Comparison of Raised Bed Gardening to the Conventional Gardening Method
Raised bed gardening, a gardening practice which is characterized by 3 to 4 feet wide beds of different length and shape raised above the surrounding soil is one of the most popular gardening methods. It has several advantages in compare to the conventional method and is definitely worth of considering if starting a garden or if looking for an alternative to the conventional gardening.
As already mentioned earlier, the main concept of raised bed gardening are soil beds raised above the surrounding soil from about 6 inches to waist hight and are commonly enclosed by a frame which can be made of wood, concrete or rocks.
The plants in raised bed gardening are planted in geometric patterns and much closer than in the conventional row gardening to create a microclimate which preserves the moisture and suppresses weeds which are already extremely limited by the enclosure frame. Raised bed gardening is compatible with organic and square foot gardening as well as with companion planting.
The method requires less work than the conventional gardening because the gardener does not walk on raised beds and thus the soil is never compacted. Like square foot gardening, the raised bed gardening also emphasizes compost and closer plant spacing which results in higher yields.
Raised bed gardening is ideal for areas with poor soil, while its popularity can be also assigned to much greater convenience in compare to the conventional method because it requires less digging, weeding and watering, while companion planting helps to repel the pest in a natural way.
