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WHY USE THEM?
Raised beds are simply areas of soil at a higher level then the
surrounding soil. The easiest way to do this is to erect wooden or
plastic edges to keep the soil contained at the higher level. There are
many advantages to raised bed gardening, the key ones are listed below.
| 1. |
You have greater control over the type of soil in a raised bed. A good
mixture is half normal potting compost and half John Innes Number 3. The
addition of John Innes to the normal potting compost gives the soil some
"body" because John Innes is loam based.
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| 2. |
You are able to water more accurately and with greater effect. The soil
mixture above will result in a soil which is water-retentive. But because
the soil is in a raised bed it will not become water-logged. This
combination of a moisture retaining and free draining soil gives the ideal
conditions for many vegetables and top fruit.
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| 3. |
Feeding of the plants is more accurate for their needs. Most plants will
thrive on a fortnightly feed of general purpose liquid fertiliser diluted as
recommended on the packaging. But some plants such as tomatoes and
strawberries do better when fed with liquid tomato fertiliser. The use of
raised beds will ensure that the feed is contained within a specific area.
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| 4. |
The solid edges of a raised bed give an excellent opportunity to erect
netting to protect your valuable crop from insects, birds and wild animals.
Be aware though that fruit and vegetables which produce flowers normally
need insects to pollinate them. Without insects, you may end up up with no
crop.
Choose netting with the correct width of mesh if you want insects to gain
access to the flowers. Click here for a
good range of netting for different purposes. Enter Garden Action at the
Harrod checkout to claim your 10% discount until 31 March 2008.
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| 5. |
Raised beds require far less digging, and their height above ground level
makes gardening easier for less agile gardeners. |
We have negotiated a 10% discount on the two most popular raised beds
available at Harrod Horticultural when they are ordered online (click on either
of the links below). Simply quote Garden Action at the checkout to claim your discount.
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The Standard raised bed made from timber which has been treated
with plant safe preservative to ensure a long life. The height of
the raised bed can be increased by buying additional tiers.
Click here for more
details on buying this raised bed.
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The Superior raised bed does the same job as the standard
version but has timber corner posts and chunkier wooden panels.
Ideal for use where good looks are important.
Click here for more
details on buying this raised bed. |
BACK TO TECHNIQUES INDEX PAGE
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Copyright 2000-08 David Marks. All rights reserved.
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VEGETABLE PLANNER
Double sided fact sheets for fruit and
vegetable care. Plastic laminated for use in the garden. All
dates set for your home town. Only £1.99 or $3.79 per sheet.
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