Sooner or later, every owner of a small private house or even a resident of an apartment, thinks about growing fresh herbs and tasty vegetables on their own bed. And it is not about microgreens grown on the windowsill, and a full harvest of juicy strawberries, green cucumbers or red weeds, which are grown on real garden beds or vegetable garden. And what to do for those who do not have free space on the site to create a bed or soil, which is completely infertile, you ask? The solution is simple - to make with your own hands and install near the house Dutch or high beds.
High or raised beds are a simple and quite practical bottomless structure that is installed on the surface of the ground or concrete, filled with fertile soil and other special components. Immediately after construction and filling, the top layer of soil can be sown with seeds of various vegetable crops or planted with prepared seedlings. The leading specialists of Polyroot Company tell about the main advantages of such a construction and how to make high beds with their own hands.
The advantages of high beds for growing vegetables
For growing fragrant greens, juicy vegetables and sweet strawberries, high beds can be safely called a weighty step in the development of agriculture in limited space. Everyone will agree with this statement, because this design is quite practical in use, and the advantages are undeniable. The list of these advantages directly includes:
- Versatility. High beds with their own hands are excellent for growing various crops, and they can be built on soil of any fertility, and on the asphalted surface or on paving stones.
- Comfort and ease of caring for the plants. High beds are made in different heights, the plants grow above the ground surface, which makes it possible to care for them sitting on a chair or even standing, rather than bending over.
- Decorative Features. High beds are made of boards, slate, metal, plastic and even wood-polymer composite (wood-polymer composite). The shape can be different, both rectangular and triangular. And depending on the material of manufacture and shape, the bed can serve as a beautiful decoration of the garden or yard.
- Great yield. The soil used for filling is characterized by high fertility - accordingly, the harvest is 2-3 times better than on conventional ones. This is due to the fact that the soil heats up quickly even in early spring, since it is elevated above the surface of the ground, it is well ventilated and saturated with oxygen, which is important for the development of the root system. In high beds, water does not stagnate, and seeds or seedlings are reliably protected from rodents and other pests that usually live in ordinary soil.
Also, among the significant advantages is the fact that the soil layer before planting seedlings does not need to be annually re-cultivated and saturated with a large amount of fertilizers, and the frame of the structure - reliably protects the soil from the growth of weeds.
Which board is better to choose for high beds
To make Dutch beds with your own hands, you can use any improvised material, for example: wooden boards, slate, concrete, foam blocks and even metal sheets. However, experienced vegetable gardeners suggest making high beds from the most natural materials, for example - boards from dpc.
Wood-polymer composite boards are a modern material, which is manufactured using an innovative technology of combining wood flour of natural origin and high-quality polymers. That is why, high beds from dpc are characterized by several positive features at once:
- have an aesthetic appearance that resembles natural wood as much as possible;
- unlike wood or metal - it is a durable material that is not subject to corrosion, natural rotting processes and mold development under the influence of high humidity;
- sufficiently resistant to the negative effects of ultraviolet sunlight, prolonged rain and frost;
- due to the use of high-quality polymers, the boards made of dpc are characterized by high strength, reliability and resistance to excessive load, which affects the extension of the service life of the bed - up to 25 years;
- boards made of wood-polymer composite can be quickly enough cut and connected to each other with the help of simple components, and therefore you can make high beds with your own hands quickly enough.
How to make high beds with your own hands: step-by-step instructions
To make a Dutch bed for growing various vegetables and berries, absolutely all gardeners and gardeners can, since for the manufacture of such a structure you do not need to have special knowledge. To do this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the step-by-step instructions prepared by Polyroot specialists on how to make high beds. First of all, you need to buy the necessary amount of dpc boards, connecting components and certain construction tools, in particular, you will need: hacksaw, saw, hammer, screwdrivers, drill and tape measure.
The actual construction process should be carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Determine the location. Sunny, well-ventilated areas and places where water does not stagnate are best.
- Clear the installation site of branches and weeds.
- Choose a shape. The most common options are the rectangular or square Dutch bed.
- Determine the dimensions of the structure. The optimum height for practical plant care in the bed is 40-50 cm. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the minimum layer of nutrient soil should be about 20-30 cm. Depending on the size of the plot, the length of the structure can be either 1 or 1.5 or more meters.
- Mark the contours. You can use ordinary sand or pegs and string for marking.
- Construction of the Dutch bed. Install wooden planks, aluminum corners or lags at the corners. Cut the boards from the dpc corresponding to the length of the bed. Fix the first board horizontally and secure it with special fixing elements of screws or locks. Fix the next board parallel to each other and securely fasten it to the support posts.
- Make the bottom of the bed. To create an optimal microclimate, a drainage channel should be laid, and the bottom should be covered with a special film. Experienced gardeners also recommend protecting the walls with a film to preserve the boards and extend their service life.
How to fill a high bed correctly
After creating a framework of wood-polymer boards and arranging the bottom, the bed is filled layer by layer, where each of the layers performs a specific function:
- the bottom layer is a drainage layer, which provides moisture drainage and is necessary to prevent water stagnation. The bottom layer is made of broken bricks, stones, charcoal and expanded clay;
- a layer of organic matter, namely plant residues that decompose quite slowly, such as branches or coarse haulm from vegetable crops. Industrial organic fertilizers are also perfectly suitable;
- a nutrient layer that provides direct nutrition to the plants, and this layer is made using over-fermented manure, leaves, grass or various mineral fertilizers;
- the top layer, namely the layer of fertile soil into which seeds are sown or seedlings are planted. Special soil mixtures are best suited for this purpose.
Dutch bed from wood-polymer board with your own hands is ready! And to learn more about wood-polymer board for making a high bed, you can visit the website of Polyroot - Ukrainian manufacturer of high-quality wood-polymer raw materials. We offer a wide range of wood-polymer board of different thickness, properties, texture and colors. You can buy boards from dpc in the network of partner stores or order the required amount of materials with delivery in Ukraine.
