Raised Bed Gardening

Are you considering gardening? All throughout the country people are realizing that we have lost something over the last 100 years...our ability to grow our own food. Maybe you want to be self-sufficient, maybe you want to know exactly what goes into your food or maybe you want to be prepared for a SHTF situation.

Whatever the case, growing your own food is rewarding and much easier than people think. Having a raised bed garden allows you to set up ideal conditions for growing your first garden. If you have seen any of my YouTube videos, you will know that I have tried several different garden methods. These include hydroponics, raised bed gardening and a few spots of in-ground gardening. The newest method that seems to be really paying dividends is the Square Foot Garden (SFG) method.

SFG Gardening, as it's commonly referred to, is a method developed by a gentleman named Mel Bartholemew. His book, All New Square Square Foot Gardening II - The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space, details everything you need to know to set up and grow a SFG.

If you have never heard of SFG gardening before, and are looking for more information on what it is, the simplest way to explain it is it's a method of growing your food in 1x1 square foot sections that are 6in deep. Typically this is done in a 4ft x 4ft bed. The secret to the whole system, like any successful garden, is the soil.

Mel realized early on that plants could grow very effectively in this type of system if they received adequate nutrition through the soil. Mel's Mix is a combination of 1/3 Peat Moss, 1/3 Vermiculite, and 1/3 Compost. You can read all about it online at http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/mels-mix/ or by reading Mel's book, linked above.

Some of the advantages I have found gardening with the SFG method are as follows:

1. Soil quality is perfect from the first day I began gardening.
2. Drainage is excellent using Mel's Mix but it also retains needed moisture.
3. I can pack a lot of different veggies in a small amount of space. Check out my latest garden update to see just how much I fit in my beds.
4. Replenishing my soil is easy. Once a square is completely harvested, all I need to do is put back a trowel worth of compost to replenish the nutrients. Once you become more advanced, you will definitely want to practice crop rotation to maximize productivity.
5. Setup is fairly simple.
6. If you follow Mel's guidance, you can make your beds mobile. I prefer to keep mine in place but if you make your beds in accordance with the book, you can move them.
7. I have the ability to grow vertically, maximizing growing space.
8. I have the ability to grow in succession, which provides for a continuous harvest.
9. I have reduced my weed pulling dramatically.
10. I know exactly what I put on my food when growing it.
11. I get fresh produce directly to my table.

As of now, the only disadvantage I have run into is the initial cost. I setup 2 - 4ft x 8ft beds, completely enclosed, with 11 grow bags for about $1K. While this may seem steep, I had to adapt this to my area which is prone to deer, rabbits, and squirrels. I will break even on my cost after 4 harvests and begin saving money starting with the 5th. Many people set up their SFGs for much less than this and depending on your resourcefulness, you may be able to save most of your money for the soil investment.

If you're interested in how I spent my funds in my garden, please check out my planning tool on Google Docs. If you would like to see how I plan out my SFG, please watch my video on utilizing tech with gardening.

Whatever method you are considering for starting your garden, definitely give raised bed gardening a consideration. If you're not interested in jumping all in from the beginning, you can start as easily as planting in containers and take it from there. I have grown lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and peppers in grow bags with great success and I love how easily I can move them around.

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