Raised beds help gardens grow.
By: Bernadette Yannacci
There are few things quite as frustrating for an eager gardener as finding the plants you lovingly set in the ground remain stunted, or have died of rot root due to poor quality soil.
In an attempt to save their sanity and perhaps ease some of the backbreaking work that gardening sometimes demands, gardeners who struggle with poor soil issues may want to consider installing raised beds for their gardening needs.
The simplest definition of a raised bed is a bed that is created by adding several inches of soil on top of the existing ground level. Raised beds provide a new environment for the introduction of better quality, easier-worked soil, while their design helps control the amount of water around the root systems of plants.
Bill Hlubik, Middlesex County Agricultural Agent of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, said the practice is a popular one in New Jersey.
"Many farmers across the state are using raised beds in the production of their crops," he said.
Good for drainage
The soil issues that generally send a gardener running to raised beds usually revolve around drainage. Soil that is heavy in clay content, for example, does not drain well and could cause problems for plants that require sufficient drainage.
Mr. Hlubik said installing a raised bed helps control the amount of water around plants, a practice that can help gardeners in other areas.
"Controlling moisture helps you control diseases as well," he said.
A raised bed can run the gamut from a no-nonsense mound of soil to a more elaborate set-up with walls constructed with wood, cinder blocks, landscape edging or a variety of other materials. It can hold vegetables, flowering plants or trees. Mr. Hlubik said some gardeners choose raised beds in the hopes of realizing early crops.
"For early crops, a raised bed with a good soil mixture will warm up a little earlier," he said.
A good soil mixture is what many gardening professionals consider the key to a successful raised bed. Frank Baker of Baker’s Nursery on Spotswood-Englishtown Road in Monroe said many Monroe gardeners are interested in raised beds because their soil is often heavy in clay content.
"Wherever the soil is poor in drainage, a raised bed is always better," he said.
Check pH levels
When considering a raised bed, Mr. Baker said homeowners should consider the type of soil they currently have, how well water drains and the pH level of the soil.
"People are aware of how important the correct pH is to a swimming pool; the same is true for plants," he said.
In New Jersey, the pH level of soil is generally low. Treatment with dolomitic lime can raise pH levels. Mr. Baker said it is recommended that gardeners research the desired pH level for the type of plants they are planting in the bed and adjust the level accordingly.
If gardeners find the soil they currently have to be of little use, higher-quality soil can be purchased from gardening centers. Mr. Baker said using good-quality soil from the start of a raised bed’s existence is important.
The perfect soil
"Buy the right soil from the start and you’re set for life," he said.
Mr. Hlubik said he uses raised beds for his own vegetable plants. He said once the soil is put into the bed, it can be amended with compost. For vegetables, Mr. Hlubik recommends the use of a small amount of well-rotted manure. He stressed that fresh manure should not be used because it can burn the root systems of vegetables.
By creating a perfect soil environment in the raised bed, gardeners can enjoy less backbreaking gardening tasks, said Mr. Hlubik.
"You end up with a very tillable soil," he said. "It breaks up easier; it’s easier to manage."
Construction materials
For the construction itself, the choice is up to the homeowner.
"There’s no straight rule. It depends on people’s likes and dislikes," said Mr. Baker. "Some people want it to be very decorative; others want it to be totally natural."
Mr. Baker said the use of railroad ties, once seen in many gardens, has gone out of fashion.
"The price has gone up and there is a limit to how long they will last," he said.
Mr. Baker said a raised bed can be anything from a simple raised mound with tapered edges to a more structured design using landscape edging, pressure-treated lumber, Belgium blocks, scalloped patio blocks, decorative wall stone or a host of other materials.
"Sometimes to people wood is more aesthetically pleasing than a manufactured material," he said.
Mr. Hlubik said gardeners should not be daunted by the idea of constructing a raised bed.
"It’s easy to construct a raised bed," he said.
Mr. Hlubik said he recommends beds be no wider than 2 or 3 feet across. "You really don’t want it wider than that so you can reach in easily," he said.
While there can be short walls on the sides, there should be no construction materials laid down at the bottom of the bed. "You leave the bottom open because you want it to drain," said Mr. Hlubik.
Varies types of raised bed kits, some including trellises and "teepees" for staking vines, can also be ordered from garden catalogs, both by mail and online. VegHerb (www.spacesavergardening.com; (800) 914-9835) offers a Space Saver Gardening System that can be customized to fit almost any garden plan. Several packages are also available from Gardener’s Supply Company (www.gardeners.com; (800) 863-1700), including an octagonal bed that can be installed around a bird feeder or mailbox.
Mr. Hlubik said raised beds can also make gardening more accessible for the physically challenged. "There are handicapped raised beds that are at the height of the wheelchair," he said.
Water and mulch
Once the raised bed is constructed and the plants are in, the same gardening techniques used outside of raised beds can be employed. Mr. Hlubik said many people use mulch in raised beds to fight the growth of weeds. He said mulching and watering are the main tasks associated with keeping plants in a raised bed.
Mr. Baker said gardeners should be aware that with the good drainage raised beds promote, a close eye may have to be kept on their plants’ watering needs.
"Sometimes if the beds are raised, because the drainage is quicker and better, watering in the summer months might become more important," he said.
Mr. Baker said perennials in raised beds could benefit from a layer of mulch over the winter. "Shallow-rooted plants will do better over winter with protection from mulch," he said.
Mr. Baker warned that mulch should not be used to excess.
"There’s such a thing as killing them with kindness," he said.
Mr. Hlubik suggests turning the soil in the bed and adding some well-rotted compost to the mix to cover the bed for the winter season. "It prevents erosion and run off at the top of the bed," he said.
In addition, Mr. Hlubik recommends adding a 2- to 3-inch layer of straw or soft hay on top of the soil and testing the soil at the beginning of the next season before the bed is put to use again.
Where to get advice
Seeking the advice of professionals can help gardeners learn what is the best raised bed scenario for their property. Mr. Baker said gardening professionals should be knowledgeable about the area they work in and the different gardening challenges for homeowners in that town.
"Go to a well-established, reputable garden center and get advice from the people that work there," he said.
Taking a look at what the neighbors are doing can also give gardeners ideas about how they want to approach raised beds, said Mr. Baker.
Mr. Hlubik said gardeners can find information on raised beds from gardening books and from the Internet.
The website ifplantscouldtalk.rutgers.edu is a compliment to the occasional WNJN series of the same name. Mr. Hlubik, executive producer and host of the show, recommends the website as a useful tool for gardeners.
Regardless of whether the bed is a straightforward mound of soil or a carefully measured and constructed work of gardening art, Mr. Hlubik said a raised bed is a very accessible option for those fighting uncooperative soil.
"It’s not really that difficult to do," he said.