Raised Beds Vs In-Ground Vegetable Garden
Raised garden beds have skyrocketed in popularity in the post-covid era. The desire to grow your own food and be relatively self sufficient is on the minds of many. But the question is, raised beds vs in-ground vegetable garden, which is better? Below we have compiled a list of pros and cons of raised beds to help you decide.
Soil
PROS: If the dirt around your house is not ideal for growing plants (too rocky, too sandy, too much clay, too compact, etc.) then raised beds are a great choice. You can fill it with exactly the right soil your plants need for a healthy, fruitful harvest. For more on how to fill your raised garden bed with soil click here.
You also have control over potential contaminants. You get to pick what your garden box is made out of and control the soil going into it. We make all of our Raised Beds out of all natural premium cedar. Cedar is naturally rot and pest resistant which means we never use materials that can potentially leach chemicals into the soil. For more on the safest material for raised beds click here.
Also the ground around your house is a mystery. From old house paint and lead, to run off from shingles, to lawn care chemicals from previous owners, among a myriad of other things, raised boxes can remove the headache and the questions.
CONS: No real cons here, except potentially the cost of buying soil to fill your beds.
Convenience
PROS: Raised beds are higher off the ground which means less kneeling and bending over. We also purposefully build sturdy raised beds with a 4 inch lip around the top so that you can sit without any fear of your garden box breaking.
CONS: Also no real cons from our point of view.
Weed/Critter/Pest Deterrent
PROS: Not only are our all natural cedar boxes naturally rot and pest resistant but having raised beds means weeds are far less likely to spread into the soil. If you use clean soil and a layer of mulch, finding weeds in your raised beds will be minimal. And if you DO find them they will be much easier to access and to pull out.
Also just elevating your garden off the ground will keep a good amount of critters out of your garden and will help a great deal in ensuring the dog doesn’t do his business where you don’t want him to. Raised beds also make it easier to add a fence around the area if you desire to do so.
CONS: Not as far as we can see.
Higher Produce Production
PROS: Because of the quality of the soil, excellent drainage and the concentration of watering, plants thrive in raised beds and can have higher yields. You can also plant more crops in higher densities maximizing your space.
CONS: Raised beds are excellent at drainage (which is good for your plants) but it can mean you need to water regularly and potentially amend your soil more frequently with organic matter to keep all the healthy microorganisms your soil needs.
Location, Location, Location
PROS: Our raised garden boxes can be placed anywhere. And if you need a planter or elevated bed for a patio or porch we have you covered as well. We have hundreds of customizable options to choose from that allow you to design the garden you want easily and to place it in the most optimal area of your yard. For more on garden box planting depths click here.
CONS: Again, no real cons.
Appearance
PROS: Raised beds can define your space, add a stunning visual to any backyard, and add a general flow and feel. All without the fear of grass and weeds invading the designated area.
CONS: The only real con here is probably the cost associated with buying your raised beds.
We hope this helped. If you’re interested in more information about how to grow a survival garden/mini-homestead check out this article by Growing Spaces.