GROWING VEGGIES IN A RAISED BED
Araised garden bed is a planting bed that sits on top of soil that’s already in the ground. If your yard’s soil quality is poor, you can adjust the bed’s soil composition so that it’s fluffy, light, and drains well – essential if you want to grow vegetables all summer long.
Grow just about any vegetable you want: From asparagus to zucchini, many vegetables grow well in a raised bed. If you need inspiration on what to plant, consult the 2021 Burpee GardenCast trends forecast to learn which vegetables to plant in Southern California.
Create a really great soil that plants will thrive in: “The best soil composition for a raised bed is two-thirds high-quality top soil and one-third compost,” says Venelin Dimitrov, horticulturalist and senior product manager at Burpee. Make your own compost by mixing kitchen scraps with leaves, grass clippings and garden trimmings in a compost pile.
You won’t need a huge plot of land: A popular frame size is 2x4 feet, perfect for a small backyard. Those with patios can set up raised beds that are on legs rather than in the ground, which makes it more like container gardening – just make sure it gets six to eight hours of sun every day.
It won’t make your back ache: Get an elevated raised bed and you’ll never have to bend over to pick your tomatoes off the vine again.
Weeds won’t be much of a problem: When you plant a raised bed, you can set plants closer together so you get to have more plants in the square footage. This denser spacing doesn’t give weeds as much opportunity to grow.
Frames are easy to assemble: You don’t need much more than wood and screws to build a raised bed. But if you want to make this DIY project even easier, you could buy a kit, which come in a variety of materials including cedar, composite, and metal.
Protect your garden from wild animals:
It’s frustrating to see your hard work being nibbled on by squirrels and other small but persistent animals. Since your raised garden is contained, Dimitrov recommends surrounding the bed with wire-mesh walls.