[Lynne]

I started out on the allotment with raised beds, then I decided to have some of it open even though it means more digging.

I have decided that I will get rid of my raised beds next year. The growing area is so reduced with them!

Anyways, I like digging.

 :roll:

[brucesgirl]

I agree - when we started my husband wanted raised beds, but we didn't bother. Digging is so therapeutic after a stressful week at work, and there are no awkward corners to negotiate.
Glad everyone is different though.

[noshed]

Some people on our site have tiny raised beds and huge paths. I just have fixed beds about 4' wide and don't bother with the wood. My soil is quite heavy clay/loam so it stays mounded up nicely.

[John]

I'm putting in more raised beds but I wouldn't bother with them if I had good soil on the whole plot.

One plot on our site looks wonderful with beds set in paths but I reckon 50% of the space is paths.

Raised beds are not the be all and end all but they do have a place on the right plot.

[Ice]

I'm thinking of getting more raised beds next spring as digging is a problem at the moment.  The one I had this year was great and I had loads of salad veg from it.  However, I'm interested in their productivity as I read somewhere that raised beds produce more by using dwarf varieties closer together and production levels are similar to a traditional plot.  Anyone think this is true?

[tessiesplot]

Hiya everyone, Ive just finished my 7th raised bed, i've got jap onions & aquadulce beans in 1 & 2 but nothin in the rest,, Any suggestions on what to put in for this time of year, or is it worth waiting until spring.. &  Yes i'm new to all this..

[WG.]

Hiya everyone, Ive just finished my 7th raised bed, i've got jap onions & aquadulce beans in 1 & 2 but nothin in the rest,, Any suggestions on what to put in for this time of year, or is it worth waiting until spring.. &  Yes i'm new to all this..

Garlic  

[tessiesplot]

CHEERS w.g. but is that all ? My plot is takin shape but looks empty for now with not much growing, I've got a greenhouse on there if i can start stuff in it, or is it too cold?

[WG.]

CHEERS w.g. but is that all ? My plot is takin shape but looks empty for now with not much growing, I've got a greenhouse on there if i can start stuff in it, or is it too cold?

Well you've got the jap onions & broad beans in already.  You can plant Jerusalem Artichokes any time between now and March but basically nothing until the first of the seeds in January in GH.

[John]

I'm thinking of getting more raised beds next spring as digging is a problem at the moment.  The one I had this year was great and I had loads of salad veg from it.  However, I'm interested in their productivity as I read somewhere that raised beds produce more by using dwarf varieties closer together and production levels are similar to a traditional plot.  Anyone think this is true?

I wrote a couple of articles on container growing that are very applicable to raised deep beds - may be of interest to you. Close spacing of the correct varieties can make your raised beds very productive indeed although the space eaten by paths means not that much more productive than a normal plot.

There's also a couple of articles on raised beds you might like to read as well:

Conatiner Growing 1
Conatiner Growing 2
Raised Beds

Raised Deep Beds 1

Raised Deep Beds 2

[Ice]

Thank you John.  I made my raised bed almost exactly how you described so I feel confident doing more.  It's definately the way to go for me now, but maybe not if I were a bit younger.

[WG.]

I grow a lot of stuff in containers and find that I keep them much better weeded than the rest of the garden.  I think the same psychology would apply to raised beds.

[John]

I grow a lot of stuff in containers and find that I keep them much better weeded than the rest of the garden.  I think the same psychology would apply to raised beds.

Definately does. Things get out of control, you take a break away and come back to a mass of weeds it's daunting but one bed at a time isn't so bad.

[Sadgit]

you'll never see a raised bed on my plot.. I hate wasted space

[Ice]

you'll never see a raised bed on my plot.. I hate wasted space

I'm not sure it is wasted space as you can plant closer together.  Everything I have read so far makes me think it works out about even.  It would be interesting to hear from someone that has a lot of raised beds so we can compare.