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Raised Beds – 5 Reasons Why They’re Great For Successful Organic Gardening!
By Winnie Abramson

If you are starting a new organic garden, you should definitely consider planting in raised beds instead of directly in the ground. Here are the top 5 reasons why.

1. Fewer weeds will grow and you’ll have fewer problems with pests.

2. You’ll have greater control over your soil- you can fill your beds with high quality organic soil and mix in lots of compost and other amendments.

3. The drainage will be better- flowers and vegetables prefer not to sit in water, as can happen with those grown in-ground.

4. Your soil will be warmer- raised beds have higher soil temperatures earlier in the season, allowing you to get started with your planting sooner.

5. Raised bed gardening is easier on your body- when the plants are higher up, there will be less strain on your back. Raised beds should be rectangular. A good width is 4 feet as it allows you to reach across from both sides (you don’t want to walk in your raised bed as this compacts the soil, a definite no-no as it damages root systems and decreases valuable aeration).You can make your beds as high as you like- a higher level is desirable for less mobile individuals (those in a wheelchair, for example). If you are building more than one raised bed, make sure to leave a pathway wide enough for a wheelbarrow to travel in between your beds.

You can build your own raised beds, and there are many materials that work well for this purpose. Wood such as redwood or cedar is a common and attractive choice, but choose a rot-resistant variety, if possible (avoid pressure-treated wood as it contains potentially harmful chemicals). You can paint or stain the wood you use, but make sure you choose an environmentally-friendly brand of paint/stain that won’t contaminate the healthy organic food you are growing.

Other options are concrete blocks, stones, bamboo, and recycled plastic. You can build your raised beds using instructions found on gardening sites on the internet, or purchase a kit that allow you to quickly and easily build your raised bed.ou can also make a raised bed without using any material to enclose it, but the shape won’t hold as well, and it may be subject to erosion. A good option if you prefer not to enclose your bed is to make a raised bed using the lasagna gardening method- this means you lay down cardboard or newspaper over your desired area and then basically pile all sorts of organic matter on top (see Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza for more information). For best results, you should make your lasagna bed 18-24 inches high.

Building a raised bed requires some effort, but once it’s done and your plants go in, you’ll be richly rewarded by how how well they grow.

Winnie Abramson, ND is a naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com, a website that helps readers improve their health and decrease their environmental impact with holistic nutrition and green living tips, healthy recipes, organic gardening advice and photos, and links to eco-friendly companies. She also puts out a free monthly newsletter called “Healthy and Green”: you can sign up here!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Winnie_Abramson
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