5 Great Reasons to Have A Raised Bed Garden
I’ve discovered 5 great reasons to have a raised bed garden. I have been running, swimming and riding my bicycle around Serada, Malaysia, for two reasons: first, to stay near home and away from people (I live on a black tar two lane rural road) and second, to slim down. However, I also discovered that working in my yard and, specifically, in my garden can be an intense workout. For slimming down, planting a vegetable garden, to get the bonus healthy eats, can be exciting but also overwhelming. The stooping and squatting is a killer workout. So, to reduce the stress on my knees, I decided to try raised bed and container gardening. This was fantastic as it led me to these Five Great Reasons to Have a Raised Bed Garden.
1. Fresh Produce
This is definitely the main reason to build a raised-bed garden. It is a surefire shortcut to a bountiful harvest. A raised-bed garden creates the ideal growing environment, so you should expect a full harvest during your first year. In fact, if you maximize your space, your containers may even rival the local farmers market.
2. Fewer Pests In A Raised Bed Garden
If you build especially tall beds, of at least four feet high, they can keep pesky critters away. Higher raised beds will discourage rabbits and moles, plus keep your free range chickens away, but to help you protect your precious produce you may need to also add netting and fences to further protect your plants.
3. Better Soil
Unlike a traditional garden, a properly constructed raised garden means you should never have to walk on the soil in the containers. When you don’t walk on the soil to push it down regularly, the soil is lighter and fluffier which also makes it a healthier environment for microorganisms and earthworms, which can help your garden in the long run. You can also add compost each year to refresh and enrich the earth in the containers. Or, you can even designate part of the raised bed space to compost production by adding manure and kitchen scraps then rotate the plantings as the compost breaks down.
4. Less Back Pain With A Raised Bed Garden
A raised garden, by definition, is higher off the ground than a traditional garden, so you won’t have to bend over as far to tend it. As a result, you’ll experience less back strain and pain. No back-breaking labor necessary for this healthy harvest. Also, if you build your own, you can customize the height of your beds so they are comfortable for you.
5. Minimize Chores
Raised-bed gardens will still need tending, but they tend to retain moisture better and have fewer weeds than normal ground level gardens. Shade from plants protects the soil from evaporating, and the sides of the beds hold in more moisture. Naturally, they require less frequent watering and weeding once the plants are more established.
Raised bed gardening is an ideal choice for anyone, but older adults or seniors especially like this way of gardening. If you are not handy with a hammer, you can buy a raised bed garden grow bag from Kaymartco.com.
127cm X 30cm Raised Bed Grow Bag On Sale Now $22.05 Kaymartco.com
@2020 Suzanne Goodfellow
