raised beds vs. in-ground beds

Raised beds vs. In-ground beds

3/13/2017

Spring is just around the corner which means that garden planning is underway! For those of you who are planning a new garden or expanding an existing space, my video today might be for you.

I get this question a lot from clients and workshop participants, "What do you think of raised beds versus in-ground beds? What would you recommend?"

There are advantages and disadvantages to consider for both options. Click on the video below to learn what might be the right choice for you.

Be sure to share any questions you might have in the comments below. Also, if you have other pros and cons that you've encountered, please share them!

Happy planning,

Kareen

9 Comments

Amy Kelley Hoitsma

3/13/2017 11:56:59 am

Hi Kareen --

One disadvantage of raised beds is that they are more awkward for setting up an irrigation system. I'd rather not have raised beds, but I opted for them because I didn't trust the soil here in the NE corner of Bozeman, near the railroad depot. I know that this area used to be a swamp and so a lot of fill was brought in to remedy that. To be on the safe side, I made raised beds so that I would know what's in the soil I'm feeding my vegetables!

Best,
Amy

Kareen Erbe

3/13/2017 02:24:59 pm

Thanks for the input Amy! Yes, irrigation can definitely be trickier with a raised bed. I'm glad you brought it up. Did you figure out a good way to do it? For those that haven't yet set up their raised beds and are thinking of some sort of drip irrigation, one suggestion would be to set up an irrigation stub that comes up through the bed. You can do this before you fill the bed with soil.

Amy Kelley Hoitsma

3/13/2017 02:32:05 pm

Carla Pyle link

3/14/2017 07:41:20 am

Hi Kareen,
We set up a hoop system on our raised beds made out of pex tubing secured to the wood with simple metal brackets. We cover with plastic sheeting which creates a really nice greenhouse effect for starting seeds in early spring. As it warms up, we switch out the plastic for netting, which keeps the birds from getting at the tender sprouts, and also keeps neighborhood cats from using it as a litter box. These advantages aside, I do yearn for a 'wilder' aesthetic - especially love the whole 'food forest' concept.

Kareen Erbe

3/14/2017 09:22:03 am

Perfect Carla! Great idea. Raised beds allow you to add this feature. Though you could also do it in an in-ground bed, I think it's easier to manage when the tubing is attached to the wood. I like this idea too because the netting later in the season could also be a good deterrent, not only to cats and birds, as you mentioned, but to deer. This could be a work around for those that don't want to (or can't) build a fence around their garden or yard. Thanks for sharing!

Michelle link

5/15/2017 06:53:01 pm

Thanks for share this article, it very useful for me.
I look forward to your new article.

Kareen Erbe

5/17/2017 10:32:06 am

Great Michelle, glad you found this useful. Please do check out the rest of my blog posts. I also have a page where you can see all of my videos: http://www.brokengroundpermaculture.com/videos.html

Ana M. link

10/31/2017 04:44:25 am

Gardening is a very sensible hobby in which you feel so good and feel the nature. The people who like this hobby know the value of nature and gardening. This video is proving so helpful to me and be able to learn the good things.

Kareen Erbe

10/31/2017 09:04:41 am

Hi Ana! I'm glad that you found the video helpful! Agreed, gardening is definitely a therapeutic tool in so many ways - it keeps us active outdoors, engaged and growing delicious and nutritious food!

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Raised beds vs. In-ground beds

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