Raised Beds for Vegetable Growing in Colorado
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Gardening benefits your physical and mental health and growing vegetables has even more advantages. They taste better, have more nutrients, and it’s convenient to harvest from your garden. When starting a vegetable garden, the first decision is whether to have raised beds or a traditional garden in the ground. For the unique conditions of Colorado, particularly when it comes to vegetable gardening, I strongly recommend raised beds. Here are some reasons why.
HIGH pH CLAY SOIL
The soil along the Colorado Front Range Urban Corridor has a high proportion of dense clay compared to ideal soil for vegetable gardening. Therefore, water penetrates slower and stays in place longer. That sounds like a good thing in a dry climate but oxygen gets pushed out of the soil. Since oxygen is vital for healthy roots, plants may become stressed and possibly die. This clay soil can be amended but it takes a lot of effort, material, and multiple seasons to see the benefits. In addition, the soil pH is alkaline due to excess calcium carbonate. Altering the native soil's pH is an arduous task often taking multiple seasons to do so. By using raised garden beds, you control the soil quality. It’s an expense upfront but well worth the investment if you want to get started right away.
ABUNDANT WEEDS
Weeds are not just an unsightly inconvenience. They rob your precious plants of nutrients, water, and light. At the very least, they compete for resources, and at the worst, they’ll smother your plants. Bare native soil may contain thousands of weed seeds per square foot. When working that soil for an in-ground bed, weed seeds will be brought to the surface and germinate. Soon, the garden will be overrun with weeds. Although weeds aren’t eliminated by using raised beds, they are greatly diminished. Weed seeds may still travel into the raised beds via air or animal, or even grow up through it if the bed is open to the soil below. However, there will be far fewer weeds and those that do grow will be easier to manage.
ACCESSIBILITY & LIMITATION
Raised beds offer dual advantages of enhanced accessibility and controlled limitation. They cater to individuals with physical ailments such as back or knee pain, as well as those using wheelchairs. Varied heights, ranging from ground level to knee height and even counter height, ensure accessibility and enjoyment for everyone. Additionally, raised garden beds impose a certain level of restriction. Being elevated prevents people from walking in them and compacting the soil. Moreover, they act as a deterrent to children, pets, and some pests like rabbits, safeguarding your plants. If the raised garden bed bottom is open to the ground below, lining it with galvanized steel hardware wire prevents voles and rodents from tunneling up into your crops.
AESTHETICS
Many materials and design styles are available for raised garden beds, allowing you to enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor space. While wood, plastic, and metal are the most common materials, stone, brick, and other options may be used for a custom look. Untreated lumber is cheaper but won’t last quite as long as naturally rot-resistant cedar or redwood. Carefully consider plastic garden bed options because the UV light at high altitudes can quickly damage the plastic and make it brittle. Metal garden beds are a good option for Colorado, but be sure they are rust-resistant. Some metal beds on the market have an applied coating to prevent rust, like these raised garden beds from Garden In Minutes®. They are easy to assemble, can be customized to various sizes, promise to be long-lasting and stand up to the harsh Colorado climate.
While raised beds have a higher initial cost compared to traditional in-ground gardening, this expense includes both the beds themselves and the high-quality soil. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that the investment is well worth it. From enjoying premium soil right from the first season and dealing with fewer weeds to experiencing better pest exclusion and creating an aesthetically pleasing garden, the benefits are substantial. You can achieve these results with an in-ground vegetable garden in Colorado, but it would demand significantly more time, research, and physical exertion.