[cAnAry53]

the only downside i can vouch for is that you will probably have to water more often as they do dry out quicker

[yorky]

I started off with lazy beds then over the years gradualy contained them with planks or paving stones stood on end. Even though my soil is on the heavy side I never felt the need to import extra top soil.The fact that the beds are never walked on plus the addition of lots of organic matter has left me with a wonderful deep rich soil.

I have never fully understood the logic of putting down cardboard or weed membrane and then covering with soil. It may well stop things from growing up, but does'nt it also confine the roots of the things you want to grow to the top few inches of the bed? If so then it seems to defeat one of the main reasons for having raised beds in the first place.

[BabbyAnn]

but does'nt it also confine the roots of the things you want to grow to the top few inches of the bed?

cardboard soon rots down in soil normally teaming with fungus and bacteria that will soon break it down.

[compostqueen]

Raised beds don't have to have wood etc around them, they can just be soil etc heaped up and then flattened off. 

You could have a mixture of beds, raised and flat   

Not everyone digs, or plants in rows 

[yorky]

but does'nt it also confine the roots of the things you want to grow to the top few inches of the bed?

cardboard soon rots down in soil normally teaming with fungus and bacteria that will soon break it dow.

Well yes, but then it will not be doing the job it was put there for in the first place. It all just seems a bit of a pointless exercise.

[mumofstig]

It's still adding to the soil, though. So not a dead loss 

[Carrot Man]

Sorry if I am duplicating something already said, I'm just jumping it at the end here

I personally prefer raised beds as you have more control over the condition of the soil
My raised beds are 2 x 9" planks 8' long, put together to make 8' x 2' beds 18" high
I have wrapped them in thick black polythene to protect them and prevent them from rotting
I have several at him and am now looking to put them on my plot as I have found them easier to work in, especially as I don't have to bend down so far

[Growster...]

Raised beds don't have to have wood etc around them, they can just be soil etc heaped up and then flattened off. 

You could have a mixture of beds, raised and flat   

Not everyone digs, or plants in rows 

Spot on CQ!

Beds are places for significant crops, and you can wander round each one and fiddle about!

I always chop out the edge of my beds and make a mouned bed, (small or otherwise) by digging out, and the result seems to be the same, and I don't have to buy all that timber either...

[BabbyAnn]

I personally prefer raised beds as you have more control over the condition of the soil

me too.  I think there are a lot of pros and cons for both methods and it comes down to each to their own.  It certainly makes a rotation plan much easier.

Well yes, but then it will not be doing the job it was put there for in the first place. It all just seems a bit of a pointless exercise.

yes and no - if you just put soil/compost down onto soil full of weeds/grass, they will just simply grow up into the new layer.  The cardboard will temporarily restrict that growth enough for the weeds to die back before it rots down.  However, it really is temporary so if you have determined perennial weeds especially bindweed, marestail and couch grass then it won't be as effective

[compostqueen]

I have put cardboard on top of weeds in the bottom of a raised bed and had no trouble at all.  It was good, thick stuff from the electric shop though. I assumed it would take ages to rot down and keep the weeds at bay while it was doing so.  Excluding light by adding the soil etc over the cardboard has killed them off

I did it, it worked. You just have to bite the bullet sometimes and try these things.  A waist high raised bed is a boon. We built two on our in-bloom group's plot and working at that height is very easy.  You don't have to make them that high thought 

[Dantheman]

thanks for the replies again
that's what my plan was going to be, so going to go with it thanks for all you help.
dan