Spring is
finally here! It's time to break out the trowels and shovels and get working in
our gardens. Raised beds are an excellent choice for any urban garden or farm.
Often times, soil in urban areas can be contaminated with toxins, trash, and
who knows what else. These beds allow you to control the soil your veggies will
call home for a few months before harvest, and they create a clean, nice
looking gardening space where land is limited. The wonderful thing about raised
beds, is you can make them fit to any size you have to work with and in any
shape. There are many different ways to build beds, but I have found this to be
one of the cheapest, most effective ways.
What You'll
Need:
2"x12" lumber*
3" Wood Screws
(Avoid zinc screws as they strip easily)
Electric Drill
Shovel
Cardboard Boxes
Measuring Tape
½ top soil and ½
compost mix (read on for details)
*The amount of
lumber you need depends on what size your beds will be.
1. First, you need to
decide where to put your vegetable garden. Vegetables generally need 6 to 8
hours of sun per day, so be sure to place your beds in an area where they will
receive enough sunlight.
2. Next, you need to
measure your plot and decide what size beds you can make. If you can fit more
than one, it is best to leave at least 1½' to 2' between each one to allow for
workspace.
Then it's off to
the hardware store to purchase the lumber! Cedar works best because it is less
prone to rot than other woods such as pine. Be sure the boards are 2"
thick and 12" wide. Most hardware stores have a guy that will cut the wood
for you, so if you do not have a skill saw, no worries! Have them do it at the
store for you. We made our beds 4' by 6', so we got 2 boards that were 4' long and
2 boards that were 6' long. For the rest of the instructions, I will use the
measurements my husband and I did, just for simplicity's sake.
3. Next it is time to
construct the actual bed. Line up one of the 4' boards with one of the 6'
boards at a 90o angle and screw the boards together to secure as
shown below:
4. Repeat this step
with each corner and there you have it - your bed is complete. It should look
like this:
5. Next it's time to
get this puppy into the ground. Place the bed on the ground where you would
like it. Using the shovel, dig a small trench around the bed.
Once you have
completed all four sides of the trench, remove the bed and dig the trench
deeper - about 3 inches.
6. Place the bed into
the trench. Make sure it is level and square. Next fill in the trench around
the bed with the dug-up soil. Make sure the soil is packed pretty tightly
around the bed so it does not move or shift.
7. Now we have to fill
the raised bed. Place a layer of cardboard boxes on the bottom of you bed. This
will keep weeds out and as it decomposes, turns to compost and helps nurture
the plants inside the bed. Be sure to remove any tape or labels from the boxes
before you use them.
8. Next, using a hose
or buckets of water, wet the cardboard.
9. Time for the soil
and compost. A few words on top soil - I go for the bagged top soil. One of the
main reasons is because I live in the city and I would have nowhere for a
delivery man to dump a yard of soil. The other reason is because the bagged top
soil is screened which means there will be no surprise seedlings or
contaminants mixed in with the soil. Now, the guy at the store may try to get
you to purchase the bagged potting soil instead of just regular old top soil.
Don't do it! This is not necessary and will be MUCH more expensive. All you
need is some compost. A few words on compost - believe it or not, often you can
find compost for free! Check your local municipality website as often towns and
cities have local composting programs. Also, you can scour craigslist to find
someone who will happily give you their composted horse manure. Now when it
comes to compost, it is best to avoid compost with made with grass and leaves
unless the compost is aged over 5 years. These bits often take many years to
break down and if they are not fully composted when introduced to your plants,
they can take away vital nutrients your veggies will need to be healthy. I like
to stick with compost made from horse manure, chicken poop and kitchen scraps -
charming I know. And remember compost is like a fine wine - the more aged, the
better.
10. Now that we've
sorted that out, we get to figure out just how much soil/compost we will need
to fill one bed. I could tell you a complicated math equation to figure this
out, but instead I have provided a link to a top soil calculator that can do
the math for you. Simply enter in the width in feet, the length in feet and the
height in inches (which is 8") of your beds and it will tell you how many
cubic yards you will need. It will even calculate the cost!
11. Once you have that
sorted out, fill your beds with the soil and compost mix. It is best to let the
dirt settle for at least 1 week before planting.
Happy Spring!
No comments:
Post a Comment