Kitchen Garden Forum

I think a lot of the "raised beds" I see constructed at the allotment are not really raised enough to be called that, more "demarked beds". The purpose of the edging (which is all it is) is to demark the small areas the plot holder is going to bother cultivating from the surrounding sea of grass and weed which, if you are lucky, they might mow and call "grass paths". Though couch grass paths are not always the best choice

Many of the plot holders on our site are cultivating considerably less than 50% of their plot. In some cases more like 25% ! I do get the impression some of them are at heart frustrated civil engineers. Spend the first year mostly building sheds, compost bins and raised beds. Sow a few seed, fail to tend them and control the weeds, see it revert to how it was when they started, give up. Mind you, our bit of Bedfordshire is not as described above - it is sticky brickmaking clay. Our site is still sodden, and my plot is at the lower end. At the lowest part of my plot, I almost considered for a moment making a raised bed

I can't imagine the orientation makes a lot of difference. I would go on what makes best use of the space.

The original meaning to raised beds was to have a designated bed bordered with 4" timber on top of the existing soil level. The raised bit came as you added manures and composts and eventually you had to take some soil out.
People look upon clay as an evil but if you add compost and manure and sharp sand year after year you will find clay to be extreemly productive.
I'm afraid the fad of raised beds came in with the organic faction and I had hoped by now it would have died a death but if you want to be a "gardener" set too and make what you have already got work! Put your money into enhancing the soil you have.
Rome wasn't built over night nor is a good garden vegetable plot it takes several seasons
Most of the imported soil you buy is absolute rubbish so why start off with rubbish.
I lived in Hertfordshire which has a very high pecentage of clay. I had that plot for 16 years and it was all clay when I started and when I left it had two spits of good fertile soil fit to grow anything I wanted to grow.
Unless disability comes into the equation then raised beds are simply a total waste of time, money and effort.
JB.

Hi Johnboy, I wouldn't necessarily disagree with you. However, trying to garden on a slope composed of clay means we get a back up of waterlogged soil throughout the winter, so trying to raise the level of the soil does make some sense. There are plots here where everything would rot in the ground in a wet winter, because the water table rises to about one spit below the level of the ground - and I mean if you dig a one foot trench, you will get several inches of water pour into it as the water makes its way down hill! Raised beds do, to a certain extent, raise the level of soil in which it is safe to work.
Now, I am sure you would say the trick is to break up the sub-soil - which is heavily compacted - and that will solve the problem. Again, to a certain extent that is true, but this winter has been appallingly wet here and not even that will make the water subside, hence the need to raise the growing platform just to get a few more inches of moist - as opposed to very wet - soil.

A subject which is bound to raise different opinions (yes that was intended)

Raised beds may be a fad for some, they may be essential for others.

Would I have raised beds if it wasn't for my daughters future use.................... yes
because I find certain things either grow better in them or are certainly easier to grow in them.

Everything connected with this interest of ours is open to variation because of local conditions and circumstances.
What is right in one place may be completely wrong in another location.

'Rules', if there really are any, are open to interpretation.

It's too easy to stand in judgement of others when they do something different to another persons way of thinking.

Hi Barry,
There are raised beds and "raised beds" and some people go to ridiculous lengths to raise beds and invest it railway sleepers and import masses of poor quality soil. Some of my beds are designated beds which is really 4" timber defining the bed some are borderless my beans have been growing in the same place for nearing 30 years and are well tended and still give wonderful returns. I have no clay here. I had to dig a new septic tank some years ago and the passable soil depth was near 4' deep and in other places it is solid rock at 6"
and one of my fields is solid chalk at 10" which is strange because I know now other outbreak of chalk in a 5 mile radius. Over my plot there is a difference in height of 150' and you would think that would give you perfect drainage but it doesn't and I still get areas that
flood. This is because of the underlying rock. So you see we all have our problems. Certainly raise your beds but do so naturally without the timber and importation of poor quality soil.
JB.

Johnboy

I'm figuring your plot must be enormous, a variation in height of 150 foot !!! that's not your normal 10 pole plot for sure.

No wonder raised beds are not for you, would be nonsensical.

I have to agree with pa snip.

My plot is 75% dug ground, 25% raised bed. I'm really happy with my soil which I've spent many hours on (endlessly removing Flint). I add very little, mainly just home made compost. However last year my husband built a raised bed, filled with compost, and I have to say carrots, radish, lettuce did better in it ( I tried both to see if it was worth it). I would never grow potatoes, courgette, beans or brassicas in raised beds as this would be a waste (on my plot) but can see why people do, especially if establishing an area in your back garden.

However, last year my plot was hit with onion rot and I lost my garlic (yes, I did have a little cry). So, the only way to get around it this year is to grown garlic and shallots (which are both in my top 10 veg to grow) in a raised bed away from the infected area in soil brought in above natural ground - and even then there are no guarantees.

Pawty

Those pesky onions always find a way to bring a tear to the eye.

on our plot we have ten raised beds all 12 x 4 feet I also have an area where I grow spuds and beans our problem is clay, most of the plot it's half a spade down it's no good trying to dig it as I drilled an 8 inch diameter hole with the idea to make a drainage point I drilled down 10 feet and was still pulling clay up ,the only alternative was raised beds , the spud area has had every type of manure plus leaf mold as well as soil on it but it's still only a spade down to clay, our clay is from the building of the Leeds to liverpool canal it's puddling clay what they lined the canal with I think I could find a market for it only it's owned by our council