Raised Garden Beds –
they are WELL WORTH it !

We can't say enough words of appreciation
about Raised Garden beds. (RGB's)

Some of their key benefits include:

  • They quickly and effectively solve the " Poor Soil " problem –
    clay, rocky, sandy or way out of neutral PH (6,5 to 7 ).
    Poor soil is often the main reason for plants underperforming
    and people believing they've got no "Green Thumb":)
  • During strong/long periods of rain they COMPLETELY prevent
    waterlogging of your plants' roots –
    provided you fill your RGB with a loamy, well-draining mixture.
    Root drowning is another popular reason for inferior crops
    and is actually the worst thing that can happen to a plant!
  • Tending RGB's is incomparably easier on the gardener's back, joints and blood pressure –
    these 30 cm over the soil level to reach towards
    make all the medical difference, especially for the Aged!
  • As an additional bonus, they have the increased "Ornamental Presentation" ability:
    simple Tomato surrounded by common carrots looks like a
    sophisticated exotic display in an RGB!

Opposite to the popular stereotype,
RGB's are very easy to make and can be very inexpensive.
Details in our"Garden FAQ's brochure" here:
The price largely depends on what you are going to fill your bed with and it's size.
  • Size is the bigger the better (buffers plants' roots against sudden weather extres),
    minimum is 1x1 m and 30 cm over soil lever for RGB and
    50 cm deep for Underground Garden Bed. (see below)
  • Filling mixture should be rich in organic matter (for most edible plants) and WELL-DRAINED.
    The cheapest and very effective example is:
    mushroom compost + wood ashes.
    Best if you can let the site rest for 2-3 months to let the earthworms, bacteria etc. do thir soil-producing job )
    Mushy compost can be substituted by well-aged manure
    (otherwise can burn the roots, especially chook manure),
    well-aged plant compost, or,
    as a more expensive but easiest alternative,
    compost, garden soil and potting mix
    (yes, we do recommend it despite contraversial opinions!)
    purchased from a Nursery or local Bunnings etc.
    Just make sure they are graded "Premium" and "Organic".
    To add volume and cut on the costs,
    you may mix the mixture with no more than 20% of the garden soil,
    the poorer the soil, the less should be present in mixture.
    There is no demand to mix any in at all.
    ( There exists an opinion that garden soil MUST be present in mixture in a good proportion
    so that plant is somewhat used to it
    when it's roots hit the bottom of your RGB and into the garden soil.
    Based on our personal experience, we disagree with this opinion. )

RGB's are recommended for almost all areas,
with these few exceptions:
  • Consistently Arid areas
    ( with stron/long periods of rain never occuring as a climate feature )
    If you had a torrential rain 10 years ago, it does not count as a climate feature-
    has to happen regularly every season/year.
    Reason: RGB's, due to their restricted and relatively small volume, dry out quicker than general soil of the garden. Hence potential danger of drought shock to roots.
    Solution if soil is difficult: UNDERGROUND garden bed: dig a hole of 50 cm deep, and MIN 1x1 mtr, better more. Fill with good, loamy, well-drained mixture (see example of mixtures above and in Garden FAQ's brochure)
  • Consistently EXTREMELY hot areas
    (average day temp more than +32 for more than half of the year) AND(!)
    NO torrential rain periods as a climate feature.
    (DARWIN is NOT one of these areas!)
    Reason: RGB's, due to their restricted and relatively small volume, heat up quicker and to higher temp's than general soil of the garden. Hence potential danger of heat shock to roots.
    Solution if soil is difficult: UNDERGROUND garden bed: dig a hole of 50 cm deep, and MIN 1x1 mtr, better more. Fill with good, loamy, well-drained mixture (see example of mixtures above and in Garden FAQ's brochure)
  • Areas with FROST as a climate feature
    (average minimal temp's over +5C are NOT frost!)
    In this case, we recommend simply not to plant into RGB's
    if your plant's life cycle is developing towards frosty part of the year,
    but it's totally fine to plant in RGB's
    if your plant will NEVER encounter frost during it's life.
    Example: Arctic Proven Tomato (life cycle abt 2 – 3 months)
    planted in Tasmania in Spring or early Autumn is OK in RGB.
    Same Tomato in Tasmania planted in LATE Autumn
    will be better off in general garden soil.
    Reason: RGB's, due to their restricted and relatively small volume, cool down quicker and to lower temp's than general soil of the garden. Hence potential danger of cold shock to roots.
    Solution if soil is difficult: UNDERGROUND garden bed: dig a hole of 50 cm deep, and MIN 1x1 mtr, better more. Fill with good, loamy, well-drained mixture (see example of mixtures above and in Garden FAQ's brochure)

ATTENTION !
Drowining of the roots
(may occur in just 4 hours of roots being in watter-saturated soil)
is far worse than any of the root shocks described above! Therefore,
STRONG/LONG periods of RAIN as a Climate Feature overrrule any exceptions!
For these areas, RGB's are truly the BEST WAY TO GO!
( Example: Darwin during Wet Season )



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