Why use a raised bed system to plant when there is earth available??? Many are the reasons and whyfors.. some technical and scientific. Mine are fairly simple...
- Several years ago when we landed in the land of red clay dirt I was told that it would take at least 3 years to get a good crop of tomatoes out of the ground. I never know how long I will live in a location, I might not have 3 years to improve the soil. I stumbled upon Mel Bartholemew's book Square Foot Gardening and found the answer to my delema.
- I dont rototill well. I have tendonitits and shoulder problems at times, so heavy lifting and jarring can be an issue. Also I am cheap- I dont want to rent or hire it out each year so I can have dirt to plant in.
- Cotton gin trash compost is easily available and at $20 a truckload a great base for raised beds.
- It makes sense to go up and keep boxes of dirt where the earth is not compacted and the weeding is limited.
- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that I can sit on the edge of the bed and with one hand prep the soil in early March and plant seed after mixing in some compost/manure and quickly gardening season has begun again.
- The harvest has been good and the work limited, not alot of extra time spent weeding and working the earth. Compact intensive growing has worked. I have raised tomatoes from the first season and the crops keep coming.
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