Raised Bed For Growing Vegetables.

A good way of growing your vegetables is on raised beds.You can either create beds by sleepers or some other hard landscaping means or simply mound the soil up so that the soil will be freer draining. Ideally raised beds should be no wider than 4ft or 1.2m and accessible from both sides so that you do not compact the soil by walking on it. Site the beds north south along their length so that they can get the maximum amount of sun.Allow about 18 inches or 45cm between the beds for easy access. To prepare the ground initially single or double dig incorporating a good bucketful of manure per square meter/yard.If you want to fill your raised beds with soil from scratch then fill them with half loam * (based compost like John Innes number 3) half non-loam based compost or mushroom compost if you can get it, and a bucketful of well rotted manure per square meter. This will make a good airy mix,quite dark in colour,which will absorb the sun’s rays and heat up well so the vegetables will get a good start. Earthworms activity will be promoted by the manure and will further help to aerate the soil.

*If using straight loam (top soil) make sure it is from a reliable source as it may contain weed seed etc..

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