Raised bed gardening

[Sian Bunney]

Hey everyone!

It's that time again - I'm looking for your comments to feature in the Allotment Inspiration pages of our March issue.

We'd like to know:
What will you be growing in your raised beds in spring?

Let me know your thoughts!


Best wishes,
Sian

[Greenleaves]

You might be better outlining you definition of raised beds Sian?

[Lumpy]

Does it just have to be about allotment raised beds?

[Snadger]

I think the majority of raised beds aren't treated as true raised beds for the properties they can give but rather as a deliniation of an area. True raised beds should warm up quicker and solve flooding problems on a site, give better drainage.and never be walked upon, minimise compaction of the root zone, and minimise bending when working on them.
The majority I have seen are too wide and need to be walked on and aren't raised more than a couple of inches which makes very little difference to the above.

[sparrow100]

My beds are raised by 15 cm from the ground, which is enough to help with drainage on a claggy & often waterlogged plot. I know to some this doesn't qualify as raised, but to me they are. It means my growing season starts about 3 weeks earlier than on the areas I haven't yet converted. I start with broad beans and spuds, same as a lot of people. Then when it's a bit warmer my onions from seed go out and then it's a race to get it all in! Can't wait.

[Penellype]

My use of raised beds is somewhat unconventional. I have 5 of the plastic sort, upto 0.5m deep. They are filled with a mixture of soil from digging out a small pond, loam made from old lawn turf and used compost from containers. 4 of them are against a north facing wall, the other is between the wall and a west facing fence, so they get very little sun. Attempts to grow things in them have almost always failed, mainly due to slugs and snails liking the damp and shady conditions more than the plants do.

I therefore grow things on my raised beds rather than in them, using 30 litre buckets, often with a band of copper tape round. This has the added advantage of raising the plants further, which gives them access to a little more light.

Currently I have PSB and calabrese on them, next year these will be replaced by maincrop potatoes.

[KevinM67]

You might be better outlining you definition of raised beds Sian?

Could you also outline your definition of 'Spring' please.

[forgetmenot]

I made raised beds out of pallet wood which gave my new plot a tidy/ orderly look in its 1st year. I trialled sun flowers and calendula with my veg which looked fab so this year I plan on growing different coloured flowers amongst my veg again. To protect them in spring I have overwintered some seedlings and will put them under a temporary plastic cloche.Hopefully with more flowers I'll get to fill more vases at home and have better pollination!

[burnie]

garden2 by R MAURINS, on Flickr
I made these last year out of "railway sleepers"(not creosoted originals), was going to do a step by step, but then thought no need?
More than happy to write a bit if it will help anyone, these are a little unconventional in use due to problems with my sandy soil and tree roots.
garden by R MAURINS, on Flickr

[bario1]

I'll be sowing carrots, parsnips and salsify in my raised beds next Spring, same as this year.