When building the house, I didn’t really think about whether the land around it was suitable for growing vegetables. I always dreamed of having my own vegetable garden, so I chose the best sunny place in the garden with even terrain. The soil was not the best, so I enriched it with natural fertilizers and loosened it with sand. I constantly checked the pH, which, despite the addition of calcium, it kept falling and destroying some of the crops.
They were also a problem underground waters that collected in the sunniest part of the garden and flooded the ground. In such conditions, you can’t count on ripe tomatoes and peppers.
The last problem that reduced my yields from year to year were pests. Moles, voles and turtles were constantly undermining the flower beds and gnawing all the vegetables that had been grown with great difficulty.. Electronic repellers or natural herbs did not help.
Everything changed when I finally realized that not every garden is perfect for growing vegetables, but you can create one in any area. Just build raised beds.
Instead of fighting the factors I couldn’t change, I tried growing vegetables in raised beds. Effect? Three times greater yields and less back pain.
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Raised beds are placed on level ground and completely filled with your own soil mixture. Thanks to this, you have greater control over the composition of the soil and its pH. You don’t bury anything below the level of your land, so groundwater is no longer a problem. However, you should choose an area that is not too muddy, otherwise the bed will collapse.
Most importantly, you can install a pest net under the raised beds. When I did this, the problem of voles and turtles ceased to exist for me. Finally, I dug out whole radishes and carrots from the ground, no signs of pest feeding.
Establishing raised beds in the garden is not complicated. In gardening stores you will find various models made of wood, plastic or concrete. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, concrete flower beds are the most durable and do not require periodic impregnation like wooden ones, but they are the most expensive. Choose the right model to suit your preferences, comfort and budget.
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Before placing them in the garden, the area should be leveled and weeded well. Some beds are already equipped with a net against pests. If your model does not have it, be sure to purchase it separately and cover the place where you want to place the flower bed with it.
Once the structure is standing, it’s time to fill it with soil. It is worth placing a drainage layer at the bottom made of stones, sand or branches. You can pour soil mixed with compost or manure onto it to provide your plants with the appropriate dose of nutrients. Finally, the soil needs to be leveled and raked sow seeds or plant seedlings.
When caring for vegetables in a raised bed, remember that the soil warms up faster there. This may speed up vegetation, but also cause water to evaporate faster. Be sure to check the soil moisture and water it when you notice it is drying out. Mulching with mown grass will also work well.
