nal layer of mulch

Strawbed Gardening
Straw beds provide a novice gardener the ability to plant a raised bed garden with inexpensive materials and little experience. With a straw bed garden, bales of straw are used as boundaries for the raised garden bed. Though straw bales are not intended to be permanent garden structures, they provide a great start or addition to any gardening space. Lastin only two seasons, the materials to build straw beds are far less expensive then commonly used wood frames, and can be composted when they have expired.

Benets
Sustainable
There are numerous benets to using straw in a garden. Straw is a natural byproduct of cereal plants after the seed or grain is removed. It is a sustainable, natural resource providing a gardener with the opportunity to reuse a natural material that can be grown and purchased locally.

Soil Assistance
Straw can also be composted easily and it can help remediate contaminated soils. As the straw decomposes into the soil it starts to absorb some toxic elements. Straw provides better insulation than materials like wood and metal.

Building a Straw Bed Garden

The number of straw bales needed for your garden depends upon the size of the garden. This list of materials is based upon a garden that is 3.3 feet by 16.5 feet. Follow the pictures and instructions below each photograph to build your own straw bed garden. The following images are provided from Lens Garden Page, a website about sustainable gardening practices.

Materials
30 bags of compost 17 bales of straw Peat Moss Cardboard and paper Seeds Top Soil

Steps:

1. Build the Strawbale Bed

Place the bales according to your design This particular design is seven bales long and one bale wide.

2. Create a base layer

Create layer out of newspaper and cardboard. Some also layer food scraps and prunnings on top of the cardboard.

Straw Bed Gardening

3. Fill with alternating layers of soil

materials (compost, soil, peat moss, etc) until the bed is full.

4. Place straw over layered soil as a mulch.

5. Plant seeds
Create depressions in the mulch to plant seeds in the soil.

6. After much care and attention your

garden will grow.

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Straw Bale Gardening

Another great way to garden with straw bales is to actually plant seeds into bales of straw. This is a great way to have an instant garden when you may have space, soil limitations or physical disabilities. Planting seeds or transplanting plants directly into the straw is a enjoyable way to grow fresh vegetables. This form of gardening provides a sustainable method to grow plants since you are using a renewable resource sometimes seen as a waste product. Straw bale gardens are a low maintenance form of gardening too. This step by step guide will help you to have a straw bale garden in no time.

Steps: 1. Straw Bale selection

Select bales that are made from wheat or oat, these bales have less seeds.

2. Prep the ground for the bale

Place cardboard or newspaper where the bale will be placed, to reduce weeds. Choose the location carefully; insuring proper sunlight and drainage, because once the bale is soaked you will not be able to move it.

3. Placement of the straw bale

When placing your bale on the ground, make sure that the twine that surrounds the bale runs parallel to the ground. You want the twine to be in tact so your bale stays together, if the twine touches the ground it may begin to decompose.

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Straw Bale Gardening 4. Soak the bale for three to ve days before planting
Keeping the bale wet allows the temperature inside the bale to rise, allowing the bale to begin producing microbes that aid in the growth process. Be aware that the straw bales need more water then normal gardens.

5. Plant the seeds in the bale

Plant directly into the bale of straw by digging a small hole, putting down some compost, placing the seed and then letting the straw cover the compost. You can also plant seeds by covering the top of the bale with compost then planting into the compost. If you select heavy plants like corn, okra, or sunower you may need to reinforce both the bale and the plants, so the bale will not fall over. Most annuals of vegetables, herbs, or owers will thrive in the straw bales. The size of the plant you choose determines the amount of plants you can t on each bale.

6. Care for the Bale

Water the bales often. Try a liquid organic feed like compost tea or sh emulsion every 1-2 weeks.

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Resources
Raised Bed Garden Building a Raised Bed Garden by Texas A&M University
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/raisedbed/index.html

Raised Bed Gardening Tips

http://www.raisedbedgardeningtips.com

Raised Bed Gardening by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-6033web.pdf

Raised Garden Beds by Gardening-Advisor.com

http://www.gardening-advisor.com/Raised-Garden-Beds.html

Straw Bale Gardening Ecoville ArchiTechs

http://earthandstraw.com/benets-of-straw-bale-construction/

Know-Straw Bale Gardening

http://knol.google.com/k/thomas-andrews/straw-bale-gardening/wi0h3zln6mir/2#

No Dig Vegetable Garden

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/straw-bale-gardening.html

Straw Bed Garden Lens Garden Page

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/straw_bale_garden.html

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Melissa Martinez Emily Partridge

Special Thanks to: Lauren Brown Chris Strong

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