An excellent harvest with minimal cost - high beds. High beds - how to make a high bed with your own hands? Raised beds how to make a raised bed
Ecology of life. Manor: You will be surprised at your past doubts - whether to make high beds in the country ... Your back will be grateful to you - you just bend down a little to care for the garden. Your knees will thank you - you can just sit on the edge of the garden and work on your garden.
You will be surprised at your past doubts - whether to make high beds in the country ... Your back will be grateful to you - you just bend down a little to care for the garden. Your knees will thank you - you can just sit on the edge of the garden and work on your garden.
Your plants will thank you - no more competition from weeds or nearby fruit trees. Your land will be grateful to you - you do not trample it down and ennoble it with humus. Your high-bed garden can look beautiful, comfortable, and reward you with a generous harvest.
How to make high beds with your own hands.
1. First we must mark out the place for the beds. The usual width of the beds is 1.2 m, the length can be any. We mark the rectangles of the desired size on the ground with sand.
2. We collect high beds. The high bed has no bottom and consists of posts with grooves on all four sides and boards with corresponding grooves. You can buy ready-made garden fences or make your own. For fences, it is better to take hardwood, because. conifers emit resin, which can have an unnecessary effect on soil composition. We check the horizontal installation of the garden box with a level.
3. We lengthen the high beds. Because Our beds are modular, we can extend our beds from any side with another module.
4. How to protect a high bed from rodents. Even if you have not encountered moles and other underground garden pests in your summer cottage, it is better to provide for the protection of your garden right now than to unsuccessfully fight these rodents later. At the bottom of each box we put metal mesh so that it goes a little on the edges of the fences.
5. How to protect the soil on a high bed from being washed out into the main soil. To do this, we use ordinary packing cardboard in two layers so that it covers the entire bottom of our garden box. If there are not enough whole pieces, we use cardboard scraps - we fasten them with a stapler with the main piece so that the cardboard at the bottom of the box does not move when the soil is poured.
6. The soil for high beds should be light, crumbly and "fluffy". You can easily check its quality by poking your finger into the ground - if it sinks to the third joint - this is the norm. To improve the composition of the soil, you can add peat or compost. We pour the soil into the garden box, check its horizontal level, water it to compact it a little. During the season, we will need to add a little soil.
7. Irrigation system for high beds. Along the contour of the high beds, it is planned to fix a garden hose with watering nozzles: we need 90 and 180 degree dividers.
8. Trellis for high beds. Because the earth in the high bed is loose, then it will not be possible to install a trellis in it, so we fix the trellis from pvc pipes into the ground next to the garden box. On the trellis we stretch nets for climbing plants - cucumbers and beans. For tomatoes, we install light supports made of steel rod.
What you need to know when arranging a high bed.
1. Try to protect high beds from strong winds and heat by creating partial shade with flower trellises or tall shrubs.
2. The long side of the bed should face south - so the plants will be evenly lit, otherwise, taller plants will obscure the others.
3. Planting density on a high bed is twice as high as on a regular bed. So plants fight weeds and create a humid microclimate with foliage.
4. High beds with sides will make it possible for older people or people with back problems to take care of the garden.
5. A high bed is a warm bed. Such a bed warms up faster in the spring, and if you make a mini greenhouse on its basis, it will surprise you with an early and generous harvest.
6. Divide a long high bed with cross braces into square segments - this way you will reduce the pressure of the soil on side walls beds.
Fences for high beds.
1. Most often, wooden fences are used for understandable beds. There are several points here - do not use boo wood, especially sleepers, which may contain harmful chemical substances. Do not treat fresh wood with wood preservatives unless you are sure they are completely environmentally friendly.
2. Wattle as a fence for a high bed. For all its environmental friendliness, such a fence has three significant drawbacks - the soil in the bed dries quickly from the wind, proper thermal insulation of the bed is not provided, the soil can spill out through the cracks. Everything is fixable - use a layer of double cardboard around the inner perimeter of the fence. Eco-friendly air layer between the sheets serves as thermal insulation, the earth no longer spills out.
3. As a fence for a high bed, you can use a metal profile, including from an old roof or fence.
5. You can make fences for a high bed with your own hands from brick or concrete. This is a very good option, but keep in mind that concrete will affect the acidity of the soil in the garden for 2-3 years.
6. The best fences for high beds - plastic. They do not emit anything of their own into the soil, excellent thermal insulation, long service life and the ability to set any shape of the beds, unlike standard rectangles of beds with wooden fences.
7. Fences for high beds from improvised materials. You can make the sides of the beds from bottles laid like bricks on a concrete mortar.
Why do we need high beds.
High beds allow you to increase the area under the garden. you can use inconvenient slopes or poor or weedy soil. Raised beds provide an environmentally friendly way to deal with weeds and soil erosion.
Such beds warm up faster and give an earlier harvest. They allow more economical use of moisture for irrigation.
Various types of high beds.
In addition to the traditional raised bed with high sides, there are several other types of raised beds.
1. Circular high bed. It consists of a round frame, in which there is a path to the center of the garden. This form of high beds is also called the "keyhole".
Branches, roots, paper, compost are placed at the bottom of the beds. In the middle of the garden there is a tunnel for fresh organic waste and water.
This design of the beds provides the necessary moisture and constant enrichment of the soil.
2. High bed without fences. When arranging such a bed, the trunks of trees (not conifers), branches, roots, snags are laid in the ground at a shallow depth; the second layer is this sod removed from the place where you make the bed, laid with grass down; the third layer is 20-30 cm of the main soil mixed with humus.
For irrigation of bulk high beds, an irrigation irrigation system is used when water comes from a ditch between the beds - a good option for gardens flooded in the spring, or you can use a drip irrigation option when water enters the bed from mini terraces.
The paths between the beds are covered with straw or large sawdust. Never step on the ground in a high bed - this will compact it, and it will be more difficult for plants to receive moisture and nutrients.
High beds of this type can be used not only for a vegetable garden, but also for growing shrubs and fruit trees, if you have problematic soil for them in your summer cottage. The service life of such a bed (until the first tree layer with trunks completely rots) is 20-25 years - this period is enough for any fruit tree.
Spare no space for paths between high beds - so you can always go there with garden wheelbarrow both for harvesting and with a new portion of humus. Have pity on your back - use a wheelbarrow.
If your raised beds are located next to fruit trees, you may need to install a root barrier before laying out the beds - dig a trench, cut the root at the approach to the beds, install a metal sheet in the trench that will prevent the root from growing in this direction and cover the trench with soil.
Learn more about raised beds through your own experience. There are many interesting finds, experiments and new discoveries in this topic for every gardener.
Working in the garden requires a lot physical strength and time, and the harvest does not always correspond to the efforts made. Therefore, more and more summer residents are arranging high beds in their plots, which can significantly reduce labor costs and grow a good harvest.
Benefits of raised beds
A high bed is a box with a height of 10-15 cm and up to half a meter, which is filled with earth, compost, and rotted manure. The size and shape of the box can be any. Most often it is made rectangular. The width should be planned so that it is convenient to care for the plants. The usual width is 50–80 cm. The passages between the beds are sown lawn grass, covered with sand, sawdust or concreted. As a result, weeds do not grow in the aisles, the cut grass is used for mulching, and the entire garden looks beautiful and tidy. This is far from the only advantage of high beds in the country. There are many advantages here:
- any plot is suitable for arranging a garden, even completely unsuitable for agriculture;
- tedious digging and weeding is replaced by light loosening of the topsoil;
- high beds warm up faster in spring, which allows you to get a crop much earlier and plant crops that do not ripen in the area on ordinary beds;
- weeds almost do not grow on a high mulched bed, and water does not spill under the gardener's feet during irrigation;
- it is not difficult to make drainage on it, this is necessary when growing garden crops that cannot tolerate high groundwater;
- on the sides it is easy to strengthen the covering material to protect plants from frost;
- if shrews are wound up on the site, cover the bottom of the bed with a plastic mesh with a frequent cell, and voracious pests will not get to the plantings;
- the bed itself is easy to disassemble for transfer to another location, resizing or repair.
The convenience of a high bed will be appreciated by all gardeners, because in the process of work you will not have to bend down almost to the ground level.
Strengthen a wide transverse board at the ends of the beds, and you will get a comfortable bench on which you can put inventory or sit down to admire the results of your labors.
How to turn the disadvantages of high beds into their advantages
The device of such ridges brings the most benefit in a humid cool climate. But in the arid southern regions, their advantages are not so obvious - the earth in a raised box overheats and dries out faster. This is their main drawback. Nevertheless, even in such conditions, the construction of high ridges will be justified if the soil on the site is infertile - rocky, clay or sandy. The box for protection against overheating is built from light materials and filled with imported earth. In the midday heat, a white fabric or agrofiber cloth is stretched over the box. Such a canopy reduces the temperature of the soil and air in the garden and reduces the evaporation of water.
In the southern regions, construction from inexpensive natural stone - shell rock is widespread. If you build sides from it, the bed will last a very long time, and the soil in it will be cool in any heat. This building looks very beautiful.
See for yourself how attractive the high beds in the photo look, built in the country with your own hands from natural stone. 
What materials are suitable for construction
Raised beds don't have to be so monumental. Almost any building materials are suitable for their device. The main thing is that they do not let water through and keep their shape.
Raised slate beds are popular. Slate does not rot, is water resistant, almost does not heat up in the sun. For arranging a raised ridge, it is not necessary to buy a new slate, it is quite suitable taken from the roof after its repair.
It is even easier to make high beds from plastic panels. Unlike slate, plastic does not shatter with light impact, and installation does not require much care. The border of light plastic along the edges of the beds looks neat and attractive.
High beds in the greenhouse are very convenient. Already in April, they can harvest the first crop of radishes.
It is always difficult in greenhouses, since they are usually used to grow a limited set of vegetable crops - tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants. Therefore, they often have to change the soil. It is much more convenient to do this on high beds.
How to make high beds from boards with your own hands
If the idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding high beds with your own hands inspired you, a step-by-step instruction will help you do everything without mistakes.
To build a wooden box for a high bed measuring 4000x60x30 cm, we need:
- edged board 2.5 cm thick and 15 cm wide - 18.4 linear meters;
- galvanized square pipe or corner 2x2 cm;
- self-tapping screws.
You also need to prepare tools - a saw, a screwdriver, a grinder, a drill, a square, a pencil.
We measure 4 pieces of 4 m for the long sides of the box and 4 pieces of 0.6 m for the end sides and cut it off.
Sawn boards should be covered with an antiseptic on all sides and wait until completely dry. Suitable funds "Fire bioshield", "Senezh", "Pinotex" and others. Without such wood processing, high beds made of boards will not last long.
We cut the metal profile with a grinder into segments of 0.4 m for the corners of the box and 0.6 m for screeding the long sides. Screeds must be made every 1–1.5 m so that the bed does not burst with earth. For one box, 4 pieces of 0.4 m are needed for corners. For screeds, you will need about 4 pieces for a vertical screed and 2 more for a horizontal one. Horizontal segments are fastened with vertical ones at the level of the top board.
We drill holes in the profile for self-tapping screws. There should be at least two for each board. After that, we fasten the profile to the end boards with self-tapping screws. Next, you need to connect the end elements in the assembly with long boards in the same way. One side of the profile will be 10 cm longer than the width of the box. It will be recessed into the ground for the stability of the box.
On each long side at the same distance, we mark places for screeds. Short pieces are screwed to the boards, and short pieces are fastened with long ones. Each tie is similar to the letter "P", screwed to the long sides of the box with vertical crossbars.
If it is planned to cover the high bed with a film or other covering material, the structure is supplemented with arcs. The most reliable are metal ones to withstand the weight of tied tomatoes or cucumbers. For this purpose, an iron bar with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of at least 3 m is used. Each segment of the bar is shaped into a semicircle in its central part, leaving the ends straight. Arcs can be structurally connected to screeds by fastening them with brackets.
The finished structure is transferred to a permanent place, which was vacated and leveled in advance.
The tops of the arcs, if desired, can be connected with a strong twine. So the covering material will hold on better and it will become easier to tie up the plants.
Now you know how to make high beds in the country with your own hands. By the same principle, it is easy to make them from any other suitable material.
How to make a raised bed warm
We have already seen the benefits of arranging high beds in the country. But such a bed can be twice as effective if you make it warm. All heat-loving crops grow faster on such a bed and bear fruit better. Device warm beds looks like a layer cake
- coarse organics are laid down - branches, leaves, bark;
- semi-rotted compost or manure goes to the middle layer;
- on top of the cake is covered with a layer of garden soil.
Under the top layer, organic matter begins to decompose with the release of heat, that is, it heats the plants from below, from the cold ground. If such a bed is mulched after planting, caring for it will come down to rare watering and harvesting, which will invariably delight you, because all plants love warmth and an abundance of organic matter in the soil.
Video instruction for making a high bed
- bulk, elevated above the ground earthen structures intended for planting and growing herbaceous plants. They are used in garden plots for garden crops and for planting flowers.
Advantages and disadvantages
Raised land has a number of advantages and disadvantages:
| pros | Minuses |
| No shedding of the side walls of the soil, with protected structures by means of partitions. | Through the side walls, made of "breathable" material, soil moisture leaves faster, as a result of which the frequency and volume of watering have to be increased. |
| It is independent of the soil located on the site - you can use purchased black soil. | Periodic costs are required for the purchase of black soil. |
| Creating a favorable climate for plant growth - elevation above general level land significantly reduces the risk of frost damage during frosts. In addition, the bed can be easily protected from external influences by covering it with a tarpaulin or covering material. | The limited interaction with the total mass of the earth forces to increase the use of mineral fertilizers. |
| More early period growing crops - in the spring, snow melts earlier, the soil warms up faster. | There is a risk of reproduction of insects that will harm the planted plants. |
| The possibility of creating a greenhouse or a mini-greenhouse, which are dismantled with the onset of the warm season. | On initial stage creating high beds, you have to bear material costs and make additional physical efforts to create a land structure. |
| Good drainage to optimize watering and soil moisture. Due to this, there is no risk of waterlogging of the soil, moss growth, and there is no rotting of plants. | Restriction on the plant assortment - not all plants endure an open, blown area. |
| Deep digging of the soil is carried out 1 time in 3-4 calendar years. The rest of the time it is enough to carry out shallow loosening. | |
| Convenience when working with low growing plants, this is especially important for the elderly or those with limited physical abilities. | |
| Getting more yield, compared to traditional methods of growing plants. | |
| The high level of the ground allows you to reduce the physical effort required when cultivating the soil, caring for green spaces, harvesting - for example, you can use a folding chair. | |
| Optimal layout of the garden plot. | |
| Creation of beds with unusual shape and design. |
From the above comparative data, it can be seen that the idea of high beds has the right to life. Measures aimed at reducing negative factors will contribute to this.
How to eliminate cons?
Ways to reduce negative factors:
- The increased use of organic fertilizers contributes to a decrease in the amount of mineral fertilizers applied to an elevated plot of land:
- bird droppings, manure from cattle, the creation on their basis of tinctures for liquid top dressing;
- the use of ash from burning wood in stoves or fireplaces;
- creation on the site of your own compost pit for the processing of residues from plants and human food, which will reduce the amount of purchased black soil;
- use of sludge from a septic tank.
- To reduce dependence on irrigation, the “drip” mode device will help: such designs can be found in abundance on the Internet.
- Reducing the material costs required when creating high beds is facilitated by:
- use of materials left over from construction country house or arranging a fence, for example, or corrugated board;
- the use of industrial substandard material, which is sold at significant discounts;
- leftovers building products that appear during the demolition of dilapidated housing, or in other similar cases.
- Appearances harmful insects and weeds can be avoided by pre-training soil:
- chemical treatment,
- removing roots.
Kinds
High beds differ from each other in several ways:
- geometric dimensions, - length, width and height above the general level of the site;
- side wall trim.
Wooden
Wooden high beds as side supporting walls used wood material:
- boards;
- plywood of moisture resistant grades, for example, OSB-3;
- log construction;
- materials with the presence of wood, for example, wood concrete sheets (wood concrete) - a mixture of cement and shavings;
- vine rods.
Main advantage of this material is its availability and ease of processing. But common deciduous (birch, aspen) and coniferous (pine) varieties of wood are prone to decay, they are sharpened by bugs. Application resistant species, for example, larch, is associated with its higher cost and difficulty in processing. But this type of wood improves its properties over time (part of the old Venice still rests on Siberian larch).
Plastic
For fencing, products made of dense plastics are used:
- plexiglass;
- , including cellular;
- profiled polymers;
- plastic pipes, for example, used for sewerage with a diameter of 100–200 mm;
- container, - plastic boxes with perforated walls.
Dignity– plastic refers to “eternal” materials, does not rot, does not decompose, is resistant to water and exposure to bacteria and insects.
But in winter it becomes brittle, so during this period of the year it requires careful handling.
Easy to machine, easy to install. Plastic products have a variety of color scheme, which contributes to the decoration of the garden plot.
metal
For the device of an earthen embankment are used finished goods and semi-finished products:
- galvanized metal sheet, for example, going to the roof;
- corrugated board and other metal products.
Basic requirement for metal– lack of corrosion, therefore, in the absence of protection, it is necessary to take measures to cover the surface of products with anti-corrosion compounds. Externally, the beds can be made in the classic rectangular shape or to give a designer look - to model an oval design that resembles a large bath.
In addition to the above materials, slate sheets, bricks, concrete products, gabions and many other products that fall under the requirements for earth embankment fencing are widely used.
Technology
Before considering the technology of arranging a high bed, you need to familiarize yourself with a number of rules.
Creation rules
Requirements for beds are necessary for proper placement on the site, they must take into account local climatic conditions, the range of grown plants.
- Bed sizes. The length of the earth embankment is limited by the size of the site and the ease of passage. Hence: the optimal range is 2–5 m. The width is up to 1–1.2 m, a large value will create inconvenience when processing the middle part. The height of the structure should not exceed 1 m, otherwise it will also create problems with plant maintenance and require significant costs when using purchased soil. The minimum level is 25–30 cm, which is determined by the climate and the size of the fence that is “at hand”.
- The soil. The meaning of creating high beds is to increase fruiting and speed of harvest. Chernozem is one of the components. Therefore, saving on the quality of land means wasting your efforts, time and finances in vain.
- Location. The abundance of sunlight is one of the keys to the normal growth of plants and their fruiting. It is advisable to arrange the beds in open, unshaded places. But you should take into account the general layout of the site, - not to the detriment of other plants and outbuildings.
- Fencing material. Do not chase ultra-modern products - boards left over from the formwork, or old brick will fully perform the functions of enclosing walls. And money will be saved.
- Protection of green spaces. Most of the country is located in complex climatic conditions, in which frosts are not uncommon at the beginning and end of summer. To reduce the risk of plants being damaged by cold air, a pre-installed protection system will help, for example, a design for a greenhouse.
The device of the earth embankment
Stages of work:
Landing planning
It is advisable to arrange high beds at the end of summer or early autumn - this will contribute to additional overheating of organic matter and the creation of its own local microflora. If it is necessary to create a seat in spring or summer, if possible, the soil should be covered at least 1 month before planting plant material.
Most vegetable, berry and flower crops can be grown on raised land plots. Moreover, they can be successfully placed in the same fenced area. For example, cold-resistant: radish, green onion, lettuce, can be planted around heat-loving ones - in summer all these plants will be comfortable, and tomatoes will receive additional protection when the air temperature drops.
Berry and vegetable crops on such raised embankments, under favorable temperature conditions and timely watering, they ripen 1-2 weeks earlier, so it is necessary not to miss the harvesting time, otherwise it will begin to rot and simply disappear.
You can appreciate the advantage of high beds even on one initial experience - just start with simple crops - onions, radishes, carrots, and gradually expand the experience that has appeared to other plants.
Cultivated plants growing in garden plots provide their owners with a large amount of very useful nutrients and vitamins. And what kind of nutrition should gardeners provide plants in order to have a good harvest? Sunlight, heat, irrigation, fertilizer and good land. And good soil is called soft, crumbly soil with a high content of humus.
What to do if the land near the cottage is not at all like that. Somewhere heavy clay, somewhere sand with stones. The only way out in this situation is high beds that can be poured onto any flat surface.
What is the advantage of high beds over ordinary ones, and what are they? A high bed is a bed with a height of more than 10-15 cm if the soil below is normal, and more than 30 cm if the base is not suitable for plants.
Its main advantages include:
- you can plant plants in any area, even rocky;
- it is easier to work with plants - no need to bend deeply;
- the bed warms up faster in the sun, which means you can plant plants and harvest earlier;
- it is easier to cover with a film greenhouse or agrofibre;
- plants are not afraid of heavy rains, thanks to natural drainage;
- you can make wide paths between the beds - it is convenient to walk and work with the beds;
- the area is becoming cultural.
By itself, the principle of beds or ridges is used in the cultivation of almost all garden plants. When sowing large fields, the ridges are created by a tractor. They can be of different widths, depending on the type of plants. Any ridges are needed in order to improve the supply of oxygen to plants, systematize weeding, and protect against waterlogging. You need to be objective when evaluating the pros and cons of high beds before you start building them.
Building one high bed of boards, plastic panels or bricks with your own hands will take as much time as digging three ordinary ones.
In addition, during the drought period, every 10 cm of high beds will need an additional 5 liters of water per meter of area, when watered. If a high bed has already been built, then you will only have to work with the earth hand tool, walk-behind tractor or cultivator will not drive into such a bed. To make high beds with your own hands on a plot of more than 10 acres - few people will gather. When the plot is small, and you want to have a large crop, high beds will be the right decision.
Types of fences for high beds
The most common and cheapest option is to make high beds with your own hands from boards. Wood is easy to process, does not contain harmful substances. But it quickly rots on contact with the ground. You can treat the wood with a special impregnation, the antiseptic contains substances that are poisonous to insects and microbes.
Wattle and wicker wattle is also not durable, but beautiful option. To do this, you need the skills of such work. Using stones or bricks will make the bed very durable. The disadvantage is high price bricks and decorative stone, although in some places this material is easily found in a quarry or landfill. In any case, the work is not fast and hard.
Plastic ones are already on sale in many hardware stores. They cost more simple boards but more durable. Strips of plastic are relatively soft and require more posts for fastening. metal fences stronger than plastic, but rust without quality processing. The cost of metal is comparable to the cost of plastic. Concrete fences are very durable and reliable option, but one of the most labor intensive. It will require the construction of formwork, the installation of metal reinforcement, kneading and pouring the solution.
A very simple and durable option is do-it-yourself slate beds. You can use the cheapest wavy, or you can use a more durable and beautiful even sheet. Slate is a rather fragile material and will require additional pegs. It is easy to cut with a grinder, but its dust contains asbestos, which is banned for use in many countries of the world. Since wooden structures are the most common option, in this example, it will be considered how to make high beds from available materials.
DIY wooden fences
The durability of the structure depends on the thickness of the boards. But in order to save money, you can also buy the cheapest boards 25 mm thick, fourth grade. It is better to plan the arrangement of high beds with your own hands in advance, and immediately decide on the desired height and size of the beds.
For example, it was decided to build a bed 3 meters long and 1 meter wide, 30 cm high. It is necessary to saw off the boards of the desired length and put them together with small crossbars. It is better to do this on a flat horizontal platform. Having knocked together 4 shields, you can take them to the location of the beds. For connection at the corners, bars 50x50 or metal corners are used. If thick boards are used, you can do without additional corner fasteners, and use long nails or self-tapping screws. If the bed is more than 3 meters, it is worth using additional crossbars every few meters. To fix the beds to the ground, wooden or metal pegs are hammered.
The high beds of Igor Lyadov have gained great fame - the design of the beds is well suited to buildings made of logs. For the longitudinal walls, tree trunks peeled from the bark are used. The length can be very different. Across the beds, they are hammered together with boards 60-150 cm long. Logs are a cheap material, and they can maintain strength for more than 10 years.
Filling high beds
The sequence of filling is the secret of how to make high warm beds correctly. To protect plants from rodents and moles, the very bottom of the beds can be covered with a fine building net, pinned to the bottom of the walls. Lay a layer of geotextile on top of the mesh, which will protect the beds from weeds and prevent the fertile layer from deepening. To protect against weeds, for a while, old cardboard is also suitable.
Next, you need to make a layer of drainage, it can be small branches, tree bark, large chips, leaves. Then you can lay a layer of grass, preferably without seeds. The grass will overheat, releasing heat. Over time, it will turn into a fertile layer. The next fall asleep humus from manure, bird droppings or compost. If necessary, add mineral fertilizers. A layer of good fertile soil is poured upstairs, in which seeds or seedlings can be planted. High do-it-yourself almost ready. It is necessary to make the layers equal, about 10 cm each. Mixing the layers or digging up the bed is not necessary. For the top layer, you can buy soil from a mixture of peat and humus. At the end of the work, the garden bed is abundantly watered. The raised bed is complete.
To reduce the evaporation of moisture and counteract the growth of weeds, you can close the high warm beds with dark agrofibre.
Weed control in this way is especially relevant when growing perennials. And the most popular perennial in the garden - it's strawberries.
Strawberries in high beds
How will strawberries feel in high beds? Great, and collecting it is a pleasure. This berry really does not like waterlogging of the soil; it is almost impossible to harvest a good harvest in the lowlands. There is a way to make high beds for strawberries with your own hands without using hard building materials.
It is better to start arranging a plot for strawberries in the fall. Choose a well-lit area 150-200 cm wide, of any length. It is necessary to remove the sod layer, about 10 cm. Coarse organics (tree branches, hard grass) 60 cm wide, up to 20 cm high are poured into the center. On top - succulent plant remains with a layer of 15 cm. You can use several rows with layers of straw. Pour on top sod land and another 15 cm of fallen leaves. Next, a layer of humus or compost. Top fit fertile land. All layers are well watered. The total height of the beds can reach up to 50 cm. And so they leave until spring.
In the spring, the bed is completely buried with a special non-woven material. From above it is necessary to make two rows of slots into which strawberries are planted. Since it is not difficult to make high beds for strawberries (no need to build anything), you can harvest a very good crop. Moreover, strawberries will not need to be fed, they will have enough nutrients from the decomposition of compost. But it is necessary to water very plentifully.
Raised beds in small areas
Many gardeners have gardens no more than one or two acres. It is they who need high beds in the country. Thanks to excellent conditions for plants, you can get a bountiful harvest. How less area plot, the higher you need to make a bed. Many manage to grow two crops a year. How to make high beds in the country, and grow a bag of potatoes from one square meter? The proven method has long been known.
First, a square bed is made 1 m wide, up to 20 cm high. 4-5 potatoes are planted at the bottom. When the bores begin to appear from the ground, but before the green leaves open, the sprouts are covered with a layer of earth and put another layer of boards 10-20 cm. You can plant 4 more potatoes. And so do 3 layers, bring the height of the beds to 1 meter. Main condition good harvest- abundant watering. In autumn, the layers of boards are removed, and several buckets of potatoes are obtained.
Raised beds in a greenhouse
On a small garden plot always find a place for a greenhouse. Greenhouses are designed to create comfortable conditions thermophilic plants and get a good harvest. High beds in the greenhouse serve just this purpose.
An ordinary bed of boards can serve as the basis for a small greenhouse. Conversely, the foundation of a standard greenhouse, 2-3 meters wide, made of timber or concrete will be one side of a warm bed. Since it is not difficult to make high beds in a greenhouse, you can raise them a little higher than in an open space. Usually in a greenhouse 2.5 meters wide there are 2 beds along long walls greenhouses. But with a width of 3 meters, it is already possible to make 3 beds: 2 narrow on the sides, and one wide in the middle.
A high bed itself needs abundant watering, and located in a greenhouse, requires special control of soil moisture levels. To facilitate work, it is recommended to install on high beds in the greenhouse, with an automatic switch-on function.
Most gardeners who have made high beds on their site do not regret it. Yes, the initial labor costs are quite high. But as a result, there are beautiful high beds - it's not a shame to bring guests and show them your well-groomed garden. Ordinary beds look beautiful only during a strong vegetation of plants. And high beds, made neatly and with love, delight the eye, both in spring and autumn. Reviews for high beds are always good. Less effort was spent on caring for plants, and the harvest is pleasing.
Everyone decides for himself which beds are better - high or low. low beds for those who want to quickly dig, plant, and then, somehow, someone will weed and loosen everything. High beds - for those who make it themselves, plant it themselves, and in the summer they will only water it or, having installed automatic watering, will not have any trouble at all.
Raised beds are the saviors of vegetable growers with poor soil, site drainage, and those who find it difficult to cultivate a large vegetable garden. The main idea of such structures is instead of fighting poor conditions create a structure above ground where you can minimal effort control all soil parameters. Attractive high beds in the photo have their pros, cons and difficulties. Armed with tips and having studied the instructions for different arrangement options, choosing the right one for yourself is quite simple.
Purpose of high beds
It is easy to understand why the beds are made high - this design helps to solve a variety of site problems, whether it is waterlogged, infertile, densely overgrown with weeds, or even a cold climate.
decorative vegetable garden
Properly selected and placed high structure allows you to effectively grow plants in specific conditions, without making such significant efforts for this as in traditional vegetable growing.
Raised beds - horizontal boxes or containers for growing garden crops, herbs and flowers, located at least 15-20 cm above soil level. Their width is from 40 to 150 cm.
This size is convenient for processing landings without standing on the ground with your feet. The length depends on the size of the site and the desire of the owner. It can be as simple as ridges in the form of "hills" of nutrient soil mixtures, and designs with sides made of different materials.
Animal protection
Classification and features of species
Vegetable growers around the world have developed many types of high beds. This makes it possible to choose the design that is most suitable for certain conditions and effectively grow plants in almost any climate zone. Any of the modifications can be attributed to one of the categories:
Waist-high vegetable containers
Pros and cons of growing plants at height
As with every technology, the "on top" method of growing horticultural crops has its own advantages and difficulties that may arise when applied in practice. Therefore, before you "rush into battle" and start construction, you should familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of the method and try it out in specific conditions.
Design option
Benefits and possible difficulties
Bulk beds, whether large boxes, mounds without fencing or narrow containers, have several advantages over traditional vegetable gardens:
- In the spring, they warm up faster, allowing you to plant plants earlier and get the first harvest.
- The soil does not compact from walking because the structures are made to allow easy access from walkways between them.
- An excellent option for those who, for health reasons or due to employment, cannot work in a traditional garden. Raised beds require much less effort and time to get a good harvest.
- Thanks to the use of humus, systemic feeding of plants with fertilizers and regular watering, you can get much larger crops of vegetables from a smaller area.
- Using imported soil and humus, you can get an environmentally friendly crop, even on polluted and infertile (sandy, saline) soils.
- With wood, vine or stone fencing, beautiful raised beds can act as decorative element site.
Wooden high containers look very aesthetically pleasing
At the same time, some vegetable growers identify disadvantages that sometimes cause difficulties in the practical implementation of this method:
- The equipment of high beds requires the acquisition of materials and minimal skills in the construction of simple wooden structures.
- In the absence of a compost heap, humus and fertile soil also need to be purchased.
- In hot weather, the soil dries out faster, which requires more frequent watering or arranging the system. drip irrigation.
- The need to replace the soil every few years or add compost annually and grow green manure before and after the main vegetables.
How to neutralize disadvantages and overcome difficulties
These difficulties can be overcome by taking used boards or slate as a material for construction, having prepared in advance compost heap and arranging drip irrigation from plastic bottles.
For a test, you can make one small garden bed with your own hands and experiment on it for one year. Having determined what and how it is better to grow by this method in the conditions of a particular site, you can proceed to full-scale construction, taking into account the accumulated experience.
Strawberries grown in beds or in containers are always clean and do not get sick
Many gardeners begin their acquaintance with this method by growing strawberries in high beds. This plant can be grown with your own hands on any type of elevated beds. When planning the planting of strawberries, it is worth considering the features of its cultivation:
- When building a container or box, it should be noted that strawberries are planted in sunny places, therefore, in order to avoid overheating of the soil, their walls are made of brick or stone wood, but not of iron and slate. For the same purpose, the outer walls of a tall building should be whitewashed or covered with white facade paint.
- To avoid rapid drying and overheating of the soil under the bushes, it must be constantly covered with a layer of mulch, film or agrotextile.
- In a low box, the earth will dry out and deplete faster. It will take frequent watering and updating the mulch at least twice a week. Therefore, it is necessary to have a compost heap and a barrel in which organic matter will be infused for irrigation.
The device and dimensions of raised landings
To make the right high bed with your own hands, you must first determine the most advantageous location for it on the site. The place should be lit 5-6 hours a day and preferably from the very sunrise. It should not be in the winds, especially the north, and in a draft.
Most experts recommend placing containers in a south-north direction so that all plants receive an even amount of heat and light. If the site is located on a slope, it is better to place them regardless of the cardinal points, but across the slope.
Device and layers
How to calculate the dimensions of a structure
Then determine the appropriate height. Containers can be made slightly raised above the ground (25–30 cm) or high (70–80 cm). Both options have their own advantages. There are even Scientific research dedicated to the selection of the height of containers according to a certain formula for the proportions of the body specific person. As for the device, the beds at the waist level require more time and effort, but they are warmer and easier to care for.
Optimal size high beds in width should allow reaching the middle without stepping on the soil (70-100 cm). If you plan to install two containers placed in parallel, you can make a mini-greenhouse out of them. For this, the boxes are made 80 cm wide, and the passage between them is 60 cm. A frame of plastic pipes is created from above and covered with a film.
One of the wooden frame options
Basics of construction and the basics of construction
Having decided on the size, they mark out a place on the site, remove the fertile soil layer on the spade bayonet and fix the fence around the perimeter. On the sides they knock down the frame, slightly recessed into the ground, or simply put it on the surface. Most often, the frame is upholstered with boards. The bottom is left free. The scheme of a high bed with a wooden frame and a small recess in the photo below.
The simplest design of high beds is a wooden box without a bottom, consisting of two short, two long boards and four pointed beams. The width of the boards is selected depending on the required height of the structure, and the length of the bars should be 20-30 cm longer in order to drive them into the ground.
Support bars are attached to short boards, after which they are attached to long boards. The finished structure is installed in a marked and prepared place.
Simple design from boards and beams
We make high beds with our own hands
For those who have at least minimal construction or carpentry experience, it will not be difficult to figure out how to make high beds with their own hands, and in a short time to bring the idea to life. The first (trial) design can be made from existing building materials or waste - old doors, slate, boards.
Wooden fence and its features
The fence can be built from wood, concrete, brick, stone, and almost any material available. When choosing material for bulk beds, consider:
- price;
- mounting complexity;
- durability;
- decorative properties.
Typical Circuit
When the question arises: what to make high beds from, most owners opt for a tree. With proper processing, this material can last 5-7 years, and it looks beautiful.
Before construction, boards and beams must be treated with special antiseptic impregnation, stain or used oil. So that the impregnation does not subsequently penetrate into the soil, and the frame is as little as possible affected by moisture, it is upholstered with a dense film from the inside.
Boards for high beds are taken from larch or acacia. Such wood species have the best ratio of low cost, strength and durability. For work, a slab, timber, logs (halves), any boards, lining are suitable.
High beds made of wood will last longer if the boards are at least 2 cm thick. The sidewalls are fixed with metal corners or by installing 40 × 40 or 50 × 50 bars at the corners of the box and screwing the boards to them with self-tapping screws.
Not the cheapest, but very beautiful solution is the beds of the timber. Their advantages are durability and practicality - it is convenient to lean on a wide side, sit down, put seedlings. In addition, the beam will perfectly withstand even a large amount of soil in waist-high containers.
A box of timber - reliable and beautiful
Other fencing materials
More difficult to build with your own hands are high fences made of concrete, brick, metal, stone. They are stronger and more durable than wood, but also have their drawbacks.
Metal beds look very neat, are mounted quite easily and last almost forever. They are made, as a rule, from galvanized steel, sometimes with a polymer coating.
Ready-made fences are sold in stores, so their installation also takes a minimum of time. If you have the skills to work with metal, you can save money and make a fence from roofing iron and metal corners or a frame from wooden bars.
Galvanized metal fence
Concrete beds are a little cheaper, but also require special skills to build. Such a structure can last at least 30 years. Borders can be installed with tape in a monolithic way, using the sliding formwork method, or to make beds from concrete blocks, simply by setting them in right place. The disadvantage of concrete fencing is its ability to increase the acidity of the soil.
Concrete structures can perform and decorative function
New brick fences are beautiful and reliable. The disadvantage is that in order to make an even and neat masonry, you must have special skills or hire a craftsman. How to lay out brick beds:
- pull the rope tightly on the pegs along the inner perimeter;
- dig a trench, at least half the height of a brick;
- lay out the first row evenly;
- start laying out the fence on the solution.
The rest of the building materials in the case
A stone fence is made in the same way. The stone will fit into any landscape design and practically eternal. Disadvantages - the inability to move the structure to another place and the high cost of decorative stone.
Gabions in the form of a fence
The fence for high beds can be built from slate, plastic bottles, curb tape, vines, straw and other materials.
Blocks as a fence
Soil preparation for successful vegetable growing
When the fence is ready, they begin to fill the raised beds with nutrient soil. On wet soils and at a low height of the fence, it is best to dig a trench, 10-15 cm deep. If there are rodents on the site, a fine-meshed construction mesh.
How to fill high beds with your own hands - the order of layers:
- If the structure is installed on the surface of the earth without removing the top layer of soil and backfilling the drainage, in order to avoid the germination of weeds, the bottom is covered with geotextiles.
- If the site is wet or the fence is made of stone, concrete, brick, be sure to do drainage layer from crushed stone and sand or from branches and twigs. Drainage from branches is covered with coarse sand or expanded clay. A geotextile is laid on the drainage layer, then another layer of crushed wood waste.
- Next, plant waste is laid: chopped branches, grass (excluding weeds), dry leaves, tops, vegetable peels, straw. A layer of organic waste can be compacted with earth or laid on top of the sod with the soil up. To speed up the decomposition of waste, they can be watered with a Baikal solution or other similar means.
- The next layer, depending on availability, is manure, peat or immature compost. After complete decomposition, they will feed the vegetables for more for a long time.
- Most upper layer- this is a soil for high beds, consisting of a mixture fertile soil and humus or mature compost. It should be of such thickness that the roots do not grow into the lower decaying layer. The composition of the soil for the top layer is easy to adjust for the cultivation of certain crops. Mineral fertilizers, sand, semi-rotted sawdust, soddy soil, peat can be added to it.
Layer-by-layer filling of the finished box
Watering for high beds
You need to water the beds and feed the plants more often than in open field. The average frequency of watering is once or twice a week. Traditional watering from a hose or watering can has significant drawbacks - it compacts the soil, loosening is required after it, a strong pressure of water destroys the structure of the topsoil. If you water with a weak pressure of water, a lot of time is wasted. Therefore, more and more gardeners prefer to organize automatic or semi-automatic watering.
Irrigation system on high beds can be done in different options:
- Drip irrigation tapes. It is necessary to lay one such tape under each row of plants. Further, polypropylene pipes are fixed on the fence, to which each tape is attached through valves.
- You can arrange drip irrigation in a similar way using polypropylene pipes with holes. A diagram of such a system is shown in the photo below.
- A semi-automatic garden waterer can be created from old hoses. They are laid on the ground and in places where water should come out, small holes are made.
- One of the most simple options semi-automatic watering, which you can do with your own hands - watering with a wick. To do this, buckets or large plastic bottles are dug into the ends of the frame. One end of a wick made of cloth or rolled fabric is immersed in a container of water, and the other is buried 10-15 cm into the soil.
- Bucket watering beds is the cheapest in the device. To do this, you need to dig under each plant plastic bottle with a cut bottom and small holes made. Through the bottom it will be convenient to pour water from the hose, and from the holes it will slowly flow out under the root of the plant.
Diagram of a drip irrigation system from old hoses or pipes
Raised beds, with all their pluses and minuses, are a technique that allows you to grow solid crops of vegetables even in small and unsuitable areas. There are many variations of their arrangement, filling and watering - from simple and economical to expensive and decorative. Among such a variety, it is easy to choose the option suitable for a particular site, financial capabilities and even the physical parameters of a person.
