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Well some of you know that I decided to build some raised garden beds this year. Why? Simple. In Maine the growing season is short, and the raised beds allow me to start the season earlier and extended the season into late fall. With raised beds, the soil warms much faster than the ground allowing me to plant at least 3 weeks earlier. I can also extend my growing season by building hoops for some of the beds that will allow me to grow some more cold weather crops even past the first frost in November.
What I also like about these raised beds is how I control the soil and conditions. I layered the soil materials; first with hot fresh horse manure, second with 2 year old composted cow manure, and finally with fresh finished compost. I could actually feel the heat coming off these beds with my hands! Since no feet or tractor tires will ever touch the soil, it will never get compacted and stay very porous which will help retain moisture even through the hottest dry spells.
I built a total of 6 4' x 12' raised beds out of 2" x 12" hemlock, filled with a lot of resin to help slow the rotting process. By the way, never use pressure treated wood as the chemicals will leach into the ground and ultimately into your food.
Below is a picture of a raised bed that is full of potatoes!
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More pictures to follow in future Raised Garden Bed updates...
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