There is growing evidence that climate change will interrupt food supplies as well as various other commercial transactions. So it is a good time to consider edible gardening.
Some Benefits of Raised Garden Beds are:
Easy Way to Remedy Poor Soil,
Increased Soil Drainage, Reduced Erosion and soil compaction, Less
Bending Over, Fewer Weeds and Fewer Pests.
A Raised Bed for vegetables needs maximum sun exposure; a water source; good drainage; and special soil.
Raised beds can be made of cinder blocks, rocks, metal, and wood, etc. In Hawaii wood decomposes too quickly. Beware of shipping pallets, only the ones clearly marked "HT" are heat treated and safe. ALL the rest are treated with toxic substances. And the same is true of old tires. Corrugated metal may have been painted with lead paint. Lava rocks are free but the irregular surfaces may defeat snail guards made from copper wire.
The photo below is of a raise bed made by two people in a day for about $100. The concrete blocks were a bargain on Craigslist. They were laid on a lawn and capped with poured concrete, to stabilize the blocks (about 1 1/2 " thickness).
Inside the bed, atop the undisturbed lawn grass, we laid about 8" of black cinders (for drainage), then about 6" of cinder/soil (from Puna Rock), then a few inches of Macnut compost, then a generous sprinkling of coral beach sand (to lower soil acidity), then 3 or 4 inches of organic garden soil.
The Macnut husks decompose slowly enough to harbor colonies of beneficial bacteria. In Hawaii ordinary wood chips decompose too quickly. Microbes work in synergy to create soil conducive to healthy organic agriculture.
- Images of raised beds
- Raised bed gardening on YouTube
- Puna Rock products list
- Gardener’s Guide to Raised Bed Soil
- Raised Garden Bed Design
- The Best and Worst Materials for Building Raised Garden Beds
- Soil Amendments & soil pH
- Rat lung worm disease
- Tropical Gardening
- Edible Landscapes
- Growing Edibles
- Amaranth
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