Raised beds can be a good choice for many gardeners and fall may be the best time to build them Gardener Scott discusses several reasons for adding raised beds to your garden in autumn. (Video #407)
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31 Comments
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I’m so glad you did this video. My husband and I were just talking about adding more raised beds. Now to get the materials bc now is definitely the time.
I just built and filled mine! My instinct told me it was a good idea to give the soil time to develop its life.
For my first year of gardening, I used grow bags. I wasn't sure what the sun/shade pattern was going to be (there are large trees to factor in.) By starting with grow bags, I was able to move things around and observe the elements while all being able to enjoy planting a garden. It was a win/win!
It's the perfect time of year. I have one corrugated and four wooden beds ready to put together 😍
I'm also in Colorado, Denver area, and you're right about the soil quality. Packed clay and high alkaline here , so the only solution for gardening was installing raised beds and adding good quality organic soil and amendments. Fall is a good time to try to hire a contractor to do projects like this, they tend to be too busy in the spring. Also give things like clippings, leaves and other additions to the soil to have the fall and winter to break down. I also like to look for sales for garden supplies during the winter, often better prices than the height of the season.
Perfect timing! I just started mine today.
I use straw bales for my raised bed.
I made my “raised bed” using straw bales.
Autumn is best time to start any garden project. Growing soil. Yep
What are your thoughts on using azomite?
Need to do the organic fertilizer in the fall. To give nature time to make it available to your plants.
Did you look into adding Lava Sand into your gardening system?
Thanks for making this video. I hope that it will give lots of encouragement to folks who have not tried raised bed gardening. I battled hard, poor clay soil for years before I had raised beds built. I wanted a garden that I could tend using a walker or wheelchair. My yard man, who does all of the heavy lifting for me these days, brings me the unsprayed grass clippings and leaves 🍁 from other properties, where his clients just want them hauled away. Now I have rich soil that grows an abundance of vegetables.
I’ve just built 2 – 4’x4’ raised beds out of PT 2x12s following your guidelines. They came out great and filled them with local screened loam with compost from a local nursery. To go with my 12’x4’ bed. I will cover them with leaf mold for the winter. I have many containers as well. Can’t wait for the seed catalogs to come along. Ty for your advise. Your videos are outstanding. Gardner Steve Moberg zone 6 b
You forgot to add the end cards you pointed to at the end of the video. Fall is a great time to do projects. I put off trimming all the yew bushes for many of the sane reasons you mentioned.
I like your metaphor of a blank pallet to gardening. It is much easier to plan a garden through the winter if everything is in place.
I absolutely see my garden as a pallet and a symphony, an artistic wave of created nature.
Although fall is best, spring is right around the corner if life gets in the way.
Thank you
I can so relate! After 13 years my two largest beds are in disrepair. I got through the growing season with some ad hoc reinforcement, but clearly, they had to be rebuilt. So that's what I'm doing this fall. I've already completed one, and there is one to go. I just finished the teardown today. Since the fall and winter rains have come to the PNW, I'm working between storms. But within a few weeks or so, the bed will be finished and filled with a lot of mulch and soil and then they, and I, can rest until spring. Of course, I'm also adding a couple of smaller beds. That will take me a bit longer, depending on the rain.
I am not sure what to do. I am in zone 7a. I covered my beds with straw. Now I have grass growing in my beds. Should I remove the straw or is there another option? I know grass/plants are hard to tame. This is the first time using straw. In the past I used cardboard which always worked. As you might have figured out, I am not happy with me. Help.
Does this apply to my container garden too?
I have to garden in raised beds with the bottoms lined in hardware cloth because the gophers are out of control here. Im planning on adding more soon. Great topic.
Ok, I know what I’m doing this weekend. Thanks for the motivation!
I have raised beds made out of concrete block seconds. 16×4 ft. Cotton bur, peet moss, and rice hauls has made the best ever raised bed material. In mid Missouri I can have three crops of green beans, and best of all winter carrots and potatoes. have other outside the garden of extra raised beds of organic material but have a constant weed problem.
I found non organic fertilizer, 40 lbs, fir $1 at Walmart. Im wondering if Its ok to use in a raised bed? The NPK is 10-10-10, expert gardener brand. Im a first year gardener with 4 4×4 raised beds and grew tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, cucumber, and lettuces.
Will using synthetic fertilizer affect my plants and soil negatively?
Every spring I add bagged compost, and some amendments then plant my seed starts and transplants. Would plants have better soil in the spring if I did this in the fall instead ? Should I plant a cover crop in the fall like rye or hairy vetch to protect the newly added soil or is that not necessary ?
Excellent advice. We purchased some of the forever garden beds over the summer with the intention of setting those up now. TFS 👍
brilliant advice as always
Raised beds are a game changer for those of us with sucky soil – clay here in our garden. Our raised beds meant we could get the perfect soil for our growing.
We have clay and “glacial till” here in Olympia, so our soil is terrible, too! Yes, we have also had to add large quantities of compost and wood chips to improve the soil. Thanks for this video. Our raised beds are interspersed in the fenced area amongst the fruit trees — deer and rabbits. The raised beds make it easier to keep garlic varieties separate: Box 1 is Oregon Blue. Box 2 is Inchelium Red. Box 3 is Shatili, etc. Best wishes, Kate — 10/28/2022.
Gardner Scott,
Where is the best place to purchase those garden covers or cages you have over your garden?
I added 2 more beds about 2 weeks ago. WY soil sucks and I'm using the broken down cow dirt/hay.