I first learned of raised beds from J.I.Rodale’s Organic Gardening Magazine (It was started under the name Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine in 1942.)
It became the most read gardening magazine in the the world. And I, along with multitudes of gardeners read it from cover to cover the minute it arrived in the mail box.
I had the good fortune of receiving the magazine through part of the 70s and into the 90s. By the 90’s it had started its decline.
It was totally rebranded in 2015. And Rodale, Inc. was acquired by another publisher.
So what were the original raised beds?
Soil in the “original” raised beds are prepared deeply and when you’re finished the soil of the bed could be raised 6 to 12 inches above soil level depending on what you added. Thus the name “raised beds”.
(And if for some reason you are unable to dig, I give you options in my book and in various posts. (The results won’t be as quick using the options but you’ll get them.)
My method adds organic materials to the bed as they are being prepared. (That did not come from Mr.Rodale’s magazine.)
And just so you’ll know I’ve read many things over the years that say not to add organic materials when double digging the beds.
But I’ve done that with every bed I’ve ever prepared in both my first and current garden. Have always had great success. (And so have many readers who follow my recommendations.)
They might look like graves
I remember when Bill and I dug our first two raised beds. We were just about finishing up when a car stopped and the occupants asked if they were graves we had dug!
What was our soil like at our first garden?
The soil, all clay, was rock hard especially in the summer.
The ground was only a foot above sea level. And it was flooded under 6 to 12 inches of water in the spring. (Herons and ducks evidently thought it a pond.)
How the land had been treated
Before we lived there the owner had a farmer friend till a large section of the property each year. The heavy farm equipment compacted the soil further.
The prior gardener was conventional and used chemicals.
You couldn’t find a trace of any soil life that’s necessary to grow food.
Note: There are at least 62 posts on TMG dealing with soil
preparation. If you use the search box at the top right on the home page and type in “soil preparation” and hit enter – a list of the posts will come up.
What happened the following spring after preparing the beds in the fall?
After Bill and I finished the first beds that fall, I was able to plant in the spring weeks before my neighbors could even get into their garden. My paths – although mulched – were still muddy (I wore boots). But the beds were perfect for planting.
What are the benefits of the “Original” Raised Beds (with my addition to the process)
*Feeds the soil life needed to feed the plants.
*Improves pH (if necessary)
*Improves soil texture (Clay will turn into a wonderful soil that will continue to hold nutrients better than other soils.)
*Sandy soils will also improve.
*Beds never need to be prepared again (assuming you keep your soil covered and also add whatever organic residues you have to your beds each year.)
*In spring – pull back the mulch and plant. No further prep is needed.
* And if you use cover crops when the beds are not being used for food – most will reach deep into the soil and pull up nutrients that would not otherwise be available. (They obviously can’t do that in a container.)
Benefits with or without my additions: (Although I think my additions increase these two benefits.
*Good drainage
*Holds water down deep to be use in dry periods.
Do you have to water?
I’ve never had a way to water my garden even if I wanted to. But by being prepared deeply they hold water to be used in dry times.
It’s been proven and documented to have the best yields in the world one needs only 20 inches of rain per year if beds are prepared so they hold water. .
Here’s the post to read for documented proof.
Proof from my garden:
When I first started gardening we had two months of drought almost every summer for about two decades.
Crops made it through fine. By preparing my soil deeply when I first created my garden, then mulching, and adding more organic material each year, my soil holds the water necessary to get through a drought.
Since we’ve been at our 2nd location (only about 7 miles away from the first) we’ve had way more rain than is needed.
But of course, my drainage is excellent even when rain is extreme.
How was the definition of raised beds changed?
Changing public perception (and the meaning of words like “raised beds” is a science.) It is studied and used by most corporations/ businesses or their advertising people for their benefit rather than yours.
In order to sell framed raised beds and/or stand alone containers for gardening the science on how to change public perception was utilized.
It is common knowledge in advertising to list ONLY the benefits (according to the seller) of the product. The benefits they come up with don’t have to be true. If they’re repeated over and over again to a broad audience they’ll eventually be accepted as truth. That’s especially true for those who have no experience to prove otherwise.
The promotions over the years were successful. Thus, it is the rare individual who knows the original meaning of raised beds, much less their benefits.
So what is the current definition of raised beds?
In today’s world, raised beds are considered as a stand-alone container or a garden “bed that is built up above the surrounding ground level, typically enclosed by a frame made of materials like wood, masonry, plastic, or steel.”
Can stand-alone raised beds be an asset to a gardener?
Before elaborating on possible untruths of claimed benefits of stand alone or framed “raised beds”, let’s talk about possible benefits.
My long time friend and reader Ray (in Canada) gardens in containers that makes it possible for him to work comfortably. If I remember correctly Ray is 93 years of age. And still gardening!
The containers (currently a/k/as raised beds ) make that possible.
Ray has my praise and admiration for finding a way to raise food in spite of some limitations! He is an inspiration!
Reader, Anna, wrote to me recently and said that she is renting currently and doesn’t have the time or inclination to deal with an in-ground garden at a property not hers. She went on to say that she planted everything pretty close together and “it’s grown into a different kind of jungle —“
I was so happy to hear of Anna’s progress since she has been unable to even have a container garden until this year.
There are many people that have no place to garden in the ground. Containers (stand-alone raised beds) make it possible for them to grow some food.
As you’ve read in my posts – if you are unable to do exactly what you want or what you consider the best way — you do what you can do.
Stand-alone raised beds (containers) could be your answer.
Wood frames around a garden bed.
Why these would be promoted as being easier – I have no idea.
I don’t call building frames and everything involved in that as being “easy”. Not to mention expensive.
And after you have the bed framed how does that make gardening easier?
The only legitimate reason I can think of for a frame around a garden bed is if the garden is on a hillside and erosion is a problem.
Keeping weeds at bay?
Lots of folks seem to think those frames keep weeds at bay.
I’ve seen lots of those framed beds over the years and every one had problem with weeds.
In-ground gardens with no frames are much easier to keep weed free.
Container “raised beds” promoted as being easier than in ground gardening
I couldn’t disagree more!
Buying the container and products for growing
I don’t call buying the container, buying bagged so-called soil (it’s not) to fill them, buying amendments to add, and watering them easy. Not to mention all the expense.
Just because the bag might say garden soil – that means nothing 99% of the time. The great majority of brands contain no soil at all. And of course, the ingredients are seldom if ever listed.
In general, most are soilless mixes or a blend of ingredients like peat moss, bark, manure and maybe perlite or vermiculite.
And even these ingredients can vary from bag to bag within the same brand.
Definitely NOT true garden soil.
Bottom line: You can’t really tell what you’re getting when you buy bagged mixes or even a truck load of what is suppose to be garden soil.
True Garden Soil is a balance of silt, sand and clay.
And as one of my readers wrote to me and accurately mentioned the fact that “ the soil ‘magic’ doesn’t fully happen in there because they effectively are huge pots, not beds in the actual soil.”
A reader who prepared her garden as I recommend has seen for the past 2 (or 3) years how much easier her garden is to keep than her previous garden.
She said it proved to her “in the long run, a properly prepared dug bed is less work than a (container) raised bed. And I must admit that I love the fact that I’m only using real soil and adding real actual organic materials (leaves etc) when I double dig,” rather than bagged stuff .
You can make your bad soil good.
No matter how bad the land, good soil can be made by adding organic materials whenever you can. It can take a while.
As I mentioned previously Bill and I had horrible ground to start with. Much to our surprise we saw good results the first year. And by year 3 we could not have asked for more.
The following are often promoted as benefits of container or framed bed:
Improved drainage – this is almost funny when you consider that purchased mixes are not real soil. (An exception would be rare.)
The original raised beds created in real soil definitely DO improve drainage.
Able to plant earlier – The original raised beds can claim this benefit.
Better Pest control – Not sure how they come up with this as a benefit of containers or framed beds. Pest control has a lot more to do with healthy soil. And you can’t duplicate real soil with purchased non-soil.
Improved soil conditions –if the soil is bagged it definitely does not improve soil conditions since bagged soil is not soil. You have no idea where it comes from and what’s in it as explained previously.
Ability to grow more plants in a smaller space.
Not sure what they base this on. I can grow a lot in a small space because I continually replenish organic materials.
That feeds the soil life and the soil life feeds my plants.
An example from this season’s garden:
This year because of the disaster that took place last July, and my struggle to walk — I had to plant in beds I could get to.
The one I first planted (had contained my winter lettuce) was about 9 feet x 3 feet.
In it I planted 4 tomato plants, 4 cucumber plants, 6 potatoes at one end and 2 at the other. Had at least 6 dill plants volunteer there. Already in that bed along the edge was Rudbeckia and Oenothera. It was and is a jungle but still producing well.
Claims that higher yields are an advantage of framed or container beds (known currently as “raised beds”)
Rest assured container or framed beds have nothing to do with higher yields. Definitely other factors would be responsible for that.
Final Thoughts
I feel sure years of marketing accounts for the many readers who were trying to help me by suggesting that I might try these so-called “raised beds”. And I appreciate the time they took to try to help make things easier for me.
But I have more than 40 years of in-ground gardening in “real” raised beds that proved to me — no matter how difficult my situation is currently – I’ll be better off in my garden than I would with containers.
The most positive thing about my currently “not so good” situation is: I’ll be able to help you even more by experiencing the hardships of this season.
If you have questions or comments please know that I welcome them.
Wishing you a bountiful harvest. And thanking you for all your suggestions and the time you took to send them.
Theresa
Again, a great post. I started my raised beds by accident and thought nothing about until sometime later I heard of them. When I thought about them and looked at my garden they were raised and continued to grow. I use, nothing but chopped leaves and 4 or 5 years later my soil looked as good as any I could buy. Making raised beds as thought about today cost more than I could afford but could no longer get down on my knees, I found a solution. I bought some cheap black plastic pots and found some 5 gal. on the internet for free and my gardening continues as big as before and I have raised beds on my raised beds and garden happily from my medical scooter. Gardening does not have to cost money and need not be.
Thanks Theresa,
Ray Kent
This is such helpful information! Marketing practices promote so many things that only benefit the sellers! I continue to wish that you could share your experiences and insights on an even larger venue! God bless you!
Another thorough and valuable post, Theresa. I’m sure that your readers who follow your methods are very grateful with every harvest!
Another huge negative for the marketed raised beds is that grass seeds tend to get blown into the corners and edges and multiply; it’s an awful chore to dig that grass out from the corners and edges.
I have a few of these in an old garden from 17 years ago before I found Theresa and TMG. As the wood frames fall apart I remove them and transform to Theresa’s method. The first one I have done I double-dug and added layers of compost and grass while refilling; it’s so fertile and definitely weed-free because it’s covered with straw!
I also learned from the old OG magazines and a good book about double digging to make a raised bed. Eventually, I quit double digging new beds and only lightly tilled the top with a Mantis lightweight tiller. I would add that one should not walk on the beds and compress the soil. I keep the width five foot or less so I can reach any plant without stepping inside. I keep mine mulched with hay which breaks down into great soil. Add chicken poop from the coop for fertility. Learned from experience that wood framing was unnecessary, but I did need to see the edges to mow the paths without nicking the plants, so I outline the beds with discarded bricks as I find them in the neighborhood.
Hey, Theresa. This is right on time as I have been considering “raised beds” while, at the same time, dreading the cost and work. Now I remember “double digging” from OG back in the day, lol. It makes perfect sense. I read all your posts on your raised beds, so much good information. So that’s the garden path I will be going down next season. Thanks for all you do.
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