HOT PROPERTY
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GROWING VEGGIES IN A RAISED BED
Araised garden bed is a planting bed that sits on top of soil that’s already in the ground. If your yard’s soil quality is poor, you can adjust the bed’s soil composition so that it’s fluffy, light, and drains well – essential if you want to grow vegetables all summer long.
Growjustabout anyvegetable youwant:
From asparagus to zucchini, manyvegetables grow well in araised bed. If youneed inspiration on what to plant, consult the 2021 Burpee GardenCasttrends forecasttolearn which vegetables to plant in Southern California.
Create areallygreat soil that plants will thrive in: “The bestsoilcomposition for araisedbed is two-thirds high-quality top soil and one-thirdcompost,”saysVenelin Dimitrov,horticulturalistand senior product manager at Burpee. Makeyour owncompost
by mixing kitchen scraps with leaves, grass clippingsand garden trimmingsinacompostpile.
Youwon’tneed ahugeplotofland: A popular frame size is 2x4 feet, perfect for a small backyard.Thosewith patios can setup raised beds that areonlegsrather than in the ground, which makes it morelikecontainer gardening –justmakesureitgetssix to eight hours of sun everyday.
It won’tmakeyour back ache: Getanele vated raised bed and you’ll neverhave to bend over to pick your tomatoes off the vine again.
Weeds won’tbemuch of aproblem:
When youplant araised bed, youcan set plants closer together so youget to have more plants in the squarefootage. This denser spacing doesn’tgiveweeds as much opportunity to grow.
Frames are easy to assemble: Youdon’t need much morethan wood and screws to build araised bed. But if youwant to make this DIY project even easier, youcould buy akit, which come in avariety of materials including cedar,composite, and metal.
Protect your garden from wild animals:
It’sfrustrating to seeyourhardwork being nibbled on by squirrels and other small but persistent animals.Sinceyourraised garden is contained, Dimitrov recommends surrounding the bed with wire-mesh walls.
— CTW Features
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Raised garden beds are a simple step to achieve a delicious summer crop. Photo courtesy of Content That Works
