If you’ve always thought you need acres of land to grow vegetables, think again. You don’t have to own a farm to have the satisfaction of producing the freshest vegetables imaginable. Try creating a raised bed for your veggies. A what? It’s a bed of improved soil that’s piled above ground level, about 8-12 inches high. If you’re just starting out, try a single bed measuring two feet by four feet. Just make sure that it gets at least eight hours of sunlight a day. Jenna Woginrich’s Made From Scratch gives helpful, easy-to-follow tips and advice for novice gardeners who want to try out their own raised bed this growing season…
Here are a few pointers to get started:
Rather than spending a lot of time digging up sod, mow the grass down to the nub and cover the space with several layers of newspaper or brown kraft paper.
Treat your raised bed like a giant container and fill with a mixture of half potting mix and half high-quality compost.
If you like, line the edges of your little garden with wooden planks, scrap wood or bricks…anything really (But keep away from pressure-treated wood, which leaches chemicals into the soil).
Plant seedlings that have been acclimated to the outdoors. To do this, take your seedlings outside for a few hours at a time until you can finally leave them out overnight on a sheltered porch. Water them with a gentle, but thorough, sprinkling. You want the earth to stay moist but never be flooded.
Give plants some extra protection from sun, wind and cold those first few days they’re in the ground. Cover them with old baskets or a thin sheet for a day or two, until they’re used to their new digs.
Make sure your outdoor space is prepared for you to enjoy it! Put up a hammock or bring out some blankets and a book.
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