Raised Garden Beds
After seeing the success I had with my strawberries, I have begun converting my vegetable garden to all raised beds. A few benefits of raised beds are:
- Easier to reach - you don't have to bend down as far, and you can even sit on the frame if you want.
- Soil warms faster in spring for earlier planting.
- Less area to cultivate and add compost to. I used to till my whole garden and then create rows and paths after. There is really no reason to add compost and till where you are going to spend the summer walking.
- Easy to add frames for plastic, netting, or bug barrier mesh. I made some sturdy frames out of PVC pipe and elbows. I use netting with about 1" squares over my strawberries so the bees have no problem getting through but the birds and squirrels are kept at bay. Bug barrier mesh is helpful to keep the vine borer moths from laying their eggs in any melon type plants. Don't worry about keeping the bees from pollinating these because it is very easy to tell female from male flowers.
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