This article discusses beds for the lazy: photos of the easiest structures to make for those who want to get a neat garden with a minimum of effort, the most common materials and technologies for creating structures based on them. The reader will learn how to combine vegetable crops in one bed and prepare the soil for planting cucumbers. The article contains practical recommendations for beginning summer residents.
Designing the right garden beds will solve many problems and open up new opportunities for the owner of a summer cottage:
- protection against soil erosion in the garden when there is a large amount of rainfall or watering the plants. The sides of the bed will keep the nutritious soil in place, preventing it from washing out onto the paths. In addition, the passages between the structures themselves will remain clean, no dirty puddles or streaks;
- the possibility of forming the basis for creating a temporary greenhouse for the spring period. By installing high sides as fences, a multi-layer bed can be organized inside the structure, which can be used as a greenhouse. To do this, it is enough to install special arcs and stretch the film. The result will be a neat greenhouse house;
- improving the appearance of the garden due to orderly and even plantings with beautiful framing;
- creating boundaries to prevent the spread of weeds.
Making beds with your own hands from boards and other materials allows you to clearly limit the planting area, thanks to which weeds and harmful plants do not have the opportunity to spread widely. If the garden fence is dug to a greater depth, the level of protection increases and perennial weeds, which are unable to overcome this barrier, can no longer penetrate into the garden bed.
Pay attention! With the help of beds with well-buried fences, the spread of plants such as reeds and creeping wheatgrass is effectively blocked. Their root system is capable of covering large distances underground if left unconstrained.
Photos of interesting bed designs, recommendations for their creation. Tips for Designing the Unusual landscape design on the site.
The most best place is an area where the sun is present throughout the day. It is allowed to install beds where there is shade in the morning or during the day. If the proposed construction area is dark throughout the day, you should not use this place for arranging a vegetable garden.
How best to make beds in the garden: choosing the optimal design
The design of the beds is selected at an early stage of planning, when a place for the vegetable garden has already been selected.
Each type of beds has certain advantages:
- raised or - the most effective designs that are best suited for growing vegetable crops. Construction materials they are not expensive to create, and the soil does not need to be dug up. The width and height of the structures determines how much effort and time it will take to build them. Most often, summer residents prefer wooden beds made of boards. On the Internet you can find photos of raised beds with your own hands; such structures do not have fencing. They also fall into the category of elevated structures;
- Container beds - will be beneficial in cases where site space is limited. Small, large and medium-sized pots are suitable for organizing such beds. Garlic, peppers, lettuce and herbs feel especially good in containers. Mobility is another advantage of container beds, which can be moved to any location if desired;
- beds in open ground- the oldest method of growing crops that are planted directly into the ground. In such conditions, it is more difficult to get a good harvest, so the technology of joint planting of vegetables in the garden is often used.
Useful advice! If you plan to plant crops in open ground, it is recommended to determine the quality of the soil, fertilize it and check the compatibility of vegetables in the garden according to the table.
How to make beds from boards with your own hands: useful tips
Raised beds are most often made from wood. This material, in comparison with others, is considered the most practical and environmentally friendly. Such designs look very aesthetically pleasing in the photo. Do-it-yourself beds made from boards have other advantages:
- a simple maintenance system involving easy weeding, harvesting and watering of plants;
- the ability to grow vegetable crops even where the soil is completely unsuitable for these purposes. A frame is made on the basis of the boards, which is subsequently filled with fertile soil purchased in the store, so there is no connection to the quality of the soil and its composition. Thanks to this, plants can be grown even in areas with rocky surfaces;
- Box structures allow you to hold soil inside the bed. In addition, the presence of sides simplifies the process of installing arcs to form a greenhouse. It is much easier to secure these elements to the fence than to dig them into the soil;
- Even without knowing how to properly make garden beds, any summer resident can cope with the manufacture of wooden box structures. The boards are easy to process, and the construction and assembly of the frame does not require expensive tools;
- there is no chance that plants planted close to the sides will get burned in the summer heat. Wood, unlike metal, is not prone to overheating.
Pay attention! The environmental friendliness of the material allows you not to worry about harmful substances getting into the soil. Wood is much safer than asbestos-cement sheets (slate). The exception is boards treated with chemicals designed to double the life of the material.
Making practical beds from boards: how to make the right choice of material
Summer residents most often create wooden structures based on blanks that they find on the farm. To make beds, timber, round timber, slab, and lining can be used.
When it comes to purchasing boards in a store, you should pay special attention to the type of wood from which they are made:
- a board made of ash or oak will last a very long time. Although the cost of such products is quite high;
- pine remains the most favorable in terms of price and processing. But this type of wood is highly susceptible to rotting while in the ground, so its service life is short. By using impregnations and antiseptics, the life of pine can be extended by a couple of years;
- boards made of cedar and larch wood are considered the most suitable material for making boxes. Larch is naturally impregnated with resin, thanks to which the product will retain its newness for many years without the use of additional impregnations. Cedar wood is characterized by a lower resin content, but it is not inferior to larch in terms of durability and at the same time has an affordable price;
- Boards made from acacia feel good in the ground. It is worth noting that this type of wood is durable and has a solid structure, so its processing will be more difficult. To work with acacia you will need a powerful electric tool.
Useful advice! It is not recommended to skimp on the quality of the material. Boards made from poor wood are susceptible to rapid rotting. After a few years, holes will appear on the fences of the garden beds, through which fertile soil will be washed away during rains and watering of plants.
Making beds from boards with your own hands: photos, dimensions of structures
Box beds have a rectangular shape and are made of boards. The simplest design does not require special knowledge and skills, so any novice summer resident can handle its production. The main thing is to correctly calculate the dimensions of the boxes.
- height– many summer residents strive to create the highest possible sides. However, this approach is erroneous if it is not intended to build a warm bed for cucumbers or other types of crops, where a fence height of up to 0.7 m is acceptable. The technology for manufacturing such structures requires laying multi-layer insulation. For ordinary beds, such high fences are not required; it is enough to limit it to 0.15-0.2 m. Excessive height of the sides is also unprofitable in economic terms, because their construction will require a lot of boards. In addition, wood is susceptible to deformation changes under the influence of moisture, so there is a risk that over time high fences will swell and lose their attractive shape;
- width – experienced summer residents It is recommended to choose a width equal to half the height of the person who will care for the beds. Most often, this parameter is in the range of 0.9-1.2 m, because during work a person should be able to reach the middle of the structure from the side fence;
- length– this parameter is practically unlimited. Although excessively long structures reduce the level of rigidity of the side rails, it is therefore recommended to choose a length within 4-6 m.
Useful advice! When choosing dimensional parameters for wooden beds It should be taken into account that between them it is necessary to organize passages 0.4-0.6 m wide. Only after this the layout of structures on the site is considered.
Creating mixed plantings of vegetables in the garden: photo examples and optimal schemes
The method of combining crops is very effective in practice if the companion plants are chosen well. Therefore, plot owners use a special table to calculate the proximity of vegetables in the beds before planting. Some types of vegetables have a depressing effect on each other, others can improve the growth and development of neighbors and provide them with protection from pests.
The correct proximity of vegetables in the beds: compatibility table
Many summer residents note that thanks to the proximity of beans as a seal for the beds where potatoes are grown, the number of Colorado potato beetles is significantly reduced. Marigolds effectively protect cabbage from the white butterfly. Despite this, a certain balance must be maintained. After all, an excessive amount of marigolds in the garden can stifle the growth of cabbage.
Table of vegetable neighbors in the garden that create a successful tandem:
| Name of vegetable crop | Plants for successful combination |
| strawberries | beans, spinach, marigolds, garlic, lettuce |
| kohlrabi | cucumber, lettuce, onion, beets |
| peas | carrots, corn, cucumber, calendula, eggplant |
| onion | tomato, celery, beets, savory, carrots |
| beans | potatoes, cucumber, tomato, strawberry, eggplant |
| cucumber | radishes, peppers, peas, cabbage, beans |
| carrot | lettuce, onion, sage, tomato, peas |
| salad | strawberries, cucumber, carrots, radishes |
| pepper | salad, cucumber, beans |
| tomato | calendula, basil, beans, nasturtium, parsley |
The following pairs of plants are characterized by poor compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden:
- cabbage and strawberries;
- onions and beans;
- carrots and celery, dill, parsley;
- cucumbers and potatoes.
Useful advice! In addition to the main crops, it is recommended to spot plant herbs and ornamental herbs in the garden bed. Thus, the garden will not only be beautiful, but also useful.
Examples of mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: popular schemes
A good example of the compatibility of vegetables in the garden is the combination of onions and carrots. As an independent crop, onions can produce about 2.5 kg of yield from 1 m² of bed. Carrots on the same area yield approximately 6 kg of yield. When growing these crops together, you can get 9 kg of vegetables from 1 m². These plants create protective barriers against pests for each other, so the efficiency of the used area increases.
Of course, when planning to grow crops together in a garden bed, you need to group the plants based on their height so that none of them blocks the light for the other. This is necessary because vegetables can not only have different heights, but also grow at different rates. It is desirable that the compactors that are planted additionally be lower in height than the main vegetables. The principle of multi-tiered juxtaposition of vegetables in beds makes it possible to create favorable conditions for the root system of crops, and also promotes the rational use of solar energy.
High yields are collected from the beds where beets and late cabbage are planted. To do this, beets (9 plants) and cabbage (4 bushes) should be planted on an area of 0.8x0.8 m, not forgetting to fertilize the holes with a glass of compost and a handful of eggshells (grind first).
To get excellent result When planting beans and tomatoes, it is recommended to place the plants in a row with a step of 0.3 m. Along the row with bush beans, it is installed so that each plant is located at the dropper. Tomatoes are planted in the central part of the garden bed. As a result, the bean and tomato bushes should be arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Useful advice! It is better to trim tomato stems for the winter, and as low as possible. On the contrary, it is recommended to leave beans untouched.
Table of crop rotation of vegetables in beds by crop groups
Crop rotation can also affect the yield of beds. If the annual change of crops grown in the same bed is carried out in the correct order, the garden will produce good harvests.
Advantages of proper crop rotation:
- eliminates the possibility of soil fatigue on the site, since the same vegetable absorbs the same set of soil from the soil every year nutrients and he does it from the same depth;
- the spread of diseases and pests that affect plants of the same family is prevented;
- it becomes possible to use fertilizers rationally.
The most primitive way of organizing crop rotation in a garden bed involves planting plants from different families in the same area every year. The easiest way is to divide cultures into four groups:
- Leafy crops – these include various types of cabbage, green onions, leaf lettuce, and spinach.
- Fruit vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, pumpkin.
- Legumes - beans, chickpeas, peas.
- Root vegetables - potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots.
Table of the simplest crop rotation in the garden:
| Sequence of landing by year | Recommended crops for planting | |||
| 1st bed | 2nd bed | 3rd bed | 4th bed | |
| 1 year | fruit | roots | legumes | leafy |
| 2 year | roots | legumes | leafy | fruit |
| 3 year | legumes | leafy | fruit | roots |
Arrangement of beds for cucumbers in open ground: photos and recommendations
To grow cucumbers in open ground, beds are usually prepared in the fall. This should be done before the rains and temperatures drop. The planting area must be carefully dug up and saturated with organic fertilizers. Cucumbers like fertile, light soil that has a good level of air and water permeability. If the soil on the site is heavy, sawdust, peat or sand can be added to the soil to facilitate loosening.
Useful advice! To get a rich harvest, it is recommended to add a tablespoon of superphosphate and a glass of ash per 1 m² of area. Instead of ash, you can use dolomite flour.
The process of preparing a bed for cucumbers in the spring includes the procedure for disinfecting the soil. To do this, the site of the future garden is spilled with potassium permanganate. The solution must be hot and strong. In addition, soil fertility can be increased by adding chicken manure or manure. This procedure carried out locally, that is, the fertilizer is placed directly into the trench or hole. After this, the bed is covered with a small layer of soil, where the seeds are then planted.
How to make a bed for cucumbers: agrotechnical secrets
To get a rich harvest of cucumbers from the garden, you must adhere to the basic rules:
- There should be no irrigation canals, streams or flowing reservoirs near the beds.
- If the planting area is not protected, it is better to place the garden in a quiet place where there are no drafts.
- Procedures such as watering and loosening the soil must be performed on a regular basis. Otherwise, a hard crust will form on the surface, and the bed will dry out greatly.
- Cucumbers grown in open ground need to be fed much more often than those grown in closed beds.
- During harvesting, it is not recommended to change the position of the plant's vines or turn them over.
- Weeding of plants in open beds needs to be done more often than in closed ground.
- It is recommended to cover the entire surface of the bed with black film.
Cucumbers need a rich biological composition of the soil. Therefore, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with organic matter, for example, grass, humus, branches, rotted manure, and food waste. In the process of their decomposition, not only does the fertility of the soil increase, but also heat is released, warming the soil. So that the high temperature does not damage root system cucumbers, experienced summer residents advise abundant watering.
Interesting fact! Sometimes decomposition organic fertilizers occurs so actively that the soil in the garden bed warms up to 80° C. Under the influence of such a high temperature, many pests, viruses and pathogenic fungi contained in the soil die. As a result, natural sterilization of the soil occurs.
There are several ways to grow cucumbers in open ground. For these purposes, you can form a long ridge bed, a hole, dig a ditch, or build a high structure.
How to make cucumber beds in the garden with a bookmark
To form a bed with a bookmark, you will need to dig a trench. The depth of the ditch should be equal to two shovels. Then branches are laid out across and sawdust is poured in. The next layer consists of straw and garden waste. You can add autumn leaves, cardboard or newspapers, and compost. The thickness of the fertilizer layer should be within 5-7 cm. The layer is filled with warm water and covered with a mixture of compost and soil.
A bed with a bookmark can effectively serve for 5 years. In the second year of operation there will be no need to add top layer compost, because during the decomposition of organic components, the bed itself will produce nutrients.
Advantages of a bed for growing cucumbers with a bookmark:
- convenient watering system;
- stagnation of water is eliminated;
- In the spring there is no need to dig up the soil, just loosen the soil.
Plants can be planted on such a nutrient basis much earlier than is customary in conventional beds. It is not recommended to use beds with filling in low-lying areas and areas where water stagnates.
Warm surface beds for cucumbers in open ground
This type of warm beds for growing cucumbers is built on the surface of prepared soil. This technology will the best option for areas that are located in lowlands. In order to enhance the heating process, the bed is covered with film. As a result, a greenhouse effect is formed, which has a positive effect on the growth of cucumbers and their productivity.
Surface beds also include structures in the form of boxes made of brick, slate or boards. The bottom of these containers is filled with sand, then with wood waste. Next comes a layer of organic waste and straw. After laying each component, the contents are carefully compacted and filled with liquid manure. Finally, the bed is filled with a mixture consisting of soil.
Useful advice! Vegetable and fruit skins, fallen leaves, and eggshells (crushed into powder) can be used as organic waste.
Cucumbers are planted in two rows. Plants are placed along the edges of the box bed, which ensures a sufficient level of illumination. If you plan to plant cucumbers early spring, the structures can be converted into greenhouses. To do this, you will need to install plastic arcs and stretch plastic film over them. Thus, heating is enhanced and it becomes possible to obtain early harvest. Moreover, the result is completely independent of weather conditions.
Raised beds for cucumbers in open ground
Warm beds with a raised structure are used in cases where the site is located in a region with a cold and humid climate. Due to this, the soil is fully warmed up, allowing for early harvesting. If they get too close to the garden groundwater, the bed is raised high, due to which the plantings do not get wet on soil that is oversaturated with moisture. Stone fruit trees, whose roots are severely affected by groundwater, are planted in a similar way.
As borders for these structures they are used various materials. The most popular of them are slate and wood. In rare cases, metal is used. This type of bed can even be installed in the middle of the lawn. If you frame it in the form of paving stones or tiles, a raised vegetable garden with cucumbers will become a worthy decoration of your summer cottage.
As alternative solution It is possible to build a bulk hill on the territory that does not have a fence. You can take any length for such a bed; the optimal width is 1 m. You should not raise the ornamental garden to a height of more than 1 m. The air that remains in the voids formed between the elements of large organic matter provides good ventilation and promotes rapid heating of the soil.
To speed up the decomposition process of fertilizers, the soil is spilled with a solution saturated with special bacteria. The procedure is carried out twice a year. The first time the soil is watered with bacteria is in the spring. After treating the beds, you should wait at least a week before planting plants. The second time the soil is spilled in the fall after the crop is harvested. When the soil has already been treated with the composition, it should be loosened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen and the drug itself is evenly distributed.
How to make beds in the garden: video review of technology
At the beginning of each dacha season, many owners of the treasured six hundred square meters are concerned about the same issue - arranging garden beds in their dacha. And even if the layout of the beds is on summer cottage has developed over the years, I still want to use something innovative to increase productivity, make more efficient use of the usable area of the plot, and give it an aesthetic appearance.
It’s not difficult to arrange garden beds at your dacha with your own hands, the main thing is timely planning, and in order for this to work out rationally, you need to carefully think through several points. Below we will consider the main criteria that must be taken into account when determining places for growing in the garden. various types plants.
When arranging beds at the dacha:
- It is necessary to divide the site into sunny zones. Determine which places are constantly exposed to sunlight, and which areas are predominantly in the shadows. Since not all garden crops need a lot of sunlight. It can be very beneficial for some plants and destructive for others.
- Then you should allocate places high humidity, and arid zones. For example, next to a pond, if there is one on the site, it is better to plant moisture-loving plants.
- Next you need to determine the location of the cardinal points. It is recommended to plant shrubs and trees on the northern side of the site to protect against cold winds, and on the southern side the site can be left open.
- Then, in accordance with the obtained zones and cardinal directions, you can determine in which areas which plants to grow.
- Draw up a layout of the beds in accordance with the above points. In the case of using centralized water, determine routes for supplying water to the site.
Existing types of beds
At the moment, there are many innovative solutions in the direction of arrangement garden plot. Basically, gardeners use standard types of beds, but their use is not suitable for all crops. There are no universal beds on which you can grow any type of garden plants. Therefore, for each individual type of plant, the most suitable types of beds are used.
Regular beds
The most popular type of beds are those made at soil level. To arrange them, no special structures are required; you just need to dig up and loosen the soil. Such beds are well suited for growing cold-resistant garden crops such as cabbage, potatoes, and other root vegetables. In some cases, ridges are built on the beds in which plants are planted.
Raised beds
Multi-layered raised beds are well suited for growing cucumbers and green crops. Their height can reach 40 centimeters. To get neat garden beds in your dacha, you need to build a border, since without it, after watering or rain, the top layers of soil may crumble. How to fence such a garden bed depends only on the imagination of the summer resident.
Making a raised bed is not difficult, following simple steps step by step:
- Before you raise the beds in your dacha, you need to mark them.
- Remove the fertile layer from the soil.
- Install borders around the perimeter of the bed.
- Lay a fine mesh to protect against pests.
- Create several layers of small branches and foliage, sprinkling each layer with soil.
- The final fertile layer should be filled with chernozem. Its thickness must be at least 30 centimeters.
This design of beds has many advantages. Since humus of compost layers generates heat, plants can be planted earlier than in beds at soil level. Due to the heat generated, plants develop faster. Thanks to early boarding and rapid plant growth, it is possible to get up to two harvests per season. In addition, the beds do not need to be dug up, since their service life is several years. A bed like this would work well for garlic.
Vertical beds
In order to increase productivity, you can use it at your summer cottage. They are not suitable for all types of plants; such beds are mainly used for strawberries and remontant strawberries.
Vertical beds are made in several ways:
A self-built strawberry pyramid bed - the dimensions of which are correctly calculated - can produce a harvest one and a half times greater than the same planted area traditional way. This is achieved by increasing planting density.
Neighborhood of garden crops
When planning the planting of garden crops, it is very important to distribute the plants so that they do not affect negative influence at each other. In addition, “predecessors”, that is, plants that grew on the site before, are of great importance. Gardeners have rules for planting garden crops based on the compatibility of plants and the choice of planting location based on what was grown in that area last season.
If you follow the rules for growing plants in one bed, you can plant several garden crops that will not only not interfere with each other, but also promote mutual growth. For example, a spice bed at the dacha can successfully combine 13 plants: fennel, rosemary, lemon balm, thyme, lofant, oregano, marjoram, sage, snakehead, savory, lavender, hyssop, Dubrovnik.
Combinations of a successful neighborhood in the garden:
We make beds at the dacha with our own hands
Every gardener wants to see on his plot beautiful beds. There are two ways to implement this. The first thing is to buy ready-made borders for garden beds, which are made of galvanized steel and coated with a polymer layer. Such systems are mounted using mounting pegs and corner fastenings. With their help, you can make beautiful beds in your dacha with your own hands, of almost any type.
If you don’t want to use ready-made structures, then improvised materials will do for arranging a garden bed at your dacha. This is slate, old boards, galvanized sheets - you can do it simply and beautifully. Very often, gardeners throw away everything that can be used to make garden beds as unnecessary. If you use your imagination, even cobblestones can come in handy, from which you can make beautiful ones using a solution. Space for activities in in this direction, limited only creative thinking gardener
Before you make garden beds at your dacha with your own hands, you should think about its size. The width of the bed should be such that you can easily reach its center with your hands. You need to understand that the optimal size of garden beds is the size of the plot area at which it is convenient to cultivate it. The optimal width is considered to be 0.7-1 meter. In most cases, the length of the beds can be any.
In order to have convenient access to the plants, it is recommended to make paths in the country between the beds. Very often, gardeners dig up an entire part of the plot, and then trample paths that divide the garden into beds. This design of beds is suitable for creating unpaved paths designed for one season. In order not to waste time every year on arranging paths, it is advisable to lay them before making beds, while the soil is harder. You can use many options for how to design the paths. You can post them paving slabs or brick, fill with crushed stone, concrete with mortar.
Forming beds at the dacha is a responsible and time-consuming process, which determines how beautiful, comfortable and, most importantly, fertile the garden plot will be.
Despite all the difficulties that arise when arranging a dacha plot, setting up beds in a dacha does not require a large budget and can be done by one person. For some, dacha is hard work that takes time and effort. Some people consider working in the countryside a vacation. In a sense, both are right, since everything depends on how competently and rationally the dacha plot is arranged. Of course, a modern greenhouse with heated beds and an automatic watering system is easier to process than unplowed virgin soil without the use of running water. A summer cottage plot, in the literal sense, can be a “slave plantation” for some, and a resort for others, depending on how much work is put into it.
Spring for all summer residents and gardeners begins the same way: dig up all the soil, divide it into beds, make a neat earthen roll for each. Then wait until the soil warms up, plant the plants and begin fighting weeds that occupy the entire area, including paths. But improvements can be made that will help produce a larger harvest at lower costs (labor, first of all).
Advantages and disadvantages of raised beds
Usually, having heard about the many advantages of such structures, people begin to wonder how to do it. How does it differ from ordinary plantings at ground level? We will list only the main advantages:
- The soil on your site can be absolutely anything; this will no longer affect the harvest. High design can be filled with a universal soil mixture or suitable for a specific crop. If your dacha is located in a damp lowland, then drainage can be laid as the first layer: broken brick Next, lay it in layers eggshells, branches and grass remaining after the autumn cleaning of the site, leaves and soil.
- After many years of use, the soil in the garden becomes less fertile and accumulates various pathogens. Having learned how to make a high bed and installing it on your site, you will be able to add fresh purchased soil and protect the plants from rotting and fungi.
- In spring, such structures warm up faster, which makes it possible to plant plants earlier. This gives you a chance to get two harvests instead of one.
- Productivity is 2 times higher than when using flat beds.
- Convenience of caring for the garden bed, as well as collecting the fruits of low-growing plants.
- Space saving and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Everything has its downside. The downside of raised beds is the need for material investments and labor in their creation. They dry out quite quickly and require frequent watering. this won't do. The limited space of the garden bed requires regular fertilization as the soil becomes depleted.
What materials may be needed to create a raised bed?
If you have so far only used flat beds, then be sure to experiment by installing one progressive design. If we talk about how to make a high bed, the first question arises about the necessary material. There is a lot of room for creativity here, it all depends on your skill level and the amount you are willing to spend.
- High beds made of brick. If you do not have experience in bricklaying, the design may not be very aesthetically pleasing. The advantages of this are long-term and safe use.
- High beds made of boards. They are the easiest to make. You need to have a sufficient number of long boards, corners, and cross beams on hand. As an option, you can use slats that are used to cover a wooden frame. The disadvantage is obvious - the wood rots. Usually taken old slate, which was removed from the roof during repairs. It is believed that this harmful material, but the only damage to health can be caused by the dust generated when cutting it. The downside is fragility and the possibility of breaking the structure during gardening work.
- Stones and cement mortar- a very creative approach to gardening. You can create structures that will last forever, beautiful, durable, of arbitrary shape and size.
- Plastic bottles filled with colorful sand. You will get original beds with low sides.
Optimal bed height
Depends on the characteristics of the garden plot and the crops planted. If in the garden good soil, you can make sides about 15 cm high. This will make it possible to solve the problem of weeds and soil diseases, make it easier to care for the bed and improve its appearance.
If the soil is poor and a high bed is created as a separately functioning structure, then it must be made higher, 30-90 cm. Sometimes the height is set at waist level, but then it should not be made wide.
Installation
Setting up raised beds is a creative process. Each gardener will create a completely unique piece of work, but the main thing is that the goals are achieved, the garden crops grow well and bear fruit, and the garden bed itself is easy to maintain.
Choose a location. It may be the most trampled and unsuitable for planting. Draw the size future design. The length can be any, but it is better not to make the width more than 110 cm. Drive pegs around the perimeter, this will indicate the size of the bed.
Now decide on the material. If it is wood, then it should be protected from dampness, coated with varnish or drying oil, and then assembled into a box using corners and nails. Raised beds made of slate are even easier to create. Using a grinder, you need to cut the sheets into strips of the required width (70-80 cm), and then, having dug a narrow groove around the perimeter, deepen them one by one and press them firmly. You can add strength to the structure using the same corners; in addition, you need to tighten it around the perimeter with steel wire.
Filling the bed
We assume that the height of your bed is 80-90 cm. Place a wire mesh at the very bottom so that your vegetables do not become prey for moles or shrews. Then about 25 cm can be taken up by all the waste from your garden plot: uprooted stumps, large branches. For better drainage Large pieces of brick can be added here.
The next layer occupies 40-50 cm. This is a source of minerals and fertilizers. This can be small chips, grass, wood ash, lime, food waste (vegetable peelings, etc.). It is also worth adding rotted manure and compost, bird droppings with straw.
On top, in a layer of 10-20 cm, you need to lay high-quality garden soil. There is no need to mix the layers, just water them generously and give them time to shrink. Setting up raised beds is not as complicated as it might seem from the outside, but absolutely amazing results are achieved.
Features of watering
The design features are such that it absorbs more heat and, therefore, consumes a lot of moisture. High is good since the soil temperature here is almost 10 degrees higher, this stimulates the growth and development of the root system. In addition, this crop loves light and fresh soil and does not tolerate wetlands. But do not let the soil dry out. If it is not possible to install, water several times a day, especially in hot weather.
The effectiveness of these structures is so high that, having set one up as an experiment, you will soon decide: we will make high beds throughout the entire site.
Raised bed in spring and autumn
In the fall, after harvesting, you may notice that the ground level has dropped significantly. Collect a new layer of organic matter (plants, branches, grass, fertilizers), place it on the bed and cover it well with high-quality garden soil. If you still haven’t seen raised beds in person, a photo will help you imagine all the details. There is no need to dig, you just need to water and cover with film until the new year. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, your garden bed will be ready for planting the first plants. These can be greens and radishes, which will later be replaced by cucumbers, tomatoes or cabbage. A high location will save plants from fairly severe spring frosts, and good heat transfer from the bed stimulates rapid growth and abundant fruiting.
What is better to plant
Soil temperature high beds always higher than the surrounding land. This is facilitated by the limited space, the elevated location, and the decomposition of organic matter with which the structure is stuffed. In the first year of use, it is better to plant “gluttonous” plants that like excess nutrients. These are tomatoes, pumpkin, cucumbers, cabbage. Only in the second year can you grow root crops, herbs and leafy vegetables. But now the soil temperature will be much higher, which will allow the harvest to be harvested sooner.
Let's sum it up
Now you know how to make a high bed, and you can put it into practice on your site. Minimum hassle available materials, and as a result, a neat, weed-free garden and excellent vegetables that ripen at least a month earlier. This is a strong enough motivation to try.
In this material I will share with you information about beds, what they are, what they are needed for, how to make the right beds in the garden so that the harvest grows excellent. Vegetable bed it should be warmed by the sun, be perfectly flat in order to be evenly moistened, but water should not stagnate on it.
Sides
The bed may have earthen or board sides along the edges. The higher and narrower the bed, the better it warms up, the drier, and the easier air exchange occurs in it.
Height of beds
On light, loose soil, you can make beds at the same level as the paths, but if the soil is heavy, then the height of the beds should be increased. The height of the beds is also increased in areas with close groundwater.
In addition, it is very important for the Non-Black Earth Region that high beds warm up faster in the spring. IN normal conditions in a high bed it is difficult to provide the required soil moisture.
Therefore, usually the height of the bed is no more than 10-15 cm (or generally at the same level with the soil) to ensure good humidity.
Beds for carrots and radishes
Higher beds are also used for vegetables with a deep root system, such as carrots. But for radishes, with their weak root system, it is more important to ensure constant soil moisture, so the bed should be low and level.
How wide should the bed be?
The optimal width of the bed is 0.45-1.2 meters. This is primarily so that you can reach the opposite side with your hands from either side.
Most land owners want to grow not only flowers, but also vegetables and fruits. Is it possible to place all this on a small front lawn? See for yourself!
Option 1 - Vegetables in high beds
Why not build a vegetable garden in raised beds? Of course, this will require some physical and material costs, but then you can sow, weed, loosen and harvest the crop without bending over backwards.
A strip of turf about one and a half meters wide was removed around the vegetable garden, which was used to fill the boxes for the beds. The ground has been dug up and planted berry bushes. You can enter the garden through an arch entwined with roses. A lattice fence on the border with neighbors also serves as a support for climbing beans in the summer.
Organic waste is placed in a wooden compost box located in the right corner. Along the other border there is a ridge with flowering perennials. Opposite the entrance to the garden there is a seating area with a bench and an arch, also covered with roses.
How to make a raised bed
To frame a bed 70-90 cm high and 130 cm wide, you will need boards or beams 4 cm thick. To protect against voles, lay a wire mesh on the bottom of the box. It’s a good idea to line the inside with film. Now fill the box with thick branches, grass clippings, plant scraps, leaves, half-ripe compost and garden soil.
Option 2 - Meadow with fruit trees and flower beds
The desire to have even in a small garden fruit trees quite understandable. However, they require a lot of space and light, so we recommend planting trees along the borders of the site. At the same time, they will protect your garden from the prying eyes of neighbors.
A free central garden area can now be designed to suit your needs and tastes. The solution proposed here visually enlarges the garden. This impression is achieved by laying diagonally paved path, to the left and right of which square beds are laid out.
You can plant vegetables, flowers, herbs on them. To prevent the soil from becoming depleted, you should annually change the crops in the beds, to the left and right of which square beds are laid out. You can plant vegetables, flowers, herbs on them. To prevent the soil from becoming depleted, the crops in the beds should be changed annually.
On the old wooden bench at the entrance to the gazebo it is pleasant to relax after righteous labors and admire the garden.
Option 3 - Strict order in everything
This is not only beneficial for the plants, but also looks much more attractive than ordinary narrow and long beds, especially if you place an obelisk or a simple pyramid for clematis or some climbing annuals in the center.
A wide arch-arbor was built between the right flower bed and the border of the site. It can be made of wood or metal and covered with roses, clematis or (in warm regions) wisteria, but you can use curly ones for the same purposes vegetable plants like decorative pumpkins, beans, cucumbers.
Working with beds in spring
In early spring, when all the snow has not yet melted and only thawed patches have formed, warming up our greenhouse bed and after a week we plant tomato seedlings there. Between the rows of tomatoes we sow rows of early radishes or stick already sprouted bulbs into the soil with their bottoms. Green onions We're eating at full capacity within two weeks.
After another 2 weeks, we remove the radishes. After harvesting the onions and radishes, we immediately sow kibrai leaf dill in strips in all row spacings. It will grow weak, because by that time the tomato seedlings have already grown well and are blocking the light. But a small bunch of dill is enough for the table until the time when it begins in the open garden.
After transplanting tomatoes to permanent place When the greenhouse is completely empty, we dig up the soil in it with the addition of fertilizers and plant cucumber seedlings. Now this is a cucumber bed for the whole summer.
We are preparing such a bed in the fall, We always prepare the bed in the same place. Crop rotation is not needed here, since in the fall, after harvesting the cucumbers, we dismantle the ridge, take all the soil into potato strips, treat the area with Bordeaux mixture and cover it with ash. Only after this we begin the construction of a new ridge. This place is sunny, out of the wind.
The bed is buried 20 centimeters (on the bayonet of a shovel). We also install a 30 cm high frame made of logs around the perimeter. We cover the inner walls with used film.
We lay a 10-centimeter layer of cut raspberry stems on the bottom of the bed.. This is very desired layer, which in the spring isolates the denser upper layers from the frozen soil and makes it possible for the ridge to warm up faster.
Then we pour in foliage and plant residues, layering them with sawdust and earth. Pour a 10-centimeter layer of earth on top. We try to compact everything well.
The bed is poured flush with the sides of the logs. Pour water and cover with several layers of film. Then we cover the bed around with rags soaked in tar or carbolic acid, or sprinkle with bleach. This is to prevent mice from getting into the garden bed.
In the spring, all that remains is to remove the film and thoroughly water the bed with hot water. 2-3 times and wrap with film for 3 days. The bright spring sun will do its job - it will warm up the bed, and overheating will begin.
In other years, already in the third ten days of April, we make holes about a liter jar deep, fill them with humus soil and plant seedlings. First, we cover it without any equipment with lutrasil, and on top with plastic film, then we place arcs over the bed and cover them.
Bed width 1 meter, length 6 meters. We usually grow 55-60 roots of tomato seedlings and plant 35-40 cucumber bushes in two rows.
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A dacha is not just a site for growing and harvesting crops. For many, this is a favorite place to relax and implement ideas for. Often the method of planting vegetable crops is relegated to the background, but this is not correct, because the appearance of the entire landscape largely depends on their interesting location and attractive appearance. This article tells you how to make beds for the lazy at your dacha in the easiest way. Photos and descriptions of the most good ideas, as well as ways of their implementation should help make your site comfortable and well-groomed.
Tall board structures for planting crops will be the highlight of any area
A garden bed is most often a fenced plot of land intended for growing a specific type of plant.
The main thing for good harvest– fertile soil, correctly chosen planting time, high-quality processing. However, in some cases you should pay attention to other factors:
- Orientation to cardinal points.
For most crops this does not matter, but for example, rows of tomatoes and cucumbers must be positioned from north to south for a good harvest.
- Height.
If you want to harvest earlier than usual, you should install tall structures. They are easy to make (for example, you can assemble them from boards with your own hands without special tools in a short period of time), and the earth in them warms up faster.
When planning future beds, you need to know several aspects:
- Productivity of the selected crop (that is, how many plants grow on 1m2 of area).
- Compatibility of plants that you plan to plant in one area.
- Slate.
Typically, this material is used only if it is available (for example, left after a roof repair).
- Plastic.
The main feature of plastic is that it can be molded into any shape, so it is great for round or other curved fit options. In addition, it is not affected by precipitation and low temperatures, therefore it will last a long time without losing its original attractiveness.
Expensive and durable option.
- Natural stone.
It makes the most impressive sides that will last for many years. Unlike bricks, stones have an irregular shape, which will allow you to create an eco-style landscape design. Disadvantages of stone sides: high cost and gradual sinking into the soil under the influence of its own weight, so such a side must be periodically checked and corrected.
A well-made one made with your own hands from scrap materials will serve for many years, but for a good harvest, its correct location is also necessary.
Placing beds in the vegetable garden: how to arrange, photos, tips
The quality and quantity of the harvest depends on the proper arrangement of beds on a summer cottage, so this issue should be given special attention. First of all, you need to know the following:
- Beds located in the cardinal directions (from north to south) are a good solution only for low plants on a flat horizontal area.
- If the site has a slope that cannot be leveled, the beds should be across it regardless of orientation.
- It is advisable to make the rows of one plant the same size. This will make it easier to calculate the amount of fertilizer, the degree of watering and planting.
- If there are slopes in different directions on the site, choose the south side (the crop will ripen faster on it).
In small areas there is often a lack of free horizontal space for planting. If this is your case, try one of the following ideas:
- Create vertical structures.
- Use unused objects (for example, a wheelbarrow, a barrel, etc.) to plant plants.
- Attach the garden bed to the seating area.
How best to make beds in the garden - options
The beds are classified according to design features, the following types are distinguished:
- Traditional (level with the rest of the area, dimensions allow you to easily reach the center from any side (right or left)).
- High (30-40 cm above ground level, contribute to the fastest ripening of the crop).
- Deep (during installation, a trench 20-30 cm deep is dug, thanks to which the ground most often does not freeze, and planting can be carried out earlier).
- Narrow (for example, according to the Mittlider method, described in detail in the next chapter).
- Vertical (an excellent solution for small areas, but not all plants can be planted in this way).
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How to make beds from boards with your own hands
Now let's look at how to properly make garden beds from wood. This material is the most common when constructing beds. Board structures have the following advantages:
- Reliability.
The tree perfectly retains moisture inside the row, and also does not deform for a long time.
- Low cost.
This material is often left behind after construction. If you don’t have it, you can buy boards at a fairly low price.
- Easy to install.
The main thing is high-quality wood processing; if this is not done, insects and moisture will quickly destroy the structure.
- Attractive appearance.
Wood is a material ideal for eco-style beds.
The only drawback of board structures is their fragility (in comparison, for example, with plastic or brick). However, the ability to quickly and cost-effectively change them more than outweighs this.
How to make a bed from boards with your own hands: photos, dimensions, installation sequence
If you decide to make a wooden structure, first of all you need to choose the type of wood:
- Oak or ash– hardwoods, the boards of which are perfect for in this case, however their price is quite high.
- Pine– cheap, but short-lived. The service life of such a fence can be extended by periodic chemical treatment.
- Cedar or larch– the best price-quality ratio. Due to the presence of resin in the data coniferous trees, there is no need to process them.
- Acacia– also an excellent option for creating beds.
What are optimal sizes beds made of boards? First you need to decide on the height of the structure, which depends on the following factors:
- Features of the planted crop.
Some vegetables require a certain depth (for example, for potatoes, the planting depth must be at least 40 cm).
- Soil fertility.
If the soil is fertile, the sides can be made 10-15 cm high. If backfilling of fertile soil is required, 30 cm or more.
- Type of bed.
For example, warm ones are characterized by a height of 50 cm.
The most important parameter when arranging beds in a dacha is their width, since ease of use largely depends on it. If you make it too wide, it will be difficult to reach its center. Therefore, the maximum width is considered to be 100 cm.
In most cases (if the planned design does not have too much complex shape) it will not be difficult to make a bed from boards with your own hands. The size of the boards depends on the size of the future bed, but if you only have material of insufficient length, it doesn’t matter, several boards can always be joined along the length.
Procedure for constructing a wooden structure:
- Preparing the area.
At this stage, it is necessary to level and dig the area for the structure.
For a rectangular structure, you need to connect 4 boards and attach support bars to them, which should be 20-30 cm longer than the future sides. They need to be sharpened a little with an ax on the free side (to make it easier to enter the ground).
- Installation of the structure.
We drive the structure into the ground, and it is important to use a level to achieve maximum evenness of the structure.
- Surface treatment of boards.
First of all, the surface is primed (to protect it from moisture and pests), then coated oil paint(optional, you can leave the wood color).
- Backfill.
The composition depends on the type of structure and the selected crop. But in all cases, the first layer should be drainage.
Most often, they try to plant only one crop in one area, but sometimes they practice joint landing vegetables in the garden. However, it is worth remembering that not all plants get along with each other. Therefore, below is a table of compatibility of vegetables in the beds.
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Interesting ideas come to mind for many summer residents and owners of private houses. In the article we will look at original photographic examples and several instructions for creating such beauty.
Mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: examples, photos
More and more summer residents are interested in obtaining not only a large harvest, but also an environmentally friendly one. Therefore, the question arises, how to achieve a high-quality harvest without resorting to chemicals?
An excellent solution is mixed planting of vegetables. After all, some cultures have a beneficial effect on each other. However, in this matter you should be extremely careful, since not all plants like any kind of neighborhood at all.
Thanks to the science of “allelopathy”, a table of the proximity of vegetables in the garden has been compiled, using which you can significantly reduce the use chemicals for pest control and fertilizer.
The proximity of vegetables in the beds - compatibility table
The table below reflects the compatibility of vegetables in the garden. Planting using this information will ensure a high-quality harvest with minimum investment funds.
Mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: examples with photos and tips
Each friendly or unfriendly neighborhood of vegetables in the garden has its own justification. For example, strawberries and onions make great neighbors. Onions protect the berries from rot and disease, and if you plant parsley nearby, they prevent the appearance of slugs.
Onions are also an excellent companion for most garden crops, as they protect them from pests. The most interesting neighborhood of this plant is with carrots. Both crops have their own pests - onion and carrot flies, and the first cannot stand the smell of carrots, and the second - onions.
Garlic is great for pest control and is therefore a good companion for most crops. However, it is not recommended to plant it next to plants of the legume family, since the latter are leaders in the intake of nutrients, and garlic needs quite a lot of them.
Growing crops together in the garden can be detrimental to other vegetables. For example, tomatoes cannot be planted with cucumbers, as they require different degrees of watering. Thus, the proximity of these two crops will create difficulties during processing (there will be a need for spot watering, which will take much more time and effort).
In addition to the properties of plants, it is necessary to pay attention to their size. For example, when alternating cabbage and radishes, the second crop will not receive enough sunlight, causing the quality of the crop to deteriorate significantly.
So, you have developed an ideal arrangement of all the vegetables in your summer cottage, but every year the harvest is getting worse. What to do? It is necessary to ensure crop rotation.
Crop rotation table for vegetables in beds
Crop rotation is the organization of alternation of crops in the garden. Ideally, this process should be continuous and annual. However, in real conditions, achieving this is very problematic for the following reasons:
- There is insufficient information about soil contamination and the presence of pests in it.
- There is no time for precise calculations of the ideal landing option.
Why is crop rotation a must for a good harvest? Each crop has unique characteristics when it comes to obtaining nutrients. Some people look for them in the surface layers of the soil (for example, a cucumber), while others, in search of water, sink their roots several meters deep (for example, a watermelon). In addition, for the growth of each plant, it needs (to a large extent) different elements(for example, for tomatoes - phosphorus, for cabbage - nitrogen).
Now imagine that from year to year a certain layer of soil is depleted, and the content of precisely those substances that are necessary for a given crop decreases. To make it easier for you to decide how to alternate vegetables, below is a table of crop rotation of vegetable crops in the garden.
Important! The main thing is that the culture does not return to its original place for 3-4 years. During this time, the soil will have time to recover and accumulate the necessary amount of nutrients.
How to make a bed for cucumbers in open ground: photos, methods
Cucumbers are a rather capricious crop that requires special care. Many people believe that it can only be planted seedling method, however, thanks to many years of selection, there are currently several varieties that can be planted directly in open ground.
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the beds for cucumbers in the spring:
- Choose the right direction of the rows - from north to south.
- Fertilize the soil ( best solutions – cow dung or chicken droppings, but if they are not there, any mineral fertilizer will do).
- Place sides (preferably at least 25 cm).
The main secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground are choosing the right planting time (from May to mid-June, depending on the region) and choosing the right variety.
How to make beds for cucumbers - general features
In the case when seedlings are not used, grow a high-quality crop in the usual way(on standard beds) will not work. It is necessary to use one of the other methods of growing cucumbers in open ground:
- Arranging a bed with a bookmark.
- Installation of a warm bed (including a raised structure).
These methods are non-standard, so they are described in detail below to prevent errors during installation.
How to make beds for cucumbers in the garden with a bookmark
To arrange a bed for growing cucumbers with a bookmark, you need to dig a trench 30 cm deep and sequentially fill it with the following layers:
- Branches and sawdust.
- Straw, leaves and compost (at this stage you need to fill everything with warm water).
- Sand.
- Organic waste (leaves, bark, etc.).
- Straw.
- Fertilizer (manure is best).
- Earth and humus.
- No dirt from the beds due to the presence of sides.
- High yield.
- Aesthetic appearance (you can make beautiful identical beds).
- Even faster warming of the soil, which means the harvest will appear earlier.
- Convenient (no need to bend over to care for cucumbers).
The main thing is to thoroughly compact each layer, otherwise the soil will turn out to be too loose, and you should not expect a good harvest.
Advantages of warm beds for cucumbers:
Raised beds for cucumbers in open ground
In unfavorable climate conditions, it is advisable to arrange raised (or high) beds 40-50 cm high (for convenience, you can make it higher). In this case, the sequence of layers remains the same as in conventional warm structures on the surface of the earth. Such designs have the following advantages:
