Garden Planting Options: Comparing Raised Beds to In-Ground Gardens
Article Rewrite:
Are you a newbie gardener pondering, "shall I go for raised garden beds or the classic in-ground?" While I've personally favored a blend of both for numerous reasons, Jill Winger from The Prairie Homestead choose to switch her in-ground garden entirely to raised beds.
Though an unfortunate incident of inadvertently poisoning her garden jarred her into a change, she delves into the advantages and challenges of both strategies in today's episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast. To listen to our conversation or read on, just click below.
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The Perks of a Raised Garden Bed
Raised garden beds are simply stunning! They're also the easiest to maintain, especially for those with mobility issues. The organized, structured nature of raised beds can make you feel empowered in your garden adventure.
The Perks of an In-Ground Bed
An in-ground garden setup is a breeze in the beginning! You can till up a small plot with minimal time and financial investment, making it an ideal choice for new gardeners. New ground plots often come loaded with available nutrients, giving your first garden a wealth of resources to draw from (although remember, always test your soil!).
The Downsides of a Raised Garden Bed
Raised beds can be more costly and time-consuming unless you have spare materials available like my old fence-turned-raised-bed. The cost of materials and soil can mount up, especially if you're making several.
The Downsides of an In-Ground Bed
The soil quality and structure of most yards may not suit a garden perfectly, leading to challenges like rocky, sandy, or clay soil. You may also have soil that's too acidic or alkaline, which requires amendment if it's too far from the optimal range. Moreover, weeds have always posed a greater threat in my in-ground beds compared to raised ones.
Jill Winger's Raised Garden Beds
Fancy giving raised beds a try, or starting your garden with them? Jill Winger shares more insights from her journey to building and cultivating in raised beds.
Raised Garden Bed Materials
Before building raised beds, the first question to ponder is the material to use. While lumber treated with chemicals is my go-to, Jill made a different choice.
She admired the look of galvanized metal but found it too flimsy to support the weight of the soil in the size beds she desired. Instead, she opted for bridge decking steel, which she bought from a building supply company. It's sturdy enough to handle the soil and offers less labor intensity than other materials.
Raised Garden Soil
With tall beds come more soil. Since Jill chose to build relatively tall beds, she used fill dirt for the lower half of the beds. For the top half, she combined some native soil with well-composted manure. Get more insights on raised bed soil combinations elsewhere.
Lessons Learned from Raised Bed Gardening
As we start our gardening journeys, we gather lesson along the way. When asked what essential tips she'd pass on to others considering raised beds, these were Jill's top suggestions:
Put some thought into your irrigation system. Raised beds dry out quicker, so most gardeners need irrigation. However, don't rely on your memory to water, especially if you have numerous beds. A simple irrigation plan, such as drip lines or soaker hoses on a timer, will save you a lot of time and effort.
Ensure you're still tilling and working the soil. The temptation with raised beds is to assume that the soil will take care of itself. However, soil will still compact, even though there's no foot traffic. Because it still requires aeration, plan on gently loosening the soil each season, especially for root crops like carrots and beets.
The Prairie Homestead Cookbook
Jill Winger of The Prairie Homestead Blog is not only the brains behind this enlightening article, but she's also the author of the newly released Prairie Homestead Cookbook.
To buy your copy of The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, click here. (In my humble opinion, this has become my all-time favorite cookbook!) After your purchase, head over to Homesteadcookbook.com and enter your receipt number to receive a packet of bonuses!
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Want to dig deeper into ground beds and raised beds? Check out Planning Your Garden Space.
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- In the article, Jill Winger from The Prairie Homestead discusses her switch from an in-ground garden to raised beds in the beginner's garden podcast, highlighting the advantages and challenges of both strategies.
- For those with mobility issues or who appreciate an organized approach, raised garden beds can be a great choice due to their easy maintenance and structured nature, making gardening a fulfilling lifestyle.
- To make the most of raised bed gardening, it's crucial to consider the materials used, such as Jill's preference for bridge decking steel, and to develop an effective irrigation system, as watering can be time-consuming in raised beds.
