As a frugal urban homesteader, I’ve found that raised bed gardening is an excellent way to grow fresh produce in limited space. Raised beds offer several advantages over traditional in-ground gardens, especially in areas with limited yard space and/or challenging soil conditions like Sioux Falls.
Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening
- Improved soil quality: Raised beds allow you to create a custom growing medium that is rich in nutrients and well-draining. This is particularly beneficial in areas with heavy clay soil, like Sioux Falls, which can be difficult to work with.
- Enhanced drainage: Raised beds provide better drainage than in-ground gardens, preventing root rot and other soil-related problems.
- Easier maintenance: Raised beds are generally easier to weed, cultivate, and harvest from than in-ground gardens.
- Pest and disease control: Raised beds can help to reduce the risk of pest and disease problems, as they are less likely to harbor pests and diseases found in the surrounding soil.
- Increased productivity: Raised beds can often yield higher crop yields per square foot than in-ground gardens.
Building a Raised Bed Garden
When building a raised bed garden, it’s important to consider the materials, size, and location. Here are some tips for building a raised bed garden:
- Location: Choose a sunny location for your raised bed garden. The plants will need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
- Size: The size of your raised bed will depend on your available space and gardening goals. A typical raised bed is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.
- Materials: Raised beds can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, stone, metal, or recycled materials. For my garden, I chose cedar boards for their rot resistance and durability.
Location
We previously built our first raised bed in the most open spot in our yard, so we had to be a little more creative this year. We decided to put this within the landscaping around our house. We had previously tried to grow grapes and lilac bushes in this location, but they always performed poorly. Since we would be building a raised bed this was not a concern for us since we would have full control over the soil conditions within the bed.
This is on the south side of our house. In the middle of summer in Sioux Falls, SD we have 15 hours and 25 minutes from sunrise to sunset see here. This will be a spectacular location for a productive garden.
Size
The size of our bed was constrained by the area available within the landscaping without blocking the gutter downspout. We also had the challenge of dealing with the sloping ground as we do have a drainage easement next to us. Within these constraints we were able to build a rectangular bed about 3 foot wide by 8 foot long, with the addition of a triangular area that is about 3 foot by 4 foot by 5 foot.
Materials
For the bed construction I like to use 5/4 cedar deck boards. They are readily available and used in high volumes so they are not terribly expensive. Another benefit of using wood is it allows for the extreme customization of bed shape that I needed to do to accommodate the shape and depth of the raised bed.
Construction with cedar is as easy as cutting the boards to length and using some cedar 2×4’s or 4×4’s in the corners. Assembly is done with outdoor rated screws attaching the deck boards to the interior corner pieces, and any supplemental support pieces in between.
Creating a Hugelkulture Base
To improve soil fertility and drainage, I used the hugelkulture method to create the base of my raised bed similar to what is shown here by Zero Waste Chef. This involves layering organic materials, such as branches, leaves, and food scraps, to decompose and create a nutrient-rich growing medium. In addition to the drainage and health benefits that hugelkulture provides, it is also just pragmatic allowing us to partially fill the volume of this bed with branches, limbs, and other scraps we had been saving for firewood, but had far too much of. Over time these larger pieces will break down releasing more nutrients, keeping the soil loose and aerated. Over time the soil will settle and the bed will have to be topped up.
Filling the Raised Bed
Once the hugelkulture base was in place, I had to find 40-50 more cubic feet of soil to fill the beds. If you have to go to a big box store and buy compost, top soil, and manure to fill you could expect to spend $3-$7 per cubic foot that would be hundreds of dollars and tons of wasted plastic bags. Luckily the city of Sioux Falls landfill has a free compost program. They take in lawn clippings, branches, and leaves and rather than put them in the landfill, they keep a separate pile of this organic matter which they then spread out and turn throughout the year in compost rows. Residents of nearby towns can come to the landfill and pickup as much as they want at no cost for non-commercial use.
I had known for years this was available, but I had not used this before. I showed up with a pickup and a shovel and was amazed at how big this program was. They had a convenient finished pile in one location for all the weekenders like myself who are there picking up, but they had several stages of this compost spread across the lot, from the receiving pile, to the turned piles, and off in the distance I saw what I believe was a shaker used for sifting and likely magnetic debris removal.
As I loaded the pickup I saw steam rolling out of the compost and it smelled so earthy. I felt great that this organic material was saved from the landfill and would be able to help me grow my garden achieving my personal goals of increased self-sufficiency.
Topping Off the Raised Bed
I filled the bed within about 3-4″ of the top with the city compost. Leaving room for two additional layers at the top.
Top compost later
For the top most compost layer about 2-3″ thick I used our homemade compost consisting of primarily chicken poop, wood chips from coop clean out, shredded paper, and food scraps. My hope is that this top layer of compost is extremely rich to support the seedlings when I transplant them and as they grow the nutrients contained wash down further into the soil at the same time as the roots grow deeper.
Mulch layer
Finally the top layer going on the bed will be mulch. This is another area that we can use something we have around the house. Once per month we clean the wood chips out of the chicken coop, so this is a great candidate to spread over the top as a mulch layer before transplanting my seedlings. This layer of mulch will provide protection to retain moisture in the bed after watering or rain fall while also suppressing weed growth.
Planting and Maintenance
Planting in raised beds is similar to planting in-ground gardens. Be sure to choose plants that are suitable for your climate and soil conditions. Regular watering, weeding, and fertilizing are essential for maintaining a healthy and productive garden.
This year I intend to grow tomatoes and jalapeno peppers for salsa, as well as expand in to some other things I haven’t grown before like onions, carrots, basil, dill, parsley, and cilantro. I will also be focused on companion planting to support healthy growth of the plants I choose and discourage pests.
Conclusion
Raised bed gardening is a fantastic option for urban homesteaders who want to grow fresh produce in limited space. By following these tips and creating a well-designed raised bed garden, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest and reap the benefits of homegrown food.
