More Benefits of Raised Bed Gardens

We have already discussed some of the benefits of raised bed gardening, but today I would like to add a few more that you may not have thought about.  We know that a raised bed garden provides improved soil, easy access and simplified weed and pest control, but some other benefits include improved drainage and increased yields as well as all of the above mentioned benefits.

An obvious benefit of a raised bed garden is improved drainage. Since you are mixing the soil to your own specifications, you can create a fine loam regardless of the type of soil in your yard.  So you never have to worry about native soil that drains either too quickly or too slowly.

Another benefit of raised beds is an increased yield.  Raised beds warm up more quickly than does the surrounding soil, so that allows for planting earlier than you would in a traditional garden.  It is also easier to make a cover or cold frame for a raised bed garden, than it is for an in ground garden.  This allows you to create a mini greenhouse and gives you several weeks of addition garden time.

In addition, the light, un-compacted soil in a raised bed, improves the movement of both water and air allowing roots to spread out more easily to obtain nutrients and water.  This makes it possible to plant a raised bed more densely than one would in the same amount of space in a traditional garden.  This in turn translates into higher yields.  You are also able to plant more in a raised bed garden due to the fact that no space in the garden needs to be devoted to paths.

Overall, raised bed gardens are superior.  Their customized heights, shapes, sizes and the variety of materials used to build them, allow everyone to enjoy gardening, regardless of their budget, space, or physical condition.  They are easy to maintain and manage and have improved production.  They save space, time and money.  So why not give them a try in your yard?