Why a raised garden bed instead of pots?

[Royiah]

Ok so I've been thinking alot about my garden. First off I found out my dad is ok with me having a garden in my back yard. Before I was gonna use pots instead. But now that I know I can make a bed I want to do that. So my dad wants to know why a raised bed is better than none? So should I make a raised bed or not and just till up our dirt. And if so how high should the bed be? What kind of wood do I need? I don't have to worry about not having room becuase I have plenty. Also How can I dog proof the bed when I make it?
What kind of dirt should I use? I've heard I should use a mixture of compost and soil.
I plan on growing alot of tomatos along with cucumber, squash, peppers and herbs.
Also can I use it as soon as I build and fill it? or do I have to wait?
Sorry about all the questions Ive never had a bed only plants in pots. Also not sure where I was supposed to put this post so sorry if I put it in the wrong place.

[Bobberman]

Any kind of lumber will do for a few years! If you have any 2by 8 they work well or land scape timber. Make the bed 8 inches deep or dig a hole 6 inches deep and put the frame around it so you can make the soil what you want!. If the ground has alot of weeds put a layer of paper over it and cover with leaves or straw 4 to 6 inches deep and add a layer of top soil which is taken from a area with little weeds!
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I like to scrape a area of top soil and get what is under 4 inches of the surface for my new beds! When you plant add a 2 inch layer of bought composted soil or any nice planting soils. Usuall you can buy ven at big lots nice organic soil for $8 for 2 cubic feet!
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Do like me use the raised bed for a cold frame to start lettuce or anything a month early by covering the bed with plastic or old windows! you can add other things as the season progresses! Nice bed size is 6 by 8 or 4 by 12 what ever works for you.. Don't make them oo wide or you will have to walk in it and mat down the soil! I put a board across and work from the board to start the plants!Hope this helps you!

[rainbowgardener]

Here's a thread where there was discussion of raised beds vs in ground gardening:


https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=192083#192083

If you are a backyard gardener with not a huge amount of space, I really like raised beds. Obviously, if you have a huge garden, you aren't going to waste the time, energy, and money putting it all into boxes.

But the raised beds mean you can garden on any kind of soil (or none, I have a couple deep beds I built on top of my concrete patio, because that's my sunniest spot). You can make your soil be whatever you want it to be and the beds contain it. You can acidify it or lime it. If you amend your ground like that you have to keep doing it, because it is neutralized by all the surrounding soil. You can have nice loose soil as deep as you want it. As bobber noted, if you have a raised bed, then it's very easy to add hoops and covers, for frost protection or row covers for insect protection or shade cloth or whatever. Because your soil is nice and loose and you never walk on it (don't make your beds any wider than you can reach in to - 3 to 4 feet wide generally), it's easier to do no-till gardening. It is easier to plant them densely, filling the bed instead of doing rows. Since your soil is raised above ground level, it warms up quicker in the spring. The raised beds are your dog proofing. If you are gardening in the ground you would have to have fences to keep your dogs out, but if the beds are raised, they aren't likely to run through them.

Yes, compost and good topsoil and whatever soil amendments you like. I mix in just a little bit of potting soil to lighten it up a bit. You can use them as soon as filled unless you put manure in them, which needs to age first.

I use 4x4 fence posts stacked for mine; lasts a lot longer than boards.

[Royiah]

thanks for the info.
I really don't think the bed being raised will deture my dogs. The thing about them is their scotties vermin hunting dogs and they will go digging in the dirt if they think theres a bug a mouse o anything of the sort in there. I wouldnt be surprised if they dug the whole thing out. Plants included. That and they eat plants.
But then again theyve never seen a raised bed before so I dunno what they'll do.
Can I buy compost at a store? I don't really have any at the moment. If I started a compost pile now would it be ready for spring/summer planting?
Also the dirt in the ground now is pretty good besides the weeds. So I might use some of it.
I'm planning on using wood from my dads shed full of wood he has. theres a ton of it and he agreed to help me build the bed. just wanted to know if it was wiser to just do rows or a bed. But I think I'm going with raised bed. Way more pratical.
I've heard of rotating beds before. Would I need to do that? I'm really only sticking to tomatos,cucumbers,squash and a few herbs.

[Kisal]

For Scotties, it would be a good idea to add a fence around your garden bed. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, a 2-foot high fence of chicken wire should work. Buy wire that's 3 or 4 ft high, then bend it into an L shape as you install it. The lower leg of the L should lie flat on the ground, pointing away from the edges of your garden bed. That will discourage your little digging machines from digging under the fence. Leave an aisle between the fence and the edge of the garden, so you can walk around inside the fence to care for the plants.

If you prefer, you can just lay boards flat on the ground around up against the outside of the bottom edge of the fence to keep the little diggers from finding their way underneath the fence. I laid boards all along the inside of the bottom edge of the fence around my yard, to keep my dogs from digging out. It has worked like a charm.

[rainbowgardener]

You can buy compost. If you start a compost pile you would likely have some compost ready for mid-summer or fall, but not spring, which is not that far away!

Rotating beds just means you don't plant things in the same spot next year that you did this year. It's especially important for the tomatoes which are prone to some soil borne diseases. However, I don't rotate mine, since, as noted, I have few spots that are sunny enough for them and we manage.

[Royiah]

very overwellming.
I've decided the bed will be 4fx16f Mainly tomatos with basil or mint inbetween.
I'm not sure if I should do a 2end bed or not. I probally will for my cucumbers squash and peppers. I have plenty room and the area gets full sun for most of the day. Anyways I'll start with one and then see from there. for the rest of my plants I'll use the pots I was gonna use in the begining.

[Bobberman]

In my opinion when you have a narrow rased bed you can plant more plants since the soil, has been made richer. Also because there is no weeds around the raised bed planting close to the edge of the bed makes sense. A 4 by 16 bed is the altimate since you haver room for three rows. Smaller stuff on the south side facing the noon sun with the taller plants on the north back! Always put you poles or fence on the outside of the bed.. Mulching the outside of the bed around the border is also a good Idea to keep any weeds under control .

[Royiah]

Well I've finally decided to go with both beds one for tomato and basil and the other cucumber,squash, and bell pepper and maybe a basil or two.
I'm not starting an heb garden all I really have right now is my basil and one rosemarry plant from 2 years ago. I was gonna buy mint but with the new info you just told me I'm not gonna anymore. I'll probally get dill or some other herb instead.
The mulch idea is great I'll try that when we build the bed.
I'm starting my compost bed today. My dad is cliping the pompas grass and mowing over it with the grass. I'm gonna rake it up after and start the pile.

[Royiah]

So I went to lowes today to buy the wood for my raised bed and the olny wood good for beds here where I am is ceder. But its 20 dollars for an 8f board! So I went looking around and remembered someone mentioning using cinder blocks for a raised bed. I found some but their half as wide as normal ones. Will the dirt hold? Do I have to use anything to keep them in place? have any of ya'll used cinder blocks before? If so How well did it work out? howed you do it?
The bed is going to be 4fx16f. the blocks are 16in long and 8in tall Forgot how wide they were but look half as wide as normal ones.

[Bobberman]

Ya those will work great. They are 4 inches wide almost soid. I think about $1.26 each. Stand them on their side 8 inches high. I would us a few small pipe and pound them down against a few of the block on each side and on the ends. Put the outside dirt about half way up to hold them in place! Some people put a little cement between them. I have used a little liquid nail when I pushed them together and it really held them secure. You can stack one on the other the 8 inch way but you need twice as many and it makes the bed wide along the border!

[Royiah]

thanks! I'll probally get poles or something and stick them in the holes of the block. (just to keep them out of the way. ) I would get the wider ones but their 3 dollars more then the thin ones and as you said take up alot more room. gotta save a bit of money.

[rainbowgardener]

You can look up cynthia_h's posts on using freecycle and craigslist to get free materials. I use 4x4" pine fence posts stacked. They are cheap (maybe $6 for an 8' post) and being 4x4 last longer than any board. Some of my raised beds are about to start their tenth season.