Tired of working hunched over in your garden? We will tell you a few simple ways to make beds that will greatly facilitate your summer resident's work. Think about what problems you face in your garden in the first place, and find the solution that will help you.
How to make beds: do it yourself warm beds
If after each weeding you get the feeling that only a three-ton press can straighten you, then this idea is for you. Comfortable high beds require a certain investment of funds and efforts at the initial stage. 
The first step is to assemble a box that will hold the soil. If you are planning a long bed, then every meter you need to install a stiffener from a wooden plank inside the box so that the side walls do not crack under the weight of the soil.
It is advisable to make a bottom of a metal mesh for the formwork (it is sold in hardware stores). This net will protect your plantings from attacks by moles and mole rats.
We put old branches, tops and other organic waste at the bottom of the bed. Then we fill our beds with organic fertilizers and soil, and you can plant seedlings.
We have got such beautiful warm beds.
A little advice. If your garden is regularly ruined by cats, arranging a toilet in it, then here is a sure way to drive them away from the beds. Place a net on top - the cats won't like it, and the plants won't hurt.
As you can see, it takes a little work to make beautiful beds. But the advantages of such beds are very significant, because they are easier to process. And they will serve you for many years if you approach them responsibly and carefully do all the work.
Bumpers can be made from a wide variety of materials.
Some gardeners even lay them out of bricks. So to speak, for centuries!
And here is an example of a garden bed of the original form.
How to make beds that don't require weeding
But if all these ideas seem complicated to you, and the costs of implementing them are excessive, then this is perhaps the easiest way to facilitate your gardening work. Use agrofiber.
It prevents weeds from growing by blocking light from reaching the soil and also helps to retain moisture by preventing the sun from drying out the soil. First, spread the agrofibre on your garden bed, and then use a knife to make cuts, and plant the seedlings in these cuts.
This is especially useful when growing strawberries, as agrofibre prevents the tendrils from growing to the ground.
How to make beds from scrap materials
If you need to place your garden in a minimal area, then vertical beds are exactly what you need. With a vertical approach, the plants are not planted in open ground, but in containers located above the ground in several tiers. Vertical beds can be made both from ready-made modules for vertical gardening, and from scrap materials.
For example, for a vertical bed of wooden boxes, you will need to sheathe the inside of the boxes with foil using a stapler and then fill them with soil. At the bottom of the box, holes must be made in the film so that water does not stagnate. Excess water will flow to the lower tier.
Vertical beds are easy to maintain, but care must be taken to ensure proper watering. there is little soil in such beds and it dries up quickly. The most popular solution is the drip irrigation system - a small pipe with holes is laid throughout the garden bed, from which water flows.
In this case, the structural part of the vertical garden can be made even from improvised means.
There are many unexpected options for vertical beds when plastic bottles are used. For example, holes are made in the cap of each of the bottles and only the upper and middle rows of the garden are watered; water comes to the lower ones from the holes in the bottle caps. 
How to make vertical pipe beds.
PVC pipes are an excellent material for vertical beds. You can use them both as a large-scale growing of vegetables and as an ornamental garden.
In addition to PVC pipes, you can take roof outlets as a basis for a garden bed. In fact, any container similar in shape to a pipe is suitable for vertical beds.
To obtain a rich harvest, a properly treated soil and care of the grown crops play an important role. Therefore, you should know how to rationally and accurately arrange the beds in the summer cottage.
Before you start arranging the garden, you should decide and take into account such parameters as:
- the form;
- the size;
- location;
- layout.
In most cases, many gardeners build right-angled beds.
This is not a fundamental condition for growing a rich crop. The beds can be any: rectangular, square, round, trapezoidal, etc. The shape can be selected taking into account the features of the relief.
Non-traditional forms of flower beds will allow rational use of the area of \u200b\u200bthe site.
The size of the beds can vary depending on the individual desires of the owner and the landscape. It is important to observe some conditions: they should not be too narrow, wide and deep.
The optimal bed width is 60-100 cm.
Given these parameters, caring for vegetables will be easier. The length of the bed can be any. If the bed is located along the fence, then its height should not exceed 80 cm.
The distance between the beds should be 40-50 cm.
This size is enough to take care of and pick vegetables.
The beds in the summer cottage are best located from south to north.
In this case, the soil warms up better, and the crops grown receive the required amount of light. There are times that it is located on a gentle slope. The optimal placement of the beds in this case is transverse to the slope.
If the site is uneven, then it is best to place the beds on the south side, and on the northern part to arrange garden plantings.
When planning the beds, some features should be taken into account.
Crate beds and terraces are the best option when decorating beds in an area with a strong slope. It is better to place tall plants in the northern part of the garden so that they do not shade low vegetables.
All these features should be taken into account when constructing beds in a summer cottage.
Basic rules for creating beds
After the shape, size and layout of the beds are determined, you can start creating them.
It is best to create beds in damp and clayey soils, in lowlands, where water can linger after rain. Having decided on the length and width of the beds, you can proceed to the arrangement.
When arranging the garden, loosen the ground with a hoe or hoe
First, you need to mark the future beds. Then they should be dug up, processed and cleaned of foreign debris. The soil can be treated with a solution of copper sulfate. It will protect vegetables from various diseases. Soil with a hoe or hoe. If lumps are present, break them up.
There are several types of beds:
- High bed. It is the most common among gardeners. Such a bed significantly improves the heating of the soil, which provides a high intensity of growing vegetables. To create such a bed, you need to make a frame. The width of such a bed is 150 cm, and the length may vary.
- Hilly bed. Its height is 80-90 cm, and its width is about 200 cm. To avoid the spread of the beds, a small border must be made along the edges.
- Garden beds according to the Meatlider method. A distinctive feature of these beds is a wide path about 90 cm and narrow beds no more than 45-50 cm wide. This method of arranging the garden bed provides simplicity and ease of maintenance, as well as the absence of the need to dig up the whole.
The first layer of the bed is branches and twigs, which must first be processed. Next, a layer of small wood residues is laid, then plant residues. After that, a layer of peat is laid out. The final top layer may consist of mature compost and fertile soil. All components should be taken in equal quantities.
It is necessary to dig up the ground along the entire length of the bed. Then, using a shovel, pour the earth into the center of the garden bed, and then make a depression of 10-15 cm. After that, you can start installing the sides. They can be constructed from different materials: boards, slate, bricks, etc.
The sides on the bed prevent it from spreading. In addition, such beds are easier to care for.
A simple and affordable way to make the sides of the garden bed is wooden boards. The optimum thickness is 4-5 cm. Before installation, it should be treated with an antiseptic to prevent rotting.
After installation, the wooden frame should be sheathed with plastic wrap. This avoids water leakage and soil leaching from the constructed frame. The height of the side should be selected individually. It is important to take into account the depth of the edge in the soil.
A modern person needs a dacha not only to satisfy the peasant's instinct and provide his family with vegetables and fruits, but also as a place to relax from urban problems and bustle. And no one doubts that it is always more pleasant to have a rest in a conveniently arranged beautiful territory. The topic of our article is "smart" beds from the point of view of organic farming.
The main goal of organic farming is to preserve and increase soil fertility. And the technology of the device "smart" beds will help us learn how to properly plan and decorate a personal plot.
Beds in organic farming can look different, but the main principle of their formation is to make the most of small areas.
"Smart" paths should be at least 40 centimeters wide - so it will be convenient to walk on them, carry a wheelbarrow, carry water, and so on. The most inconvenient thing in the garden is right angles. Therefore, when laying down "smart" beds and "smart" paths, you will have a wide field for experimentation and creativity. You can equip oblique, triangular, radial beds, in this case everything depends on the convenience of their use and maintenance.
"Smart" beds can be raised above the ground or deepened into it, can be "edged" and filled with humus. The height of the raised beds ranges from 20 to 80 centimeters, and the width can be different, it all depends on what is planned to be grown on such a bed.
Organic farming is constantly evolving. Practicing gardeners from year to year improve the methods of creating "smart" beds, come up with various forms and configurations. The main thing here is to understand the basic principles, to understand the essence of the process, and then everything will depend only on your desire and capabilities.
Raised container beds
The vegetable container is a type of raised bed used in organic farming. The width of this structure, as a rule, is about a meter, any length, and the height is from 30-40 cm to 70-80 cm. It is convenient to organize such beds right on the lawn, and decorated with tiled laying they will give your garden a unique design - a kind of flower beds for vegetables ... In the center of the bed, you can install a trellis for climbing crops. Ideally, such a “flowerbed” should be covered with a transparent roof, this will protect vegetables from various diseases.
For the walls of a vegetable container, thin materials (plywood, slate, thin boards, and especially iron) are not suitable, since such a bed will be very hot in hot weather. And you can't equip it in the shade - there won't be a good harvest. In this case, the frame must be made thoroughly, because strong winds can damage it, and the weight of the plants during the fruiting period is not small (50 kg per running meter). It is best to use timber or logs, brick or wild stone.
The lined vegetable container is filled in layers only with organic matter. At the very bottom, you can put rotten large tree branches, shavings, wood chips. Next, a coarse, unripe organic matter is placed, which is watered with bacterial fertilizers to accelerate ripening. We will talk with you in more detail about these fertilizers in the following articles. Unripe organic matter is sprinkled with humus and earth. Further, to the very top, the bed is filled with a layer of ready-made compost. It is important that this layer is at least 15-20 cm. Sand or earth should not be mixed with the finished compost, as this makes it compacted and settles. It is not required to loosen such a bed, in the spring you just need to add a layer of ready-made humus on top, and when the planted plants grow up, the soil needs to be mulched with straw or other suitable materials.
Watering the vegetable container is best done internally. To do this, when laying the beds, you need to evenly dig in several containers with holes (pipes or plastic bottles), which should be filled with water as needed. You can also bury hoses under the humus, wrapped in nylon stockings or other synthetic materials that allow water to pass through. The end of the hose is led out and connected to a water source. The main thing is not to forget to turn off the water after 15-20 minutes, so as not to overmoisten the garden.
A vegetable container is best made with a roof made of transparent materials (plastic wrap, cellular polycarbonate). This, of course, somewhat increases the cost of the structure, however, the roof reliably protects the plants from diseases. There is practically no dew under it, which provokes the appearance and development of late blight, peronospore and other dangerous diseases.
The vegetable container is raised high enough above the ground level, so the soil in it warms up and matures earlier. Any thermophilic crops in such a bed can be sown earlier than usual. If you correctly calculate the time and location of the plants, then here you can first harvest the radishes and watercress, then build a trellis for tomatoes or cucumbers in the middle, and plant beets, onions or carrots in place of the radishes. After collecting the root vegetables in the fall, you can sow radishes and salad in a vegetable container again.
As you can see, the vegetable container is convenient and beautiful. Such a bed saves space in the garden and allows you to harvest various crops during one season. The large volume of nutrient compost allows you to minimize watering, feeding, weeding and loosening. There are a lot of advantages, however, there are also disadvantages.
You need to build a vegetable container, and you need to find strength, time and money for this. For such a bed, a lot of organic matter is required, which also needs to be taken somewhere and made sure that it is of good quality. These three perceived shortcomings lead to the fact that the vegetable container is not often found in personal plots.
Experienced gardeners, taking the arrangement of the container garden as a basis, came up with simpler and cheaper options, but no less effective and convenient. For example, some crops can be harvested directly on the compost heap. For this, an additional compartment is attached to the place where the compost matures. In the spring, half-prepared humus that has been lying under the film all winter is thrown into this compartment. You can plant zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins and tomatoes on such a bed.
Beds-boxes
The raised bed-boxes are very popular among adherents of organic farming due to the ease of arrangement and high efficiency of use.
A box is a stationary bed, the sides for which can be made from available material. In this case, any boards, slate, plywood and the like will do. The height of such a bed, as a rule, is 15-20 centimeters, the width is 1-1.2 m, and the length can be made at your discretion. The bed-box is filled with organic matter: a layer of semi-ripe manure or compost is poured on the bottom, and ready-made high-quality humus is laid on top, with a layer of at least 6-7 cm.
If the box is wide, then the rows can be located both along and across. In order for the plants to receive more sunlight, the rows in such a bed should be arranged in a north-south direction.
In the middle of the bed-box, a trellis is made for climbing crops, such a bed can be covered with a roof. That is, in other words, a box is a low container. And its main advantage in this case is the moment that a lot of organic matter is not needed to fill the beds. However, a thin layer of compost quickly loses nutrients and moisture, and in the heat such a bed should be watered more often. This can be done with a hose or with buckets from a large container. A sufficiently thick layer of mulch is required to retain moisture. To feed the crops growing in the box, it is recommended to use various organic fertilizers, which will be described in detail in the following articles.
If the soil on the site is good, then it is not necessary to loosen the box. The earth will loosen under it on its own to a sufficiently large depth (in the first year already twenty centimeters). As we have already found out in the article "Stop destroying the earth by digging and weeding", soil inhabitants - earthworms and bacteria - will be engaged in structuring and loosening. Next spring, you just need to pour a few wheelbarrows of ready-made compost into the garden, and plant vegetables directly in it. If the organic matter is of good quality, then there will be few weeds, and those that appear are removed quite easily.
With the help of a simple frame or wire arcs, the bed-box can be quickly turned into a greenhouse, in which it is convenient to grow seedlings of various crops in spring.
When using this type of "smart" beds, the main thing is to fertilize them correctly and water them in a timely manner. Then in boxes, as in a vegetable container, three or four crops of different vegetables can be grown per season.
Deep bed-trenches
As you have already noticed, our list of "smart" beds is built on the principle - from expensive and productive, to cheap, but no less effective to use. Practicing farmers on their plots combine the advantages of all types of beds, reduce the cost of laying them and adapt them to the conditions of a particular plot.
If the groundwater is low enough on the site and it never gets heated, the narrow compost bin can be dug into the ground. Thus, a kind of garden trench is obtained.
The main advantage of recessed beds is that they can be dug right into the virgin soil. To do this, a trench is dug in the sod, two bayonets of a shovel wide and a bayonet deep. The length, as in previous cases (vegetable containers, garden beds), depends on your desires and capabilities. Even boards made of boards are not needed here. Half-ripe manure is laid right on the bottom of the trench, and on top is a layer of finished compost, at least 6-7 centimeters high.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, beans can be planted on such beds ... After the plants have grown, the trench must be mulched with any available material. We will describe in detail what materials can be used as mulch in the following articles.
In the future, all care will consist in timely watering as needed. And you still have to mow the grass between the rows with a sickle a couple of times per season. In order not to do this, the aisles can be covered with burlap, and covered with gravel from above - and it is beautiful, and the weed does not grow.
The main advantage of recessed trenches is that they retain moisture remarkably, and the plants grow well here, even with moderate watering. And the main drawback is that you certainly can't get away from the classic gardener's pose when caring for such a bed.
Ornamental garden basics
As already noted, a modern person needs a dacha not only to grow vegetables and fruits. Most people use their vegetable gardens as a family getaway. Let's figure out how to decorate a personal plot without spending a lot of space, effort and time.
Structures such as gazebos, fences, and southern walls can be used to equip garden beds. If the fence is made of mesh, then it itself will be an excellent trellis for tall climbing crops. You just need to dig a trench nearby and fill it with organic matter. This bed is ideal for growing cucumbers and beans. The advantages are obvious - there is no need to build a trellis, and it does not take up space, and flowering plants, with skillful care, are also a wonderful decor.
In the same way, you can surround the gazebo with a trench. In this garden you can plant various types of decorative pumpkins and beans that bloom with red, white, and even purple flowers (hyacinth beans). A gazebo decorated in this way will become a highlight of your summer cottage and a favorite place for family gatherings. It should be noted that it is not recommended to plant the gazebo with cucumbers, sometimes they get sick and lose their decorative properties.
The southern and eastern walls of various summer cottages are able to warm up well in a day and give the plants reflected light and heat, which contributes to the acceleration of the growth and development of heat-loving crops. These walls can be a great support for cherry tomatoes, and below you can plant attractive-looking cabbage varieties such as kohlrabi and broccoli.
In order to give the backyard a well-groomed look, all the free spaces between the "smart" beds need to be mowed regularly - this will turn the weeds into a motley lawn.
We master virgin lands
You have become the proud owner of a summer cottage. But here's the bad luck - the land on it has never been cultivated or has been cultivated for a long time, and you do not see any possibility to grow a crop in the first year, since the development of virgin lands is an unusually time-consuming business. Do not despair, on the contrary, you are in luck - you received a plot with living land and, with a skillful approach and correct processing, you can preserve its fertility for many years. What can you do in order to be able to grow your own crop this season?
Experienced gardeners, in the process of studying and understanding the principles and techniques of organic farming, have come up with several ways to use virgin soil for garden beds already in the first year. We have already talked about deepened trench beds.
On the principle of in-depth beds, you can arrange a place for growing various melons and gourds. You don't even need to dig trenches for this. To set up such a bed right in the sod, it is enough to dig a hole about a meter in diameter and two bayonets deep. We fill the hole as usual - semi-ripe manure will go to the bottom, which can be mixed with coarse unripe organic matter. From above, in a layer 6-7 centimeters thick, pour fully ripe humus. Pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, melons and watermelons grow well in such pits.
All subsequent care for such a bed will only consist in timely watering. In order to prevent weeds from growing here, the virgin land around must be covered with burlap or some other material (cardboard, old rugs, etc.), and covered with organic mulch (straw, sawdust) on top. Weeds will die under such a carpet, and next spring you will only have to loosen the soil with a flat cutter.
Another great way to treat turf easily and efficiently is with a special mulch for virgin land and weed control. This technique is considered one of the "smartest" techniques used for many years by permaculture gardeners and organists. Its essence is as follows.
In early May, fresh weeds poured with juice are trampled down - this is a wonderful food for soil organisms. A layer of unripe humus mixed with manure and a small amount of compost are scattered over the weeds. To speed up the process, all this from above can be treated with special bacterial fertilizers. Newspapers and magazines are laid on humus with manure in 2-3 layers; packing cardboard can be used for these purposes. A layer of nutritious organic matter, 10-15 cm thick, is poured directly onto the paper (this can be unripe manure and unripe humus). From above, all this "cake" is covered with straw, foliage or hay. With such a coating, paper or cardboard cut off weeds, and a layer of organic matter holds moisture well and provides nutrition.
Of course, you cannot sow seeds on this bed in the first year - therefore, seedlings of large plants (tomato, peppers, eggplants, as well as various melons and gourds) are planted here. They planted in a certain way - they dig up straw and manure a little and poke a layer of paper with a shovel, and the roots themselves will find their way down. Then watered and again buried with a layer of mulch. If it rains relatively often, then there is practically no need to water such a bed.
The next year, all this "pie" will settle and turn into high-quality compost, the soil will loosen from below, and a happy gardener will have a new fertile and weed-free bed. The only thing that remains is that every year you add humus - and you can sow whatever your heart desires.
So, let's summarize our conversation about laying organic beds. What do you need to plan and organize a comfortable and beautiful personal plot for a long time and without significant time and financial costs? Let's highlight several basic principles:
- we always use the geometry of narrow beds;
- on dry areas, we lower such beds into the ground, and on flooded areas we raise them above the soil surface;
- fill any beds with organic matter, and later mulch well;
- we periodically mow down all the paths between the beds to prevent the growth of weeds.
By following all these not very complicated rules, you can not only grow a good harvest, but also turn your garden into a conveniently organized and beautiful place for the whole family to relax.
The garden bed is the basis of the garden, the yield, the effort and time spent on processing and agricultural technology for growing crops depends on its laying. When thinking about how to arrange the beds on the site correctly and conveniently, it is important to take into account a set of factors: location and relief, climate, soil features, cardinal directions and a number of other factors. Study the theoretical aspects in advance in order to avoid problems in practice and increase the yield of each hundredth.
Basic rules for creating beds
To optimize garden work, even before starting field work, you must:
- decide on the types of vegetables that will be grown, as well as their quantity;
- using special tables to calculate the required area;
- draw up a plan of the site and the location of the beds on it.
The correct beds are functional and beautiful
Such simple preparation will help to avoid unnecessary labor costs and, possibly, will allow to allocate a place for rest or fruit and berry crops on the territory.
Area and location of the site
To establish the required area of \u200b\u200bthe garden, first of all decide whether you will grow vegetables only for the family, or also for sale. Kurdyumov NI, author of the book "The Encyclopedia of the Smart Summer Resident", claims that a family of five people will need 90 square meters of landings, excluding the paths between them. It uses ridges 0.5 m wide with 1 m wide passages, that is, the area of \u200b\u200bthe occupied area is about 4 acres.
It is not necessary to be guided by other people's advice. Using special tables, calculate the annual need for vegetables per family, as well as the required area for growing them. To save space as well as increase yields, grow crops such as cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and the like on a trellis, or tie them up.
Table of vegetable needs and area of \u200b\u200btheir cultivation
After calculating the size of the garden, go to its location on the plan. Consider here:
- grow vegetables on the south side of the dacha, there is more sunlight and the earth warms up better;
- trees and buildings should not shade the garden, place them on the north side of it;
- the relief of the allotment should be as even as possible, if this cannot be achieved, take care of drainage grooves in low-lying places, or think about a terraced vegetable garden.
An example of a plot layout on paper
The shape of the allotment for growing vegetables can be any, do not get hung up on standard rectangles. However, keep in mind that during processing it is undesirable to walk between plantings, so do not make the beds too large. Ideally, if you are standing on the path, you can cultivate the planting over the entire width, or at least more than half.
If your backyard area is small, consider tall, vertical, or tiered plantings. They are especially popular for growing strawberries, wild strawberries and herbs. Keep in mind that vertical structures with perennial plants are best made mobile in order to be able to hide them for the winter, otherwise the vegetables may freeze out.
Non-standard multi-level beds
Layout rules and features
A serious approach to growing vegetables requires a little preparation and competent planning of the beds in the garden and their location.
- Prepare a separate notebook where you will write down how to distribute the beds on the site.
- Enter the summer cottage plan in the notebook, mark the location of the ridges on it.
- Number the ridges.
- On a blank sheet of paper, write the year of planting and the numbering of the islets with the crops you will grow.
Such a notebook and a diagram will serve for many years, preserving information important for the gardener. It helps to navigate between crops, adhere to seeding and choose the right neighbors, which is extremely important even for a small area. After all, non-observance of crop rotation of vegetables and ignoring their compatibility threatens to deplete the soil and significantly reduce the yield.
For the convenience of seeding, conditionally divide the territory into four zones, where you will grow crops with different requirements for soil nutrition, as well as perennials.
- Very demanding - cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkin, potatoes, garlic.
- Medium demanding - onions, carrots, beets, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, radishes, peppers, potatoes, melon.
- Undemanding - legume family.
- Perennials - strawberries, wild strawberries, rhubarb, perennial herbs.
Correct layout makes crop rotation easier
When planning a garden plan, do not forget to note the location of the compost heap. If you don't want to spoil the appearance of the landscape, use a composter. The remains of plants and other organic matter piled here are processed better than in a regular heap. To enhance the decay effect, use special bacteriological additives.
Layout of a summer house on a slope
The location of the dacha on the slope is not an obstacle to growing garden crops. Good advice from experts will facilitate this process:
- Place ridges across the slope to reduce erosion.
- On a slope of up to 50, place vegetables at the top of the slope. Plant shrubs below or make high beds, with excessive moisture in the soil there.
- On a slope with a steepness higher than 5.10, equip terraces on which you already place plantings. The recommended length-to-width ratio for this arrangement is 4: 1 or 5: 1.
- On a slope above 70, make ditches up to 20 cm deep in the middle of the garden and at a distance of 1 m from the edge of the terrace. This will additionally protect the soil from erosion.
Terraced vegetable garden
Creation of new beds
Raised or deep fenced plantings are very popular among modern gardeners. They are easier to handle, you can use special earth mixtures with a properly selected composition, it is easier to calculate the required amount of fertilizers, and a fine-mesh mesh at the bottom will protect from rodents. Make these beds "warm" and harvest twice a year, because the vegetables will ripen a couple of weeks faster.
If you plan to locate a vegetable garden on an unplowed virgin plot, use one of the methods:
- Peel off the turf layer, but do not throw it away, but chop it up and send it to compost. Dig up the bare earth, if possible add new fertile soil. Reinforce the edges with bumpers.
- Less time consuming method: Dig up a garden area and plant potatoes. Weeds will decrease significantly, but don't expect a bountiful harvest in the first year.
- Make raised ridges: dig a place under the garden or simply trample (mow) the grass. Equip the sides with the desired height. At the bottom, put branches, thick stems of plants, cardboard, paper, cover with quickly distilled organic matter and soil. In dry climatic conditions, it is better to deepen such ridges into the ground.
Creation of raised "warm" beds
There is a wide variety of gardening techniques:
- high - very popular with American farmers;
- hilly;
- according to the Meatlider method;
- multi-tiered and others.
In each case, be sure to place bumpers at the edges, this prevents the soil from creeping and prevents weeds from spreading from the paths. For edging, purchase ready-made garden borders or use any available materials:
- wood, pre-treat it with an antiseptic;
- concrete;
- plastic;
- metal;
- brick;
- slate.
Be sure to follow the planting order of the beds noted on your layout plan. To save space and increase yields, plant new plants in areas vacated after harvesting the predecessors. So you can grow not only vegetables with a short growing season, but also, for example, potatoes, if you dig them up young.
Garden parameters - a little geometry and math
Professional gardeners are advised to abandon the traditional continuous planting of land in favor of separate rather narrow beds with wide paths. It is argued that the yield of crops in such a vegetable garden is higher, since, thanks to a thoughtful arrangement, the illumination of each plant increases significantly. In addition, correctly selected fit parameters make it easier to care for them.
Comfortable wide aisles are a must
How to calculate the optimal width
The recommended optimal width of the garden beds differs from source to source. The only thing that all farmers agree on is that it should be such that it can easily process vegetables without going into the soil.
Thus, the width of the last strip should not exceed 1 m. Between plantings, it is necessary to have passages with an optimal width of 90-100 cm. Already the distance between the beds should not be done, because the spreading tops of the plants will significantly reduce this area.
Narrow beds along the Meathlider are also popular. This American farmer has developed a "perfect vegetable garden" system, according to which 45 cm wide ridges alternate with 90 cm aisles. Plants planted using this method receive maximum sunlight and are well ventilated. These factors, together with balanced feeding, guarantee a high yield even in the absence of good weather conditions.
Location in greenhouses
What should be the ideal length
Focus more attention not on the length, but on the fact that all the ribbons are the same size, this will greatly simplify the care of crops. However, some amateurs ignore this point, creating whole compositions from plantings of different lengths, thus ennobling the design of the site.
An original approach to form
What height to choose
The height depends on the climatic conditions and the characteristics of the soil on the site. On light sandy loam soil, you should not raise the planting, especially if the climate is arid. Tall beds warm up better, but also dry out faster, so they will require frequent watering. Make the "warm" bed in such conditions deep, not raised.
Heavy clayey soils, especially in places that are often flooded with water, or with a close occurrence of groundwater, require elevated structures. The optimal height for processing is 40 cm, but sometimes they are made even higher - 60-70 cm.
In small areas, it is possible to place a vegetable garden at different levels. At the same time, make the lowest plantings on the south side, gradually increasing their height, so the plants will not shade each other.
Raised beds are easy to handle
Tall beds have several advantages:
- convenient watering;
- water does not stagnate;
- no hilling is needed;
- if mulching, weeding is not needed;
- no need to dig, just loosen by 7 - 10 cm;
- early planting of vegetables is possible;
- easy to do crop rotation;
- when planting, it is unnecessary to fertilize the hole;
- with the smart use of organic matter, there is no need for inorganic fertilizers;
- can be used forever.
The location of the beds relative to the cardinal points
Experts recommend drawing up a diagram of the beds in the garden, taking into account the characteristics of the site, the climatic factor and orientation to the cardinal points. Considering the latter, many often violate the standard arrangement along or across the site, replacing it with an oblique or diagonal placement of the beds in relation to the sun. The unfamiliarity and aesthetic imperfection of this arrangement is compensated by a number of advantages.
What gives an accurate calculation
The correct orientation of the landings contributes to:
- reducing the number of diseased and underdeveloped plants;
- uniform illumination of crops;
- reducing the frequency of watering;
- increase in yield by 10-15%;
- reducing the ripening time of some crops by 3-5 days.
Orientation from north to south with a predominance of cloudy days
In addition, some gardeners claim that vegetables grown in the correct planting direction are better stored.
Features of the layout for different regions
So, residents of the northern and central regions, where there is less sunshine and more cloudy days, as well as with insufficient heat and excess moisture, are advised to orient planting from north to south. Plants planted in this way will not shade each other.
Vegetable gardens in southern hot and arid regions require beds oriented west to east. With such a planting, crops shade the land between the rows, respectively, it dries less, in addition, the negative effect of overheated soil decreases. Farmers' experiences show that in conditions of lack of rainfall, the yield of maize sown in this way was 20-25% higher than that grown in rows from north to south.
The location of the beds on the cardinal points is not always justified. The presence of strong constant winds in the region or the location of the site at an angle significantly corrects this pattern. So, the negative effect of dry winds on plants is compensated by planting across the direction of air flows. In this case, the plantings dry out less and retain more carbon dioxide, which promotes photosynthesis. Ridges on an uneven area are made only across the slope.
Meatlider layout diagram
Paths between beds
The width of the paths between the beds was described above (at least 90 cm), but it is important not only to correctly calculate the parameters of this zone, but also to equip the passages to exclude weeds. These can be both permanent paths and temporary decks. Such floorings not only prevent the growth of weeds, but also make the gardener's work more convenient.
What to make garden paths
What to put between the beds so that the grass does not grow:
- wide boards or flooring from narrow boards, knocked down for strength in one line;
- fiberboard sheets;
- roofing material;
- mulch from sawdust, hay, grass from the lawn. It is important to remember that fresh sawdust oxidizes the soil;
- a mound of pebbles, rubble, broken brick - such paths between the beds are very decorative and decorate the landscape;
- old linoleum;
- carton boxes.
Tree cuts
If the location of the landings does not change and the paths always remain in place, it makes sense to make capital paths. The most reliable cover between beds from weeds is concrete. Concrete walkways can be monolithic, artificial stone or tile.
You can also lay out the paths with tiles and not just concrete. The rubber tile looks very nice, in addition, it does not slip, which makes the movement of the summer resident safe.
Passages decorated with tree cuts look spectacular, but grass will still grow between the cuts if you do not follow the recommendations below.
Capital approach
How to eliminate weed germination
This method is suitable for the design of permanent aisles, that is, for those who do not plan to change the location of the beds.
How to make paths between the beds so that weeds do not grow:
- Having worked out a clear plan of the garden, mark the aisles.
- Remove the topsoil in the aisles. If the beds are raised or with high curbs, you do not need to remove them.
- Lay cardboard, layers of paper, rags, black film for beds or geotextiles - a special material from grass.
- Cover with sand or sawdust.
- On top, make a hard and rain-resistant coating, for example, cover with pebbles or broken brick.
Beds-hills, located taking into account a complex of factors
As a result, you will get capital passages on which nothing will grow. In case of redevelopment, all this must be removed and the passages covered with fertile soil.
You don't have to spend a lot of time to figure out how to place the beds on the site and how to close the paths from weeds. Take into account the climatic conditions of the region, the cardinal points, the peculiarities of the soil and relief, as well as the developments of well-known farmers, and as a result, harvest good crops without unnecessary expenditure of energy, energy and time for processing.
Traditional cultivation of the land is time-consuming and physically demanding, and the yield is not always as expected. That is why more and more gardeners are equipping high beds on their plots, allowing them to get an excellent harvest of vegetables every year without much effort. Anyone can make high beds with their own hands, because this does not require special skills or special equipment.
Benefits of tall beds
Compared to conventional beds, bulk beds have much more advantages:
- a garden can be planted even on a plot that is completely unsuitable for farming;
- digging and weeding of the garden is replaced by light loosening of the soil;
- it is easier to remove weeds in a confined space;
- a high bed is easy to mount and just as easy to disassemble;
- between the beds, you can lay out paths and walk along them in any weather;
- plants ripen faster, which is especially important for cold regions;
- when arranging a high bed, good drainage is provided;
- it is easy to protect crops in the beds from frost by covering with tarpaulins or agrofibre.
In addition, a garden from bulk beds can be very decorative, so you can break it up next to the house.
Fencing materials
A high bed is a frame of a certain size, the inner space of which is filled with soil, compost and fertilizers. Most often, the frame is made of rectangular shape, and it is assembled from boards, slate, branches, plastic and other materials.
Wood is the most affordable, easy to install and environmentally friendly material. For assembling the beds, boards, beams, small logs are used. Disadvantages: wood is demanding, quickly darkens and loses its attractiveness, short-lived.
Vines and twigs are an inexpensive and original solution. Wicker walls look very attractive, you can give the garden any shape. Disadvantages: vine weaving requires skills, the service life of such a frame is very short.
Stone and brick are an option for areas with classical architecture. A very reliable and durable material that gives the beds a decorative look. Disadvantages: high cost, it will take more time to create a bed, difficult to dismantle.
Plastic is a great alternative to wood. Sheet plastic is easy to assemble and disassemble, it is strong enough, has an attractive appearance, is very durable and relatively inexpensive. Disadvantages: certain types of plastic contain harmful substances, so they are not suitable for the garden. Environmentally friendly material has a corresponding certificate, which must be presented upon purchase.
Metal is a comfortable and durable material, ideal for curly beds. If necessary, transferring the metal frame will not be difficult, as well as dismantling it. The appearance of the metal walls is neat, they can be painted in any color or painted with ornaments. Disadvantages: the skills of a welder are required to assemble a metal curb, the price of sheet metal is quite high, and high-quality surface treatment is required to protect against corrosion.
- an excellent solution for multi-tiered beds or arranging a vegetable garden on a slope. The walls can be made monolithic or assembled from separate ones. The concrete surface is easy to decorate, it is as strong as possible, durable, has a neat appearance. Disadvantages: long installation process, high cost of materials, additional requirements for the drainage system.
Decorating the beds with slate is a completely budgetary and simple option. You can install the walls very quickly, this material serves for a long time, for decorativeness, slate can be painted in any color. The main disadvantage is the fragility of the material, so it should be handled with care during installation.
Each gardener chooses the size and shape of the bulk bed at his discretion. And yet, there are optimal parameters at which the bed will be most effective:
- height from the ground 15-50 cm;
- width 90-120 cm;
If the garden bed is poured onto fertile soil, it is made 15-20 cm high. This is quite enough for a good harvest. If the soil on the site is not suitable for farming, the bed is raised up to 30 cm.The compost beds are made even higher - up to 0.5 m.Sometimes the walls are raised very high, which allows you not to bend over during tillage and planting, but this increases the consumption of material and requires more time to equip the garden. In addition, with a large frame width, it is inconvenient to cultivate the soil at such a height.
The bed should be wide enough for two rows of plants. With this planting, all plants will receive the same amount of air and sunlight, which has a very positive effect on yield. More rows means that medium plants get less air, shade, stretch upward, and yield drops. It is also much easier to process a bed of standard width than too wide.
The length of the bulk bed does not play a special role, therefore it is limited only by the size of the site. The most common option is beds from 1.5 to 3 m long; they are compact, look neat in the garden.
Correct arrangement of a high bed
For example, a bed with a fence made of boards is taken; this option is the most convenient and inexpensive.
In the process of work you will need:
- bayonet shovel;
- roulette;
- drill or screwdriver;
- building level;
- circular saw or jigsaw;
- self-tapping screws;
- boards 50x200 mm;
- timber 50x50 mm;
- primer;
- construction mesh.
Step 1. Wood processing
The boards are cut to the size of the frame, after which they are covered with antiseptic impregnation on all sides. You can use waste oil for these purposes, and so that harmful substances do not penetrate into the soil, after processing it is recommended to cover the tree with a film on one side. The lower edges of the boards, which will be in contact with the ground, are especially carefully processed. The bar is cut into pieces 50 cm long and also impregnated with a protective agent. After that, the building material is laid out to dry.
Step 2. Site preparation
The plot for the garden should be illuminated by the sun for at least 5 hours a day. They mark the boundaries of the beds, remove stones and branches, dig up perennial plants. If desired, you can dig up the soil together with small grass - this will increase the permeability of the soil. If the soil is very dense, trampled down, it is enough to remove the sod layer along the perimeter of the marking to a shallow depth in order to more conveniently set the frame.
Step 3. Assembling the frame for the garden
Dried boards are knocked down in pairs into shields and connected to each other with the help of bars. The height of the shields is equal to the height of the beds, the long sides of the frame are additionally reinforced with transverse bars in the center. Since the length of the bars is greater than the height of the walls, they should protrude 10 cm above the frame. These will be the legs of the frame. To improve the appearance of the structure, flat-laid boards are stuffed around the perimeter of the frame, the edges of which are cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Finally, the frame can be painted from the outside.
Step 4. Installation of the structure
The finished frame is transferred to the installation site; they expose the structure according to the markings, make recesses for the legs, check the location of the beds with the building level. If necessary, pegs are placed or, conversely, excess soil is taken out. The structure should stand as straight as possible, all corners at the same level. At the end, soil is poured along the perimeter of the walls and compacted so that there are no gaps left.
Step 5. Filling the beds
First, the bottom is closed with a construction mesh and nailed along the edges to the walls of the frame. The mesh will protect the structure from the penetration of moles and mice. Then geotextiles are laid, which will not allow weeds to germinate. Next, filling the beds is performed in layers:
- small branches, bark, large shavings, leaves;
- bird droppings, rotted manure or;
- fallen leaves, branches, bark, grass;
- mineral fertilizer;
- fertile land.
The thickness of each layer is 10 cm. It is not necessary to mix the layers, but it is necessary to level and compact well. If the soil on the site is not of very good quality, it is better to use purchased soil. After filling, the bed is well spilled with water and left for a couple of days. During this time, the layers will settle down a little and thicken. From above, it is recommended to cover the frame with black agrofibre, which provides better warming of the soil and prevents weeds from germinating.
It is recommended to make high beds in the fall or at the end of summer, so that the layers are well overrun and the roots of the plants receive the maximum of useful substances. If the beds are installed in the spring, it is necessary to fill them at least a month before planting the plants and spill them abundantly with water several times to compact them. Such a structure can be easily turned into a greenhouse: for this, plastic or metal arcs are installed above the frame, the ends of which are fixed to the walls with bolts. A plastic wrap or special agrofibre is attached to the arcs from above.
Prices for various types of building boards
Construction boards
The device of beds from slate
For the device of bulk beds, you can use both flat and wavy slate. The technology of installing the beds in this way is very simple and everyone can do it.
Table. Wave slate
For work you will need:
- slate sheets;
- bulgarian;
- bayonet shovel;
- a piece of chalk or pencil;
- roulette;
- level;
- rubber hammer;
- drill;
- wooden pegs or metal rods.
Step 1. Markup
On the selected site, the boundaries of the beds are marked and beacons are installed. Narrow grooves are dug around the perimeter to the depth of the bayonet. If the soil is good, then remove the entire fertile layer inside the marking, pouring it out not far from future beds.
Step 2. Material preparation
Slate sheets are laid on a flat surface, the desired length is measured and a line is drawn across the waves with chalk. After that, the slate is cut along the lines with a grinder. The pegs are impregnated with bitumen mastic or used oil, and if scrap metal rods are used as racks, they are treated with anti-corrosion compounds.
Step 3. Installing the frame
The first sheet of slate is installed vertically in the groove from the corner of the marking. Next, they put the next sheet with an overlap in one wave, level it, knock it down from above with a rubber hammer so that both sheets are at the same height. They check the location of the upper edge of the slate with a building level, if necessary, add or remove the soil from below. The walls are strengthened with metal rods or pegs, which are driven in on both sides to a depth of 0.5 m.This is how all the sheets of the frame are exposed one by one, the trench is filled up and the horizontal is checked again with a level. After that, the soil at the walls is tamped, the excess is removed.
Step 4. Filling the beds
At the very bottom, you can put old newspapers, cardboard, pieces of wallpaper, the next layer is chopped brushwood, tree bark, sawdust. After that, small chips are poured, plant waste, peat or compost are laid. And from above all this is sprinkled with the soil that was taken out at the very beginning. Abundantly the garden bed with water to soak all layers, and leave for several days. When the bed is compacted, you can start planting.
Garden bed care
When the plants sprout, the plantings should be well watered and mulched. Weeds that have broken through the layer of mulch are immediately removed. After harvesting, the surface is loosened and sown with green manure. Before the onset of cold weather, all vegetation is mowed, leveled in the garden, covered with a layer of earth on top and covered with black film for the winter. Periodically, you need to inspect the walls of the frame, replace or repair individual sections.
The soil between the beds is most often covered with fine gravel, gravel, straw, sometimes sown with lawn grass. In such conditions, the garden always remains well-groomed, weeds do not grow, dirt does not stick to shoes. Optionally, you can use tiles and bricks, or pour concrete ones.
Video - DIY high beds
Video - High slate beds