DIY beds: types and how to make, materials and sizes, choice of location

A large number of factors affect the yield of plants. These include the timing of planting seed material, the place of cultivation of crops, the height of the embankment. The construction of beds with your own hands helps to achieve good results in growing plants. At the same time, it is important to correctly select materials and follow the rules for creating such structures. The phased implementation of planting operations is of great importance.

What are garden beds for?

Hand-made beds look quite attractive and are of practical use. Such structures are made to solve the following problems:

1. Reducing the risk of active weed spread.
2. Reduce the chance of shedding beds. This is especially true for areas with loose soil.
3. Possibility of constructing warm beds.
4. Possibility of fixing arcs for greenhouses on the sides.

Types of beds

Depending on the shape of the frame, the following types of homemade beds are distinguished:

• square;
• rectangular;
• in the form of a triangle;
• trapezoidal.

Materials from which they are made

For the construction of such structures, it is permissible to use a variety of materials. The most popular options include the following:

• cut boards;
• wooden bars;
• flat or corrugated slate;
• bricks;
• plastic panels;
• concrete;
• film;
• plastic bottles;
• plastic bags;
• metal sheets;
• thick material.

In the case of using wood, plastic or slate, it will be possible to build a collapsible structure. Thanks to this, it can be easily moved to another location.

Choosing a seat

Most plants do not develop well in low light conditions. Therefore, when placing beds on a garden plot, you need to focus on their illumination.

When choosing a landing site, you should consider the following recommendations:

1. Don't plant crops in low places or on northern slopes. There, the ground freezes much stronger than on flat areas. As a result, yield parameters can be significantly reduced. In addition, moisture stagnation is observed in the lowlands, which increases the risk of root rotting.
2. The site should not have a strong slope. Otherwise, water will begin to drain during irrigation, and the plants will experience a lack of moisture.
3. Large trees or buildings should not be located near plantings. They provoke crop shading.
4. Place the beds from north to south. Thanks to this, they will be evenly illuminated by the sun throughout the day.

Height, shape and dimensions

Buildings can have different lengths. They are usually made up to 10 meters. However, watering such structures may not be very convenient.Therefore, an embankment 3.5-4 meters long is considered the best option. In this case, the width should be 80 centimeters. Do not exceed this size, as it will be inconvenient to process the bed.

The shape of the beds is different - rectangular, triangular and even oval. At the same time, it is important to focus on your convenience in terms of watering and weeding.

As for the height, the structure should be raised by 35-50 centimeters. This is enough to prevent decay processes. Very high beds up to 80 centimeters are usually made in wetlands. However, building them can be quite difficult. In addition, to create such structures, a lot of fertile soil will be required.

Drainage

If the site is located in a lowland or marshy area, growing many plants on it can be very problematic. Vegetables and berries spoil quickly and contain significantly less sugar.

To avoid such problems, it is recommended to provide for drainage of the site. It is important to bear in mind that not all plants require it. Moisture-loving crops include gourds, cucumbers, zucchini and garlic. For other plants, the site should be drained.

Multi-level constructions

This technique is often used for decorative purposes. Designs that are raised to different heights look very impressive. They are also often built when there is not enough space on the site.

At the same time, caring for plants that are in multi-tiered structures is much more difficult. In addition, they are only suitable for crops with a weak root system. These include parsley, dill, lettuce, selected flowers and strawberries.

To create multi-tiered structures, it is worth using special wooden boxes. In this case, metal sheets are better not to use. They heat up in the sun and provoke rapid drying of the soil.

Lazy beds

Similar mounds are perfect for planting a large number of crops. They are distinguished by their small height and in appearance resemble trapeziums without the use of a box. However, such embankments will have to be built every year, as they settle during the winter.

To make a lazy bed, it is recommended to dig a small ditch in the area of the path and level the ground with a rake. In this case, it is recommended to discard the soil on the bed. The drier the soil on the site, the lower the height of the embankment should be.

In swampy areas, it is recommended to dig the paths as deep as possible. In this case, the beds should be quite high. On sandy soil, this is not required - just tread the paths in the dug up soil.

Making beds with your own hands

To make beds with your own hands, it is recommended to follow these recommendations:

1. First, dig up the soil on the bayonet of a shovel. At the same time, weeds and stones should be removed.
2. When constructing the frame, it is important to ensure that the walls are at the same level. In this case, the joints should be placed at the desired angle.
3. Tall structures should be laid in the fall. Thanks to this, the lower layers of the soil will perepere well during the winter, and the rest will settle and mix.
4. If you plan to build beds in the spring, it is recommended to do this 1 month before planting.
5. After assembling the beds, it is required to water the soil intensively. This contributes to the compaction of its layers.
6. After harvesting, it is worth placing the remains of tops, leaves, grass on the ground. They will pereper during the winter and saturate the soil with valuable elements.

To fill the beds, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Place a metal mesh with small cells on the bottom. It will protect crops from moles and rodents.
2. Lay 1-2 layers of cardboard on top. It will help protect the soil from weeds and rodents.
3. Create drainage that will ensure the removal of excess fluid. For this, it is permissible to use crushed brick, gravel, sand, expanded clay.
4. Place a layer of leafy soil or fallen leaves.
5. Lay a layer of organic manure. For this, it is permissible to use chicken manure, peat, horse manure.
6. Fill up nutrient soil with the addition of combined mineral preparations. In arid regions, it is permissible to additionally use a hydrogel. It will help maintain optimal soil moisture.
7. Mulch the soil after planting.

Possible errors

When building beds with their own hands, many people make common mistakes. These include the following:

1. Inconvenient arrangement of tracks. The central paths should be made wide enough for the passage of a wheelbarrow and a cultivator. Side paths should be comfortable for passage. It is also important to pay attention to the prevention of weeds in these places.
2. The beds are too wide. This will make caring for them inconvenient. In such a situation, you will have to step on the ground in the central part to care for the plants that grow there. To easily reach the central part, it is worth making beds no more than 80 centimeters wide.
3. Wrong choice of materials. Do not use rotten boards for the construction of beds. They may contain pathogenic bacteria and parasites. It is best to use thick boards that are resistant to decay processes.
4. Wrong choice of substrate. In order for plants to grow and develop normally, they need to provide nutritious soil. To fill high beds, use a mixture of topsoil, coconut coir, compost, and shredded foliage. It is permissible to use peat instead of coir.

Homemade beds have many benefits. They help save space on the site, facilitate the care of plants and increase their yield. It is important to follow the basic recommendations for the construction of such structures.

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