Spring at all summer residents and gardeners begins the same way: dig up the whole earth, divide it into beds, make a neat earthen roller for each. Then wait until the soil warms up, plant the plants and begin the fight against weeds that occupy the entire territory, including paths. But you can make improvements that will help to get a larger crop at a lower cost (labor, first of all).
Advantages and disadvantages of high beds
Usually, after hearing about the many advantages of such structures, people begin to wonder how to make the garden high. How does it differ from conventional land level landings? We list only the main advantages:
- The soil on your site can be absolutely any, it will not affect the crop anymore. The high design can be filled with universal soil mixture or suitable for a particular crop. If your summer house is located in a damp lowland, then the first layer can be laid drainage: broken brick, coarse sand. Next lay layers of eggshells, branches and grass remaining after the autumn harvesting of the plot, leaves and ground.
- After many years of operation, the soil in the garden becomes less fertile, accumulates various pathogens. Having learned how to make a bed high, and installing it on your site, You will be able to make fresh purchased soil and protect plants from rot and fungi.
- In the spring, such structures warm up faster, which makes it possible to plant plants earlier. This gives a chance to get two crops instead of one.
- Productivity is 2 times higher than when using flat beds.
- Ease of care for the garden, as well as the collection of fruits of low-growing plants.
- Save plot area and aesthetic appearance.
Everything has its reverse side. The minus of high beds can be called the need for material investment and labor in their creation. They dry out quickly enough and require frequent watering. This is not suitable for moisture-loving plants . Limited bed space requires regular fertilization, as the soil is depleted.
What materials may be required to create a high bed
If you have so far used only flat beds, then be sure to conduct an experiment by putting one progressive design. If we talk about how to make a bed high, the first question arises about the necessary material. The scope for creativity here is great, it all depends on the level of your skill and the amount that you are willing to spend.
- High beds of brick. If you do not have experience in bricklaying, then the design may not be very aesthetic. The advantages of this are long-term and safe use.
- High beds from the boards. They are the easiest to make. You need to have at hand a sufficient number of long boards, corners, transverse ceilings. Alternatively, you can use slats that sheathe a wooden or metal frame. The minus is obvious - the tree rots.
- High beds made of slate. Usually the old slate is taken, which is removed from the roof during the repair. It is believed that this is harmful material, but the dust resulting from its cutting can cause the only damage to health. Minus - fragility and the ability to break the structure during gardening.
- Stones and cement mortar - a very creative approach to gardening. You can create designs for centuries, beautiful, durable, arbitrary shape and size.
- Plastic bottles filled with colorful sand. Get the original beds with low sides.
Optimum bed height
Depends on the features of the garden and planted crops. If the garden has good soil, you can make bumps about 15 cm high. This will make it possible to solve the problem of weeds and soil diseases, facilitate the care of the garden and improve its appearance.
If the soil is poor and the high bed is created as a separately functioning structure, then it must be done higher, 30-90 cm. Sometimes the height is laid at the level of the belt, but then it should not be made wide.
Mounting
The device of high beds is a creative process. Each gardener will have a completely unique work, but the main thing is that the goals are achieved, the garden crops grow well and bear fruit, and the garden itself is convenient to maintain.
Choose a place. It may be the most trampled and unsuitable for landing. Outline the size of the future design. The length can be any, and it is better not to make the width greater than 110 cm. Drive in pegs around the perimeter, so you will indicate the size of the beds.
Now decide on the material. If this is a tree, then it should be protected from moisture, covered with varnish or varnish, and then assembled in the form of a box with the help of corners and nails. High beds from slate to create even easier. Using a grinder, you need to cut the sheets into strips of the required width (70-80 cm), and then, digging a narrow groove along the perimeter, deepen them one by one and firmly trample them. Strength can be given to the structure using the same angles, in addition, you need to pull it along the perimeter with steel wire.
Bed filling
We assume that the height of your beds is 80-90 cm. Put a wire mesh at the very bottom so that your vegetables do not become the prey of a mole or shrews. Then about 25 cm can take up all the waste from your household plot: uprooted stumps, large branches. For better drainage, you can add large pieces of brick here.
The next layer is 40-50 cm. It is a source of minerals and fertilizers. This can be small chips, grass, eggshell, wood ash, lime, food waste (vegetable peeling, etc.). It is also worth adding rotted manure and compost, bird droppings with straw.
Top with a layer of 10-20 cm, you need to lay high-quality garden soil. It is not necessary to mix the layers; pour them abundantly enough and allow time for shrinkage. The arrangement of high beds is not as complicated as it might seem from the outside, but at the same time absolutely amazing results are achieved.
Features of watering
The design features are such that it absorbs more heat and, therefore, consumes a lot of moisture. A high bed for cucumbers is well suited . Since the soil temperature here is almost 10 degrees higher, this stimulates the growth and development of the root system. In addition, this culture loves light and fresh soil and does not tolerate wetlands. But do not allow the soil to dry out. If it is not possible to install a drip irrigation system, water it several times a day, especially in hot weather.
The effectiveness of these structures is so high that, putting one as an experiment, you will soon decide: we make high beds throughout the site.
High bed in spring and autumn
In the fall, after harvesting, you can note that the ground level has sagged greatly. Collect a new layer of organics (plants, branches, grass, fertilizers), lay on the garden bed and sleep well with high-quality garden soil. If you still have not seen high beds live, the photo will help to present all the details. Digging is not necessary, it is only necessary to pour and cover with film until the new year. In spring, as soon as the snow melts, your bed will be ready to plant the first plants. It can be greens and radishes, which will later be replaced by cucumbers, tomatoes or cabbage. The high location will save the plants from sufficiently strong spring frosts, and the good heat dissipation of the beds stimulates rapid growth and abundant fruiting.
What is better to plant
The temperature of high bed soil is always higher than that of the surrounding earth. This is facilitated by limited space, and an elevated location, and the decomposition of organic matter, which is crammed with the structure. In the first year of use, it is better to plant “gluttonous” plants that like an excess of nutrients. These are tomatoes, pumpkin, cucumbers, cabbage. Only in the second year can root vegetables, herbs and leafy vegetables be grown. But now the temperature of the soil will be much higher, which will allow you to harvest faster.
To summarize
Now you know how to make the bed high, and you can put it into practice in your area. Minimum hassle, available materials, and as a result, a neat garden without weeds and excellent vegetables, ripened at least a month earlier. This is strong enough motivation to try.