Try Organic Gardening

Organic raised bed gardening refers to gardening in soil that has been mounded or contained higher than the surrounding soil and is separated by paths.

Raised bed gardening is an old gardening practice, but it’s currently growing in popularity again because it offers several advantages to simply growing your plants in level ground.

Organic raised beds are more productive because you can grow twice as many crops in the same area, and the soil is deep, fertile and looser as it never gets walked upon thus improving its aeration.

Narrow beds permit easier monitoring of your garden for pests, and weeding and harvesting are all made easier with a reachable garden.

Organic raised beds save you time and money as you only concentrate the enriched soil, compost and water in the beds, not in the pathways which should be mulched to suppress weed growth resulting in a visually attractive, low maintenance, high-production organic garden.

The traditional way to make an organic raised bed is to double dig. This is a time-consuming and laborious exercise as it involves removing the topsoil from the required area, until you have made one long, narrow trench. Replace the soil you removed, leave out all rocks and heavy clay, and mix in organic matter and mineral amendments as you go, and then fork the layers together.

To shape the bed remove the soil from the aisles and place it on the bed forming a mound, rake that flat, and firm up the loose edges. Re-raking the tops and edges a couple of times will result in a condensed pyramid with a flat top and 45 degree sloping sides.

An easier way to create an organic raised bed is to use a method called lasagne gardening, because just like a lasagne, you add different layers to form a raised bed.

First, identify a spot for your organic raised bed in your garden. The condition of the soil is not important. Mark this area using wooden stakes and string. Once your area is marked, stomp down all the grass and weeds and then cover the whole area with wet newspaper.

You will need enough newspaper to block out the sunlight so that the grass and weeds that are underneath the newspaper die. The wet newspaper will also attract earthworms to this dark, moist area. These insects are essential as they tunnel though all your organic matter converting it into rich garden soil.

Now cover the newspapers with layers of grass clippings, straw, spoiled hay, composted kitchen waste, shredded office paper, leaves, wood ashes and pine needles.

Keep alternating the materials until your organic raised bed has reached your desired height. Now cover it with black plastic, using rocks or bricks on the edges to keep it in place. The black plastic will absorb the heat of the sun which helps to decompose everything nicely.

Organic raised bed gardening is worth the effort as the reward is a bountiful harvest.

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