Entertainment - Whatcom in Bloom

POSTED: Thursday, May. 28, 2009

Here's how to put your garden to bed

Raised garden beds seem to be increasingly popular. The frames run the gamut of materials - from 2x4s to concrete blocks to giant river rocks.

Alana and Ashton Mey chose raised beds for their Bellingham home partly because of what they found under the sod in their front yard - broken dishes, scrap metal and trash.

"It's almost like it used to be a dumping ground," Alana recalls. The raised beds let them bring in new soil so they knew what their veggies would be grown in.

The Meys also liked that after the initial installation, the beds are less maintenance. "You don't have to build it up every year," says Alana.

Raised beds impart other benefits as well. They are generally easier to maintain, don't suffer from soil compaction, heat up faster and earlier (fueling root growth), and are a bit easier on the gardener's back.

Some guidelines for creating raised beds:

• Use sturdy, nontoxic materials for the frame, such as large rock, cinder blocks or cedar planks. Many nurseries offer recycled frames too. The bed should be at least 1 foot off the ground.

• Build the bed in a sunny, open place in your yard. Vegetables need lots of sun to grow and air circulation will decrease fungal problems later.

• Choose a good soil mix to fill in the bed and mix in a good amount of organic fertilizer and compost.

• Don't step on them. Less compaction means better aeration for roots. It also will make weeding easier.