5 Reasons Raised Beds are Better Than Digging
Intensive Gardening is Less Work Than Row Cropping
Aug 16, 2009
Gardening with raised beds takes some initial effort, but requires less work than digging or tilling year after year. With raised beds, the best possible soil mix is created from the beginning, so massive amending isn't necessary.
No Digging
Raised bed gardening is a no till method of gardening. Once the soil is in place, little needs to be done with it. At most, a raised bed garden will require a little turning and addition of compost at the beginning of the year. This turning is quite easy because the soil is loose, stone free, and full of organic matter.
Uses Less Space
Raised beds, because of their superior soil, can be planted intensively. And, because crops are not confined to rows, space can be used more efficiently. Row cropping is a method suited to the use of farm machinery, not human hands.
No Weeding
Because raised bed gardeners make their own soil, weeds are few and far between. The average soil dug up in the yard is laden with decades of weed seeds. Weeds which do sprout in a raised bed are pulled with little effort because of the loose, soft soil. Weeds and grass will not crawl into the garden due to the height of the bed. This should be a relief to those with bermuda grass lawns.
Less Bending
Because of the height of raised beds, which can vary from 6 inches to 3-4 feet, less bending over and kneeling is required. As well, because raised beds require less maintenance, less bending over will be required. Bed heights can be specifically designed for those in a wheelchair or with other physical limitations.
Fosters Healthy Soil
Gardening with a raised bed builds and maintains healthy, active soil. Planting in raised beds keeps the soil intact. Soil stays put and does not wash away. Organic matter in the soil is able to interact with plant roots and deliver moisture and nutrients.
Gardening with the no till method helps sequester carbon instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Even more carbon can be sequestered by adding charcoal, or biochar, to the raised bed soil mix. Carbon sequestration is key to reducing the impacts of global warming.
Because raised bed gardening is so much less labor intensive, the average gardener should be able to maintain a small garden in just twenty minutes a day. And with so much less frustration than traditional gardening, the average gardener may keep up with gardening for years on end.
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