Installing Raised Vegetable Beds Using Landscape Timbers
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any people today want to install gardens to lower the cost of purchasing fresh vegetables and fruit, but are at a loss of where to put them and how to install them. It is difficult to know whether to dig up the grass or install raised beds.
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Wayne County Edition
by Laura Zigmanth
A little planning and investment in the beginning will save a ton of work later, and help to determine how best to grow the garden. First, decide on the location. Garden crops need at least 6-8 hours of full sun every day. In truth, 8-12 hours would be much better, but many gardens, especially in the older, treed neighborhoods, struggle for light. Second, make sure there is access to water. Garden crops grow better with water applied directly to the roots and diseases like powdery mildew have less of a chance to develop. Choices for watering include garden hoses, overhead watering or drip hoses. Next, test the soil. Both Michigan State University Extensions and local garden centers sell inexpensive kits for home use. Soil tests provide pertinent information about the nutrient needs of the soil and whether amendments are needed. Once the site is selected and the soil test results have arrived, it is time to determine how the garden should be constructed. This is an aesthetic as well as a practical decision. Wherever the garden is to be installed, there will be excavation whether it’s lawn or a converted bed. One problem with excavating lawn and then planting in it is that grass is very aggressive. Most lawn grass is a form of Kentucky Blue Grass which spreads by rhizomes, a type of modified stem. A newly excavated garden bed is an invitation for the grass
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to move in, and the gardener will be spending more time pulling the grass out of the tomatoes than enjoying them. Another issue may be the type of soil in the garden. Sometimes, if it is heavy clay or very sandy, it is better to build up. A solution to both issues is a raised bed. This can be as simple as a 4’ x 4’ plot or as complicated as a 40’ x 40’ series of beds complete with paths within the beds and outer beds filled with herbs, fruits, and perennials. One advantage of a raised bed is that it is easy to add on. Generally, four feet is about as wide a bed should be, or about how far a person can reach in order to plant or weed. There should be a mow strip of mulch or similar material at least 6 inches surrounding the bed. This is to mow more easily but also to help keep the encroaching lawn out. The materials for the bed can be from many sources and should be comfortable and stable enough to sit on or for young children to stand upon. Whatever is used, the materials should be properly laid and leveled. Some materials to consider using include a retaining wall block, manufactured wall block, recycled concrete block, stone and landscape timbers. Landscape timbers are available from most lumber yards, usually in 8’ lengths and various styles. Make sure they are pressure treated and arsenic free. They may be rounded or not.