Grow winter vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, cabbage and onions in raised beds filled with quality potting soil. These gardens take little space but provide many advantages, such as increased productivity, improved drainage, reduced weed problems and warmer soil that allows gardeners to plant early or extend the growing season. Cultivate your desired winter vegetables in a raised bed as you would in a traditional garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Choose a site that receives at least four to six hours of direct sunlight every day.
2. Construct a frame for your raised bed. Lay lengths of landscape timbers or railroad ties on the ground in a square or rectangle to your desired dimensions. Drill a pilot hole through each corner of a length and pound a metal spike through it that penetrates the soil below. Lay another row or two of timbers or railroad ties above the base layer and reinforce with spikes.
3. Add quality soil and compost or peat to the raised bed to a height of five inches below the rim of the ties or timber.
4. Dig small holes between 1/2- to 1-inch deep with a hand trowel if planting seeds. Space the holes evenly in a block style layout; this will increase your output five times as much as traditional row-style planting. Follow the instructions on the seed packets for seed spacing and depth. If using vegetable transplants, dig each hole large enough to accommodate the root ball.
5. Mulch the raised bed to conserve moisture and keep the soil warm during the winter. Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of grass clippings or three to four inches of bark, peat moss or sawdust.
6. Use a drip irrigation system that provides water at a slow and steady rate. Although you can use overhead sprinklers, they wet the foliage, which can increase the plants' susceptibility to fungal diseases.
7. Fertilize growing vegetables with 1 to 2 lbs. of a well-balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer every 100 square feet. Repeat every four to six weeks during the growing season. Organic alternatives include liquid kelp, fish emulsion or bone meal.
8. Spread a shade cloth over the raised bed to protect growing vegetables from frost or rain. Place bricks or heavy stones to weigh the edges of the cloth and prevent it from blowing away.
Tags: growing season, growing vegetables, railroad ties, timbers railroad, timbers railroad ties, winter vegetables
