Using a raised bed for gardening year round in New England
Here is described what I like to grow, and that is dependent on what I like to eat. Anything can be planted with regard to the days to maturity. I like to us the raised bed with a cover to extend the season and succession plant for multiple harvest, or a spring and fall harvest and seeding for overwintering late in the season.
Building a Simple Raised Bed
A raised bed can simply be a pile of soil. For areas that that drain well, hilling up you planting area may be an inexpensive way to start. Also recycling wood from fences or pallets make cheap raised beds. Three 4x4x8 posts can make a 8×4 bed. These can be screwed together and a second set can be place directly on top to increase the height. 2×8’s or 2×10 can be used in the same way. If you don’t like bending over the raised bed can stand two or tree feet high. A raised bed is a must have in an area that doesn’t drain well.
First year I tried carrots, but messed up the soil as I had a lot of knotting and the voles had a hay day. The second year potatoes did very well. This past year I wanted tomatoes, so a trellis was added.
Adding a trellis on a raised bed
Grow vertical is a great space saver. I added 7 foot T-bars on the ends of the bed and added aluminum wire and dropped twine to support tomato plants. I tried growing 10 tomatoes in an 4×8 box – which should have been better with 6 plants with basil as a companion.
Adding a row cover on a raised bed
Adding a frost cover with hoop supports will extend the season, and the hoop can also hold an insect screen, or shade cloth depending what you want to grow.
I used nylon twine stretched over each side of the hoop to make it windproof. A carabiner attached to the hoop using a hose clamp holds the frost cover in place.
Prepping for Spring
Soil amendments
Succession Planting, Double your crops and harvests
