Video: Raised Bed Gardening 101

raised bed gardening
Bill and I made 7 new raised beds recently.

My husband Bill and I have engaged in raised bed gardening since 1981. I know, that’s a long time ago, isn’t it? It all started with a wonderful “Better Homes & Gardens” magazine article on that very topic.

Over the years, we’ve gone through a few iterations of the bed design. First, we used a rototiller and a lot of sweat to create several unframed raised beds. Then we created some framed beds with 1″ thick fence boards. Those worked reasonably well but the wood wasn’t strong enough. We soon switched to 2″ thick boards and what a difference that has made!

Are you curious about the article I mentioned? The title was “Raised Bed Gardening For Bigger Yields In Less Space.” It focused on Peter Chan who had just written the book, “Better Vegetable Gardens The Chinese Way.” It cost a “whopping” $4 so I sent away for it and read it cover-to-cover. I immediately knew this method was for me! NOTE: The book is out of print but you can find used copies online, such as at Thriftbooks. Chan’s book wasn’t solely on raised bed gardening. He also shared some extremely useful gardening tips that I have followed to this day. He is a plant pathologist and soil physicist so he definitely knows his stuff.

On a side note, it was time for us to replace our westernmost row of raised beds. So this video was very timely and shows you how we make them!

Here’s what you’ll learn in this video on raised bed gardening:

  • Why raised beds are awesome.
  • Different types of raised beds to consider.
  • Materials for making a wooden raised bed.
  • Choosing the right size bed for your needs.
  • Step-by-step instructions for building raised beds.
  • Special considerations. These include our garden layout and the drip irrigation system we use.
  • Insect control. I discuss the hoop supports for using floating row cover or agricultural insect netting to prevent bug issues.
  • Critter control. I also mention how to protect your veggies from gophers, voles or moles. Astute gardeners know that moles don’t eat vegetables because they’re actually carnivorous. But they really disturb the soil in search of insects, which could definitely affect your veggies!

Here’s my “Raised Bed Gardening101” video:

Did you enjoy it? I have over 600 gardening videos on my YouTube channel. I also have a Vegetable Gardening Videos playlist so you can pick and choose videos on this topic.