Scroll down to see How to Build a Raised Veggie Garden
Remember to also check out the Companion Planting Guidebefore you plant your veggies PLUS the Crop Rotation Guide. (NOTE: A new window will open on either link, just close it when you want to see this page again)
Why Have Raised Veggie Garden Beds?
* Raised garden beds makes collecting your home grown, FRESH veggies and herbs so much easier. * Raised Veggie Beds are a lot easier to plant out, especially if you suffer with back pain etc as you won’t have to bend over as much if you raise the beds higher. * Greater exposure to the sun warms the bed, which allows more plant diversity and extends the growing season. * Water-use efficiency is maximised. * Raised beds tend to have more plants in less space which means there's less room for weeds, so they’ll be easier to control, especially if your raised bed has been built in. (eg: Not just raising the soil level without some form of edging around it, such as Sleepers etc) * Raised garden beds mean that you'll have the convenience of adding a good soil mix to your garden, raising it up on existing soil together with compost, fertilizer mixes and mulches, improving growth. * By adding good veggie garden soil, compost, fertiliser and mulch to your Raised Veggie Garden in the beginning, gives you a good start. * Raised beds reduce soil compaction, because no one will be walking in it, the soil should stay non-compacted and healthy through many growing seasons. * Keeping Raised Veggie beds around 1 metre (3 feet) wide for easy access, means that you can reach the middle from both sides.
Where Should I Place My Raised Beds?
Ideally, the direction of your seedling rows in the bed should face NORTH to SOUTH.
Find an area in your yard that gets at least 6 hours of sun and has reasonably good drainage. It is ideal to try and place the Raised Veggie Beds as close to the kitchen area as you can. This makes it easy to collect your fresh veggies all year round.
Since you will be adding soil, compost and fertilisers to fill the bed - the quality of the base soil is not that important. Remember to completely remove any grass or weeds with their roots where you are placing your Raised bed/s by digging out about 3-4 inches (approx 10cm). or deeper of needed.
Raised Veggie Bed Size:
Decide how large or small and how high you want your garden bed to be raised. Raised garden beds are generally a minimum 12 inches (30cm) higher than the surrounding base soil, but you can also raise the garden higher from the ground by using 2 sleepers high as a wall frame. If that's the case, it can be as high as you want or need.
TIPS:
* A good size veggie patch to start with is 2.4 metres by 1 metre.
* 2 sleepers high is also a good height to save bending right down to plant or pick your goodies.
* A good sleeper size for the beds is 2.4mtrs by 200ml X 50ml.
* Keep each raised bed about 3 or 4 feet wide or about 90-120cm (or twice the length of your arm) so you can reach in from all sides to pick your yummy, fresh home grown veggies.
Decide on the size of the raised bed/s that you want, and mark out the area with some rope or even a garden hose laid out in the appropriate shape.
If making more than 1 raised bed, ensure you leave a good size pathway between each bed. It should fit a lawn mower or a large wheelbarrow. (Well you really don’t want to have to walk sideways between the beds.)
Materials Needed for a Sleeper Raised Veggie Garden:
# Sleepers: (Tip: It is wise not to use old railway sleepers to frame you raised veggie garden, as they could still have toxic materials which could leach out) # Chain saw or another saw (to cut sleeper for the ends) # Coach Bolts: (To join the corners) # Steel Sleeper Stakes: (to hold the sleepers in place) # Wooden Stakes: (for tomatoes etc) # Trellis (wooden or plasticfor other climbing plants) # Good Garden Soil: # Compost: (Mushroom compost is great) # Fertiliser: # Mulch: (Rice Straw is IDEAL) They come in Bales.
EXAMPLE: If you decide to start with a 2.4 metre by 1 metre raised veggie garden bed made using sleepers, you would need the items below. If you want double the height, simply double the items.
3 sleepers: 2.4 mtrs long (cutting one to fit the ends). 4 corner steel sleeper stakes 8 coach bolts 1 cubic mtre Soil & Compost mix (combined) Add a bit more later as it settles. Rice Straw Mulch (They come in Bales which usually fit in your car).
NOTE: Keep in mind that the soil should be a minimum depth of 30 to 60cm deep (1 to 2 feet) to allow for deep rooting of some of your plants. This could also include the ground you have dug out plus the height of the frame you are building.
Tools Needed
· Drill and Spanner: (if using Coach Bolts) · Hammer (to put the steel and wooden stakes in) · Shovel: (for obvious reasons) · Hand Spade: (for small holes to plant seedlings) · Wheelbarrow: (if you need to move the old soil and grass away PLUS if you need to carry the new soil/compost and mulch any distance) · Hose or Watering Can: · Gardening Gloves (in case you decide to wear them) · Tape Measure (if you are not sure of measurements plus for the distance between planting seedlings if you are new to veggie gardening)
NOTE: You can visit your local Garden and Building Supplies to get the materials that you need to build the sides of the raised bed - as well as soil, compost, fertilizer and mulch to fill the bed/s. If you already have your own “home-made” garden compost (and it must be fully broken down compost), then add that to the soil as well. Your local garden & building suppliers are usually very helpful with advice about your Raised Garden Bed requirements.
How Do I Start?
I mentioned earlier that your vegetables should ideally receive at least 6 hours of sun per day. Check the path of the sun in your location as this will determine your vegetable garden layout. Ideally, the direction of your rows should face NORTH to SOUTH. By doing that, all your vegetable plants should receive an equal amount of sun.
Once you have chosen the area for your Raised Veggie Garden, and have all your materials sorted out, dig out the grass and weeds from the area where your raised bed will be, to at least 10cm (at least 3-4 inches down) making sure you get ALL the grass and/or the weed roots out).
TIP: You can Recycle the grass you may need to remove for the veggie bed area:
HOW: If you are removing good grass to put the veggie bed/s in, you might like to cut the grass into lines of about 12 inches wide by about 3-4 inches deep with a sharp spade. Then scoop along underneath the grass with the shovel and roll it up as you go. Basically you then have some INSTANT LAWN for another area in the garden or to replace any dead grass areas. **If you do this – make sure that you re-plant the grass straight away (or on the same day) and water it into its ‘new spot’ very well.
TIP: Build the edging borders (Raised frame) where they will be situated, as this will be easier than trying to move them into place later. Place about 6-8 inches of Rice Straw on the base, then add the soil & compost mix and fertilizers. (NOTE: The Mulch is added AFTER you have planted your seedlings and/or seeds).
A garden tiller or even just a big rake can help you mix the soil and *compost together (*That is if it isn’t already a Mixed Garden soil with the compost already added when you purchase the soil mix).
Planting a Raised Vegetable Garden:
Now you have built your raised vegetable garden, it’s time to add some plants.
NOTE: It is advisable that vegetable SEEDS be sprouted in peat pots before transferring to a raised bed as seedlings.
You’ll be able to fit quite a few veggie seedlings in the raised bed as you don’t need to leave space for walk ways.
Choose the vegetable and herb seedlings which YOUR family will actually eat.
After choosing your vegetables, you need to know where these plants should be located for optimum growth.
What is the Best Position for my Raised Veggie Garden?
Plant your tallest vegetable crop on the NORTH side of your Raised garden. These vegetables will include tomatoes (that are supported by stakes or trellis), corn, climbing beans, peas, and all other vine plants. The centre of your garden should be reserved for medium sized crops. These vegetables would include cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
The Southernmost area should be reserved for low growing vegetables such as lettuce, beet, onions and carrots. Planted this way, as the day grows long the arc of the sun will offer an opportunity for each size and variety of crop to receive full sun.
If you decide your raised garden space is limited, do not plant horizontal what can be grown vertical. Tomatoes and vine plants are a good example of vertical growing leaving you with extra room you can use for spacing between your rows.
Leave enough space between each seedling to allow them to grow to their full size.
FOLLOW the planting instructions on the punnet for each seedling variety.
Don’t pat the soil down too hard around the seedlings, just pat down lightly and let it settle on its own.
Don’t forget to place the wooden stakes next to any climbing plants when you plant the seedlings, and any trellis you may be using so you don’t damage the roots by trying to stick them in when the plant has already started to get taller.
Water the seedlings in well (BEFORE you put the mulch around each seedling)
MULCHING: Place mulch around all seedlings and any bare soil, then water again.
NOTE: Keep the mulch a small distance away from the seedling stems so they don’t get water logged and rot away.
IMPORTANT TIPS:
Remember to also check out the Companion Planting Guidebefore you plant your veggies PLUS the Crop Rotation Guide. (NOTE: A new window should open on either link, just close it when you want to see this page again)
Snails-Slugs: You may want to use a snail & slug repellent, however if you prefer not to use that. You can use salt sprinkled around the border, That will stop them in their tracks (You will have to put more salt down after rain).
Share & Save Money: If there are more seedlings in some punnets that you really want to plant (or eat), why not ask family or friends if they want to share them. 2 or 3 families can share punnets taking only the amount of seedlings they will actually need. It costs each family less and gives you each more room to plant different varieties.
Growing Climbing Plants in your Raised Veggie Garden:
You can stake plants (or put up trellis) for tomatoes, climbing beans, cucumbers etc to grow up, and then place smaller plants around them. You will have heaps of vegetables to harvest for the whole family (and maybe even friends too).
Growing Spreading Plants in your Raised Veggie Garden:
Plant any spreading veggies at the end or corners of the raised bed, and let them spread out over the surrounding ground. (eg: pumpkins, watermelon, zucchini, gourd, squash and cucumber.
TIP: Train the runners of any spreading veggies to grow over the border frame of the raised bed (eg: move any runners towards the outside of the beds when they start to grow towards the centre of the bed, OR you can even trim some of the inner runners that try to grow towards the centre. This will not harm the plants as they are vigorous growers producing good crops.
## Remember to also check out the Companion Planting Guide before you plant your veggies PLUS the Crop Rotation Guide. (NOTE: A new window will open on either link, just close it when you want to see this page again)
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