Raised beds vs the traditional plot

[Goodlife1970]

This year (mainly due to Scenes from a Smallholding) we have decided to ditch the usual traditional flat plot and have built raised beds,is it true that you can actually increase yield by this method as the plants can be closer together? We have done it mainly for convienence as Im pregnant again and it less bending and mulching with bark chipppings inbetween will hopefully cut down on the path weeding! Anyone else using this method with impoved yield?

[wulf]

I don't know if I've really noticed an improved level of productivity from my raised bed. However, it's definitely easier to reach something growing in the middle as opposed to having to stretch over a bed on the ground.

Wulf

[Tigerhair]

I'm going to try this this year... lets see how we get on!

[Shirley]

Given the problems we've had lately with sore backs I think we might give this a go too.... we've hardly any good topsoil so not much point in digging the stuff we've got too much.. will just build some raised beds and perhaps do that hotbed stuff that Andy posted about on another thread.

[Jessica]

Hi i have some raised beds in, must get some more done, i find them good for a few reasons one being that you can load it up with manure in the spring i found donkey manure good and fork it all in and it stops a lot of slugs and snails and carrot fly and handy to to sit on too when you are taking a break and i nail little timber up rights to the ends and tie string across the top of the raised bed with cd's hanging on the string to keep the birds away from the lettuce and that
jessie

[ina]

I haven't tried it yet, either - but it does make sense, as at least you won't have any competition for your plants from weeds growing in from the paths (my constant battle). And I suppose once you've eradicated the slugs, they'll be easier to keep in check, too. I intend to make a hotbed this year, too, and a cold frame.

[Goodlife1970]

Hi Jessie,brilliant idea with the CDs,I have trouble with the Woodies stealing my pea seeds and lifting my onion sets so I ll be giving that one a go!

[Goodlife1970]

Hi Shirlz will check out the hotbed thing,sounds interesting!

[gunners71uk]

i just using the unraised bed method i think its whats best for you

[hedgewizard]

We shifted a lot of soil around and ended up with six inches of subsoil/topsoil mix on top of a layer of flint. I was ready for this though, and we trialled a 1.5m wide raised bed last year. Accessibility and ability to spot problems both definitely a big plus, and no need to disturb that flint. This year I have six prepared and two still to do, and a big stack of freebie CDs ready to go. Never heard of a hotbed though, so I'm off to read up on that!

Spacing - as with broadcast, the closer you grow the stuff the smaller the plants. Conventional row spacing assumes a flattened oval root profile which probably isn't appropriate in a raised bed: this year I'm trialling planting in offset rows, where you imagine you're planting into cells of an imaginary honeycomb, like this;

. . . . . . .
_. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . etc.

That way you work out how much root space you're giving each plant, and put your first row in that distance apart. Then your second row goes in offset, but closer by a sixth because the rows mesh in together. I'll let you know how it works...

[ina]

I suppose, that's a bit like what I do - unintentionally! Whenever there's plants left over, I just have a look round - and, oh there's another bit of space that looks big enough, and there's another one... I start off with neat rows, though.

[hedgewizard]

I did that during my first year of raised beds but found that my spacial sense was too poor to allow for the eventual size of plants so I was always thinning, thinning, thinning.

[ina]

Sounds familiar! Only I hate the thinning... So I generally end up with tiny plants.

[The Chili Monster]

Hi all
Have decided to take the plunge and have built four small raised beds. I don't know what the $£?@%! I am doing, but it's all good fun . Besides it appeals to my lazy nature and buys me a bit of time to decide how exactly I am going to deal with a bramble. I'm not keen on blackberries and so a cull is almost inevitable.
Plus the dog respects the layout and the cat seems to as well, just as long as I leave in place his sunlounger cunningly disguised as a small clump of grass.

[oddballdave]

I did that during my first year of raised beds but found that my spacial sense was too poor to allow for the eventual size of plants so I was always thinning, thinning, thinning.

Measure the length of your finger, the width of your hand, distance from wrist to tip of finger.
These will become your rulers when planting.
Biggest advantage? No matter how many times you put them down, they are always ready to hand!

Either that or grow smaller plants and crop them regularly and frequently.

Dave