If you’re an intelligent worker and not a hard worker, then raised row gardening is perfect for you!
The possibilities in gardening are limitless, and as a gardener, nothing can be more gratifying than watching your plants thrive. A flourishing garden elicits everyone’s envy and praise, but few people understand the time and effort that goes into it.
As a retired professional, I can afford to dedicate hours to my garden, but I understand why you cannot. So, to make things easier and help hone your passion for gardening, I’ve got the best fix - raised row gardening.
You can get supple vegetables and fruits from your miniature farm with raised row gardening without doing any backbreaking work.
Hello! I’m Stacy Smith. And today, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about raised row gardening.
So, let’s get right into it!
What Is Raised Row Gardening?
Before moving on to anything else, I think it’s essential to define raised row gardening. So, for the unversed, raised row gardening utilizes mulch and compost to augment the soil and keep down weeds naturally, without any machines.
So, now you can watch the vegetable garden thrive without spending hours tilling, raking, and spraying the soil. It’s a sustainable process that is both cost-effective and time-saving. As the name suggests, it involves piling up shredded leaves, compost, and other organic matter on the soil, to raise them in row-like structures. The goal is to replenish the soil and prepare it for crops.
The best part about raised row gardening is that it works successfully on your hard, compacted soil too.
I discovered raised row gardening years ago through The Joe Gardener Show, and now it’s my favorite method for growing cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
Besides, I appreciate all the time it saves that I happily spend in my neighbor’s yard, helping her prune shrubs and taking her dog for a walk with mine.
Purpose Of Raised Row Gardening
If you’re still wondering how this gardening method is more effective than others, here are a few points to solve all your doubts. Not only is raised row gardening more productive, but also a lot of fun.
1. A Lazy Gardener’s Dream
If you hate the idea of spending hours in the garden tilling the soil and manually plucking out weeds, then raised row gardening will be your best friend. With it, you get a productive harvest without straining your back to work on the soil.
In fact, you can depend on the soil to produce a good harvest, even if it’s hard and compacted. Raised row gardening has organic layers piling up, which enhance the soil’s efficiency and make sure that you get a good crop production.
Thanks to this, I’ve started spending more time playing with my dog instead of fretting over my vegetable garden like a mother hen!
2. Say Goodbye To Tilling
While tilling is a popular method in gardening, I’ve noticed that over the years, it tends to deplete the soil by disturbing the balance of microorganisms in it. Not to mention, tillers are expensive devices that make use of electricity or gas.
So, raised row gardening comes to the rescue for those of you who’re on the lookout for budget-friendly gardening options. With it, you can have a bountiful harvest without burning a hole in your pocket.
Now, you might have to pluck out some weeds manually for the first two years. But as the compost continues to layer up, it will significantly reduce your workload as well as the gardening expenses.
3. Work Less, Grow More
While creating garden beds, I always leave ample space to walk and prune the plants or remove the weeds. However, with raised rows, you can dedicate all the resources to maintaining the rows instead of the upkeep of the walking areas.
As mentioned earlier, there’s no need for tilling or manually mixing the soil, and you don’t even have to pluck out the weeds. So, you get an abundance of crops without putting in much effort.
However, please do not make the mistake of planting the crops too close together since tightly packed crops seldom develop fully, as they compete for water and nutrients.
4. Bid Adieu To Weeds
Raised rows use mulch and compost to nourish and cover themselves, giving little to no room for weeds to grow. Since the soil remains covered throughout the growing season, it further negates the chances of weed growth.
During fall, I always grow a cover crop that replenishes the soil and controls weeds.
How To Prepare Raised Row Gardens
Now that I’ve told you about the purpose of raised row gardening, I’m sure you’re very excited to delve right into it. However, hold your horses!
Prepare the garden beds well, or else chances of success are minimized. So, here’s a guide on how to go about preparing the garden for raised rows.
Before going into details, let me clarify that you can build raised rows either over grassy areas or right from scratch - the choice is yours. However, remember to trim the grassy area before you begin.
Step 1
While setting up a raised row garden, you must consider the amount of space in the yard. Typically, the rows should be 18 inches wide. Pile it with 4 to 6 inches of shredded leaves and organic matter, and then cover it with a layer of soil to compress the matter.
Step 2
Keep a distance of at least 25 inches between the growing rows for air circulation. Once this is done, taper the edges of the soil and remember to cover the walking rows. You may use barks, leaves, and twigs for it, as this aids in minimizing weed growth.
Step 3
Plant your crops within these rows. Remember to layer them with straw to trap moisture and eliminate weeds. I also make use of mulch for adequate insulation.
Step 4
Now, go ahead and fill the raised rows with your favorite vegetables and experiment with new crops. They can either be directly sown or transplanted.
In case you’re a salad person like me, plant lettuce, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. My husband planted bell peppers, herbs, and garlic rows for his Italian cuisine recipes.
When Is The Right Time To Plant?
The right time for planting largely depends on the type of crop you wish to grow. Plants like spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli can withstand cold weather. However, plants like tomatoes, basil, peppers, and eggplants are damaged if the temperature falls below 40℉.
The next factor is the climate of the area you live in. For colder areas prone to snow and frost, plants are sown after the frost period is over. Similarly, plants are sown for areas with extreme summer temperatures during early fall to escape the peak summer heat.
Besides, you can plant some crops twice a year. These include peas, sprouts, and beans, and this helps maximize production.
How To Take Care Of The Raised Rows?
After you plant the seeds, water the area regularly, keeping the soil moist at all times until you see the first signs of germination. Shield them from extreme temperatures by using garden fabric or adequate netting.
After the crops are removed, I strongly recommend protecting your rows by planting cover crops, such as rye. It replenishes the soil for the next growing season while also preventing the rows from weed infestation.
Besides, till or manually turn the soil over initially for better aeration. However, with time the soil becomes self-sufficient, and it minimizes your chores. Also, the tapered edges retain moisture, and the plant doesn’t let the water evaporate from the soil, so the rows do not dry out fast.
To add to the soil productivity, I use rich compost and water-based fertilizers from time to time. This minimizes the chances of a pest infestation and also keeps my rows healthy. Compost also improves drainage, so add a healthy dose of it.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Competti, Jim (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Storey publishing
- Binding: paperback
- Language: english
Final Words
With that, I come to the end of this guide on raised row gardening. This method has been around for a long time and belongs to the old school of gardening that was popular before agriculture was industrialized.
However, it has made a massive comeback in recent years, owing to its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and time-saving properties.
Raised row gardening has allowed me to grow a good part of my vegetable produce every season. Now, I no longer need to maneuver heavy tillers through the soil or spend hours working on the garden to make sure it’s weed-free. Therefore, gone are the days of sore arms and a strained, overworked back for me.
So, in a nutshell, gardening has never been easier! Now, it’s time for me to listen to the Epic Gardening podcast. However, I’ll be back again with more helpful guides.
Till then, have fun with your miniature vegetable farm!