Benefits Of Raised Bed Gardening: What Do They Actually Do?

What makes a raised bed a good option in the first place, and why should you buy one?

Simply put, whether you buy a bed kit or build your own, your garden bed is raised off the ground and housed in a beautifully (or simply) shaped container.

But beyond just looks, there’s a lot more to gardening with raised beds than meets the eye.

Sure, you beautify and beautify your grow room – but did you know that these structures also benefit your plant health, soil health and – drum roll – YOUR health too?

Not to mention, you can also pinch a few pennies.

Once you get past the aesthetic delights of these fantastic grow boxes (although that’s not to say they aren’t a great benefit in their own right), that’s when things get really exciting!

Let’s see.

No need for lifting

Raised beds don’t require you to break ground right away. Simply add your own tilled and fertile soil mix to your container without having to edit.

That way you can keep the turf in your garden perfectly clean – and even keep your tiller in the shed for the season. Heck, with your own container setup you don’t have to invest in a tiller at all, saving you money on your garden startup costs!

Soil that is easier to work

Building and tilling your soil takes much less effort because you can start your enclosed garden with a desired soil mix instead of working with what you find in your backyard.

So garden novices can skip dilemmas with the soil types they work with in their own backyard or other grow space.

Soil too clay? Salty? Sandy? It doesn’t matter with these growing structures, because you can get started with your ideal loam from elsewhere – and immediately.

Ergonomic options

These containers give you the ability to build beds at a higher level, reducing the back, neck and shoulder strain that usually results from typical gardening without containers.

There is nothing more daunting for both novice and experienced gardeners than physical strain. However, with raised beds, you can get over that bump and maintain your gardening enthusiasm – instead of feeling tired and hurt every time you think about it!

Weed reduction

By keeping the earthy contents of your garden separate from the wild environment outside the comfortable container, there is less chance for weed seeds to spread throughout your growing environment, reducing weed growth.

Since you’re also bringing your own mix to start with, this doubles your protection against weed invasion, especially if you make sure your soil mix is weed-free.

Last but not least, if your kit or build comes with bottom protection that shields it from the soil below it makes it all the more difficult for plants and weeds growing outside the container to find their way in!

Faster root growth

Low-set containers that have contact with the soil — and/or contain a finer growing mix — allow for faster root development than if plants were planted alone in backyard sod or hard pan.

Such soils are more difficult for root development and affect the appearance, health and harvest time of the plant. Not so when you introduce your own mix, and especially one that is better designed for feeding sensitive plant growth.

The University of Missouri Extension points to the obvious: better root growth equals healthier plants, which ultimately equals higher yields!

Less soil compaction

Soil in containers is never compacted by walking on it, making it excellent for both plant and soil health. Sheltered kits can further reduce compaction by providing protection from heavy rainfall.

As many of my farming mentors have told me, “the bane of all growers is compacted soil!” An elevated container is pretty much a guarantee that this crafty obstacle will never be your enemy again.

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension highlights the same benefits, saying it’s a sensible improvement to your yard, especially if there’s a lot of foot traffic (and the presence of less-cautious, rambunctious kids) in the area.

Higher yields

For gardeners who want to grow their own food, the appeal of increasing fruit and vegetable yields through intensive planting is a real plus.

Raised beds are the perfect setups for much more densely clustered plantings, such as in the styles of square foot gardening, bio-intensive plantings, and more.

Instead of a traditional garden where much of the space is reserved for paths or areas for conventional row planting, you use ALL of your space in a much smaller container garden, so you can grow a lot more in just a fraction of the space. .

Less runoff

Since the soil has nowhere to go if kept in a planter (unless it has no bottom – in which case the runoff will wash down), you won’t lose any nutrients or structure after a hard rain as you would in a typical garden!

If you’re also committed to improving your soil microbiome and fostering the liveliest, healthiest and most diverse growing environment possible, containers will further ensure that the microbes you’ve lovingly nurtured for so long don’t go anywhere either.

Less chemicals

Weed reduction calls for less chemical herbicides. There’s no better way to quickly and easily do organic gardening in your own backyard than by getting your very own raised bed!

Again, this calls for another party for the money you keep in your pocket. Chemical herbicides are a financial investment on top of getting your garden started, so you can effortlessly skip those costs and ensure that the food you grow is 100% safe, healthy and free of chemicals.

Putting it to bed

As you can see, building your own raised bed or purchasing one from a kit can save you a lot of the hassle that normally goes into traditional gardening.

It can also save you money and physical strain and even protect your health in other marginal ways!

In many ways, cutting out all that extra toil makes it much easier to start a garden from scratch and fit gardening into your busy schedule.

For those of you who have found the idea of gardening daunting despite its many health and financial benefits, don’t wait any longer. Buy a raised bed garden!

It’s plain and simple: these settings are the smoothest way to go, and it’s especially important to choose a design that will last.

What are your experiences with raised beds? Did you enjoy building it yourself, buying a kit and reaping the amazing results?

We want to hear from you! Share your own two cents in the comments below.