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The benefits of raised bed gardening are numerous - and the only challenging part is constructing raised bed corners that are straight, sturdy, and neat-looking. Raised bed gardens are bigger and higher than the usual planter boxes and can either be square, rectangular, L-shaped or U-shaped. They can be made of untreated wood (for organic farming), bricks, a combination of rocks and bricks, combination of recycled wood or plastic, or resin.
Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening
Raised bed gardening adds an aesthetic and an organized touch to your garden. In spring, the soil in a raised bed warms sooner than the soil in a frosty ground. Raised beds permit you to grow healthy plants and crops even if your garden ground soil is infertile. You can also stretch your growing season for as long as possible.
Building a Raised Garden
First of all, select an area in your garden that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Select a type of bed suitable to the area and your garden landscape design. For example, long and narrow beds are best placed along the side of your house or your fence. An L-shaped bed looks lovely in a corner of your garden.
The best quality of raised bed timber to use is rough redwood or cedar and not pressure treated wood. The width and height of the beds depend on the plants and crops to be grown. For example, 12" wide and 12" tall beds are best for vegetables. Consider also your comfort - if you are tall or have back issues, build tall beds so you won't have to stoop.
Remember that each bed needs a water supply system. It's easier to build a longer bed with a single water supply system. There are, however, self-watering raised beds that come with water reservoirs for the continuous watering of specific planting area dimensions. Lastly, put galvanized wire mesh on the bottom of the bed to prevent the attack of gophers from below. Then, fill up the beds with top quality amended soil.
Raised Bed Corners
Raised bed gardening usually involves untreated wood because they exude a natural ambiance. Garden raised bed corners are usually secured by brackets that are made of powder-coated steel or aluminum. They come in different types and sizes. For example, tall beds are ideal with 20" high raised garden brackets; beds with straight and study corners are best possible with Raised Garden Bed Corner Brackets while beds longer than 12" are recommended with Raised Garden Bed Center Brackets. Brackets ordinarily come in four heights: 6", 8", 10" and 12".
Majority of the efforts in constructing a raised bed is enabling the corners to meet - and these are done by connectors that are usually made of powder-coated aluminum with plastic cap tops for keeping out water. There are "in-line connectors" that prevent bowing and warping. Raised bed corners and connectors go hand in hand to maintain the uprightness and durability of your raised beds.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about raised bed gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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