How best to make a bed. How to make beds in the garden: useful tips

A modern person needs a dacha not only to satisfy the instinct of a peasant and provide his family with vegetables and fruits, but also as a place to relax from city problems and bustle. And no one doubts that it is always more pleasant to relax in a conveniently equipped beautiful area. The topic of our article is "smart" beds from the point of view of organic farming.

The main goal of organic farming is to preserve and increase soil fertility. And the technology of arranging "smart" beds will help us learn how to properly plan and decorate a personal plot.

Organic garden beds may look different, but the basic principle of their formation is to make the most of small areas.

"Smart" paths should be at least 40 centimeters wide - so it will be convenient to walk along them, carry a wheelbarrow, carry water, and so on. The most inconvenient thing in the garden is right angles. Therefore, when laying "smart" beds and "smart" paths, you will have a wide field for experimentation and creativity. You can equip oblique, triangular, radial beds, in this case, everything depends on the convenience of their use and maintenance.

"Smart" beds can be raised above the ground or deepened into it, can be "bordered" and filled with humus. The height of the raised beds ranges from 20 to 80 centimeters, and the width can be different, it all depends on what is planned to be grown on such a bed.

Organic farming is constantly evolving. Practicing gardeners from year to year improve the methods of creating "smart" beds, come up with various forms and configurations. The main thing here is to understand the basic principles, to understand the essence of the process, and then everything will depend only on your desire and capabilities.

Raised container beds

The vegetable container is one of the varieties of raised beds that are used in organic farming. The width of this structure, as a rule, is about a meter, the length is any, and the height is from 30-40 cm to 70-80 cm. It is convenient to organize such beds right on the lawn, and decorated with tiled masonry, they will give your garden a unique design - a sort of flower beds for vegetables . In the center of the beds, you can install a trellis for climbing crops. And ideally, such a “flower bed” must be covered with a transparent roof, this will protect vegetables from various diseases.

Thin materials (plywood, slate, thin boards, and especially iron) are not suitable for the walls of a vegetable container, since such a bed will get very hot in hot weather. And it is impossible to equip it in the shade - there will be no good harvest. In this case, the frame must be done thoroughly, because strong winds can damage it, and the weight of the plants during the fruiting period is not small (50 kg per linear meter). It is best to use timber or logs, brick or wild stone.

The lined vegetable container is filled in layers only with organic matter. At the very bottom, you can put rotten large tree branches, shavings, wood chips. Next, coarse, unripe organic matter is placed, which is watered with bacterial fertilizers to accelerate maturation. We will talk with you in more detail about these fertilizers in the following articles. Unripened organic matter is sprinkled with humus and earth. Further, to the very top, the bed is filled with a layer of finished compost. It is important that this layer is at least 15-20 cm. Sand or earth should not be mixed with the finished compost, because of this it compacts and settles. Loosening such a bed is not required, in the spring you just need to add a layer of ready-made humus on top, and when the planted plants grow up, the soil must be mulched with straw or other suitable materials.

Watering a vegetable container is best done internally. To do this, when laying the beds, you need to evenly dig in several containers with holes (pipes or plastic bottles), which should be filled with water as needed. Under the humus, you can also bury leaky hoses wrapped in nylon stockings or other synthetics that let water through. The end of the hose is brought out and connected to a water source. The main thing is not to forget to turn off the water after 15-20 minutes, so as not to overmoisten the bed.

A vegetable container is best made with a roof made of transparent materials (polyethylene film, cellular polycarbonate). This, of course, slightly increases the cost of the structure, however, the roof reliably protects plants from diseases. There is practically no dew under it, which provokes the appearance and development of phytophthora, peronospores and other dangerous diseases.

The vegetable container is raised high enough above ground level, so the soil in it warms up and ripens earlier. Any heat-loving crops on such a bed can be sown earlier than usual. If you correctly calculate the time and location of the plants, then here you can first harvest radishes and watercress, then build a trellis for tomatoes or cucumbers in the middle, and plant beets, onions or carrots in place of the radishes. After collecting the root crops in the fall, you can re-sow radishes and lettuce in a vegetable container.

As you can see, the vegetable container is convenient and beautiful. Such a bed saves space in the garden and allows you to harvest various crops within one season. A large volume of nutritious compost allows you to minimize watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening. There are many advantages, however, there are also disadvantages.

A vegetable container needs to be built, and for this you need to find strength, time and money. For such a bed, a lot of organic matter is required, which also needs to be taken somewhere and ensure that it is of good quality. These three tangible shortcomings determine the moment that a vegetable container is rarely found in personal plots.

Experienced gardeners, taking the arrangement of a container bed as a basis, came up with simpler and cheaper options, but no less effective and convenient. For example, some crops can be grown directly on a compost heap. To do this, an additional compartment is attached to the place where the compost ripens. In the spring, half-finished humus, which has lain under the film all winter, is thrown into this compartment. On such a bed, you can plant zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins and tomatoes.

Beds-boxes

Raised box beds are very popular among organic farmers due to their ease of arrangement and high efficiency of use.

A box is a stationary bed, the sides for which can be made from available material. In this case, any boards, slate, plywood and the like are suitable. The height of such a bed, as a rule, is 15-20 centimeters, the width is 1-1.2 m, and the length can be made at your discretion. The bed-box is filled with organic matter: a layer of half-ripe manure or compost is poured on the bottom, and on top, with a layer of at least 6-7 cm, ready-made high-quality humus is laid.

If the box is wide, then the rows can be arranged both along and across. In order for the plants to receive more sunlight, the rows on such a bed should be arranged in a north-south direction.

In the middle of the box-bed, a trellis is made for climbing crops; such a bed can be covered with a roof. That is, simply put, a box is a low container. And its main advantage in this case is the fact that a lot of organic matter is not needed to fill the beds. However, a thin layer of compost quickly loses nutrients and moisture, and in the heat such a bed needs to be watered more often. This can be done with a hose, or with buckets from a large container. A fairly thick layer of mulch is required to retain moisture. To feed the crops growing in the box, it is recommended to use various organic fertilizers, which will be discussed in detail in the following articles.

If the soil on the site is good, then loosening the box is not necessary. The earth will loosen under it independently to a sufficiently large depth (in the first year it is already twenty centimeters). As we already found out in the article “Stop destroying the earth by digging and weeding”, soil inhabitants — earthworms and bacteria — will take care of structuring and loosening. Next spring, you just need to pour a few wheelbarrows of ready-made compost into the garden, and plant vegetables directly into it. If the organic matter is of good quality, then there will be few weeds, and those that appear are removed quite easily.

With the help of a simple frame or wire arcs, a box-bed can be quickly turned into a greenhouse, in which it is convenient to grow seedlings of various crops in spring.

When using this type of "smart" beds, the main thing is to fertilize them correctly and water them in a timely manner. Then in boxes, as well as in a vegetable container, three or four crops of different vegetables can be grown per season.

Deep trench beds

As you have already noticed, our list of "smart" beds is built on the principle - from expensive and productive, to cheap, but no less effective in use. Practicing farmers on their plots combine the advantages of all types of beds, reduce the cost of their laying and adapt to the conditions of a particular site.

If the groundwater is low enough on the site, and it never gets flooded, a narrow compost bin can be deepened into the ground. Thus, a kind of garden trench is obtained.

The main advantage of deep beds is that they can be dug directly into the virgin soil. To do this, they dig a trench in the sod with a width of two bayonets of a shovel and a depth of a bayonet. The length, as in previous cases (vegetable containers, box-beds), depends on your desires and capabilities. Even the sides of the boards are not needed here. Half-ripe manure is laid right on the bottom of the trench, and on top is a layer of finished compost, at least 6-7 centimeters high.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, beans can be planted on such beds ... After the plants have grown, the trench must be mulched with any available material. About what materials can be used as mulch, we will describe in detail in the following articles.

In the future, all care will consist in timely watering as needed. And you will also have to mow the grass between the rows with a sickle a couple of times during the season. In order not to do this, the aisles can be covered with burlap, and covered with gravel on top - it’s beautiful, and the weed does not grow.

The main advantage of deep trenches is that they retain moisture remarkably, and plants grow well here, even with moderate watering. And the main drawback is that you certainly can’t get away from the classic pose of a gardener when caring for such a bed.

Ornamental garden basics

As already noted, modern man needs a dacha not only to grow vegetables and fruits. Most people use their gardens as a place for the whole family to relax. Let's figure out how to decorate a personal plot without spending a lot of space, effort and time.

Structures such as gazebos, fences, as well as southern walls can be used to equip beds. If the fence is made of mesh, then in itself it will be an excellent trellis for tall climbing crops. You just need to dig a trench nearby and fill it with organic matter. This bed is ideal for growing cucumbers and beans. The advantages are obvious - you don’t need to build a trellis, and it doesn’t take up space, and flowering plants, with skillful care, are also a wonderful decor.

In the same way, you can surround the gazebo with a trench. In this bed, you can plant various types of decorative pumpkins and beans that bloom in red, white, and even purple flowers (hyacinth beans). A gazebo decorated in this way will become the highlight of your summer house and a favorite place for family gatherings. It should be noted that planting a gazebo with cucumbers is not recommended, sometimes they get sick and lose their decorative properties.

The southern and eastern walls of various suburban buildings are able to warm up well during the day and give the plants reflected light and heat, which helps to accelerate the growth and development of heat-loving crops. Such walls can be an excellent support for cherry tomatoes, and below you can plant such attractive varieties of cabbage as kohlrabi and broccoli.

In order to give the backyard a well-groomed appearance, all the free spaces between the "smart" beds need to be mowed regularly - this will turn the weeds into a motley grass lawn.

We develop virgin lands

You have become the proud owner of a summer cottage. But here's the bad luck - the land on it has never been cultivated or has been cultivated for a long time, and you do not see any possibility of growing a crop in the first year, since the development of virgin lands is an unusually time-consuming task. Do not despair, on the contrary, you are lucky - you have received a plot with living land and, with a skillful approach and proper processing, you will be able to maintain its fertility for many years. What to do in order to be able to grow your own crop this season?

Experienced gardeners, in the process of studying and understanding the principles and techniques of organic farming, came up with several ways to use virgin lands for beds already in the first year. We have already talked about deep trench beds.

According to the principle of deepened beds, you can arrange a place for growing various melons and gourds. You don't even need to dig trenches for this. To arrange such a bed right in the sod, it is enough to dig a hole about a meter in diameter and two bayonets deep. We fill the pit as usual - half-ripe manure will go to the bottom, which can be mixed with coarse, immature organic matter. From above, with a layer 6-7 centimeters thick, we pour fully ripened humus. Pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, melons and watermelons grow well in such pits.

All subsequent care for such a bed will consist only in timely watering. In order to prevent weeds from growing here, the virgin land around should be covered with burlap or some other material (cardboard, old rugs, etc.), and covered with organic mulch (straw, sawdust) on top. Under such a carpet, the weeds will die, and next spring you will only have to loosen the soil with a flat cutter.

Another great way to easily and effectively treat turf is a special mulch for the development of virgin lands and weed control. This technique is considered one of the most "smart" techniques used for many years by permaculture gardeners and organ farmers. Its essence is as follows.

In early May, fresh weeds poured with juice are trampled down - this is a wonderful food for soil organisms. A layer of immature humus mixed with manure and a small amount of compost are scattered over the weeds. To speed up the process, all this from above can be treated with special bacterial fertilizers. Newspapers and magazines are laid on humus with manure in 2-3 layers; packaging cardboard can be used for these purposes. A layer of nutritious organics is poured directly onto the paper, 10-15 cm thick (this can be unripe manure and unripe humus). From above, this entire “pie” is covered with straw, foliage or hay. With such a coating, paper or cardboard cuts off weeds, and the organic layer holds moisture well and provides nutrition.

Of course, you can’t sow seeds on this bed in the first year - therefore, seedlings of large plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, as well as various melons and gourds) are planted here. They plant in a certain way - they dig up a little straw and manure and pierce a layer of paper with a scoop, and the roots themselves will find their way down. Then watered and again buried with a layer of mulch. If it rains relatively often, then it is practically not necessary to water such a bed.

The next year, this whole "pie" will settle and turn into high-quality compost, the soil will loosen from below, and the happy gardener will have a new fertile and weed-free bed. The only thing left is to add humus every year - and you can sow whatever your heart desires.

So, let's sum up our conversation about laying organic beds. What is needed to plan and organize a convenient and beautiful garden plot for a long time and without significant time and financial costs. Let's highlight a few basic principles:

we always use the geometry of narrow beds;
in dry areas we lower such beds into the ground, and in flooded areas we raise them above the soil surface;
we fill any beds with organic matter, and later we mulch well;
We periodically mow all the paths between the beds to prevent the growth of weeds.

By following all these not very complicated rules, you can not only grow a good harvest, but also turn your garden into a conveniently organized and beautiful place for the whole family to relax.

Country house! How much has merged in this word for the Russian heart! And this is the pure truth. For many, dacha is a way of life. The suburban area is being groomed and cherished.

And I want that the work would not be in vain, that the site would not only be beautiful and well-groomed, but also give a good harvest. And even better - a record! But the harvest will be as good as the beds in the country.

You need to understand how to form them, what size and type to make, how to care for them.

A legitimate question arises: how to make beds? Science seems to be simple, but does everyone know it?

What you need to know about beds?

The form. It can be all kinds, and is limited only by the imagination of the owner and the size of the plot. The beds can be made straight, with different geometry, or figured. With or without a fence, low or high.

High beds (the height of 40 cm is considered optimal) are gaining popularity in recent years. For many reasons:

They are warm. On the bottom layer of fast composting materials (branches, rags, any waste paper) put a layer of slowly composting materials (leaves, grass without seeds, paper). Then you need to water it, and cover it with earth. When rotting, heat will be released, and the crop will ripen faster.
The sun warms the earth faster. True, and watering should be carried out more often.
You can protect yourself from moles and mice by placing a plaster mesh under the bottom layer.
You don't have to dig anything. These beds are not dug - they are made.
You can harvest two crops. It is quite possible to enjoy a salad or a radish before planting the main crop.

Dimensions. Usually, the width of the beds in the garden is 60-100 cm. Such dimensions are convenient to use. They are easy to care for. The length is not limited.

In this regard, it is impossible not to mention the Mitlider method. It offers very narrow beds of 45 cm, and massive passages of 90-80 cm, no more than 9 meters long. Summer residents who use this method speak positively about it.

Plants are well ventilated. When they grow, the approach to them remains as convenient as possible, and most importantly, they receive more solar energy, and even in cloudy summers ripen well. Yields are higher with this method. In the beds made in this way, you can plant various crops: tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, eggplant, peppers.

Location. Usually the beds are located from south to north. This allows all plants to warm up evenly. And in the morning and in the evening, when the sun illuminates the beds from the sides, they do not shade each other so much.

This is if the area is more or less even. And if he has a bias? How to arrange the beds in this case? It is more expedient to place them across the slope, so the water will be distributed evenly.

If it is a completely uneven area, then the beds are located on its southern slope, and garden plants - on the northern one.

layout. For proper planning, you need to know:

The yield of a particular variety of vegetables per square meter. Then you can calculate the required planting area for each species.
Plant compatibility. Without this, it is impossible to carry out high-quality planning.
If the site has a strong slope, then you need to build terraces, and place boxes-beds on them.
Plan planting vegetables so that tall plants are on the north side of the garden. Then the lower ones will not be in their shadow.

Getting to the construction of beds with sides

The garden will be neat, it will be nice to take care of it. You can, of course, hire a specialized team, or you can do everything yourself.

Moreover, it is not so difficult:

We carry out the marking of future beds.
With a shovel, along the marked line, we rake the earth to the center. We go deeper by 10-15 cm.
Installing the boards. The material for them can be taken different. The main thing is that it be tough and keep the shape of the beds.
- Sides can be from boards. Fasten them better with screws, not nails.
- From slate. First, it must be cut to the desired size.
- Can be made out of brick. It is used in the arrangement of curly beds, where the landscape designer has worked. Because, as is clear, the location of such a bed cannot be changed just like that. Need to break!
- The height of the side wall is selected individually. It is defined as follows: the height of the side above ground level, plus the depth of laying in the soil.
- You can buy fences and curbs factory-made. They are made from. The site with them looks not only neat, but also fun. They are made in different colors and in almost any geometric shape.

Here is the bed and ready. Little tricks when using such beds:

The paths between the beds can be laid out with stone, tiles. You can also sow lawn grass. It will be beautiful and comfortable.
After harvesting, the earth is dug up, but not left flat. In the garden, one or more mounds are made in the form of a pyramid. This is necessary so that after the winter, the earth, having begun to thaw, does not open the fence.
If the soil on the site is clayey, then it is necessary to drill holes in the brick fences for the outflow of water.

How to make beautiful beds?

I really want our site to be different from others. In this we can help the design of the beds. It can be made unusual, and not like anything else. There is room for fantasy here!

Here are some ideas:

Fences are made of extraordinary material. For example, car tires painted in bright colors will give the site a festive and cheerful look. Moreover, you can arrange them as you like: a pyramid, a chain, a column, etc. From metal pipes and barrels with holes made in them. from which plants grow.
You can use the empty wall of the fence, and hang something like a planter with some greenery on it.
You can decorate the beds around the perimeter with a wicker fence. It always looks original.

Good luck in arranging your garden, and high yields!

Gardening in Russia is famous for the fact that people are constantly adopting various low-cost ways to increase productivity. The so-called warm beds have earned high popularity. Their device is designed in such a way that there is an early heating of the soil with natural (from decaying organic matter) or artificial (with the help of an energy carrier) heat.

In simple terms, a warm bed is a kind of compost pit that has drainage at the bottom and planting soil at the top. There are three options for compost beds for their placement relative to ground level:

raised above the surface;
buried;
mixed design (the base is at a depth, the top tower is located above ground level.

In any case, the filling of the beds will look like a layer cake, in which each layer is some kind of organic material.

Such beds are formed either in early spring or late autumn. Going into the winter with pre-prepared beds is very rational, because before freezing in the bowels of the structure, the process of decomposition of organic matter will already begin, and in the spring it will continue with renewed vigor.

Contents of organic warm beds

Approximate content of raised beds from bottom to top:

protection against rodents - mice and moles (use a metal or plastic mesh);

drainage layer (plant branches, large branches, logs, remains of old stumps and other bulk material);
insulating fabric (geotextile) or a layer of old newspapers and cardboard on top of it;

IMPORTANT. The insulating layer prevents the drainage layer from being flooded with water, and also prevents the germination of weeds.

sawdust, bark, chopped branches;
unripe organics - old foliage and various plant remains;
rotted compost;
garden soil or specially brought fertile soil.

IMPORTANT. The thickness of the top layer must be made such that the roots have enough space and they do not grow into the layer of unripened organic matter. Study in advance the specifics of those plants that you plan to plant on this bed.

Depending on the design, some layers can be eliminated. For example:

if the bed lies on the ground without deepening, then a drainage layer of bulk material is not needed. There is no need for cardboard - just cover the bottom of the bed with a protective coating against rodents, and then with a waterproof technical cloth so that irrigation water does not quickly go into the soil;

if the bed is of a mixed type (buried with elevation) - make sure that the ground level is somewhere between a layer of cardboard and unripened organic matter.

There are no strict rules. The main task of a novice designer of warm beds is to understand the whole principle of work:

layer sequence;
organization of the process of decay;
rodent protection;
thickness of each filler layer.

Most of the questions are related to how thick each layer should be. Experienced gardeners recommend paying attention to key points:

top fertile soil with compost 15-25 cm (depending on the length of the roots going deep into the soil);
unripe organic matter (old leaves, etc.) with a layer about 12-15 cm thick;
a layer of old branches, sawdust - about 10-13 cm;
the lower drainage layer is from 5 to 10 cm.

Varieties

There are different versions of beds that give natural warmth from the inside. The choice of design depends on how much you are willing to spend time and effort on the result. Remember that any garden design is considered simultaneously as:

opportunity to increase yields;
a means of facilitating further garden work, increasing convenience;
aesthetic organization of plantations and plantings on the site.

Technologically the easiest option. What are the advantages of a warm bed of this type:

they are much easier to care for;
there is no need for hard work on digging the earth to a depth;

IMPORTANT. They are ideal in conditions when the soil is excessively swampy (inside the contour of a warm bed, an optimal environment is created due to the selection of fillers, and the bottom is covered with insulating material).

it is easy to create clear geometric shapes (important for lovers of the delights of landscape design);

it is much easier to protect plant roots from mice and moles.

buried beds

The most difficult option in terms of labor costs. However, the result is more solid:

under the ground level, organic matter does not freeze as much as in raised beds, so the process of heat release begins much earlier in the spring;
once you dig a trench and fill it with organic materials, you don’t have to worry about repeated work for several years (shelf life is about 3-4 years without the need to change the internal contents);
saving time and effort on the side frame of the beds, because. you can do without it (if the surface of the beds is flush with the level of the surrounding ground).

mixed type

This option is considered optimal:

the buried part plays a long-term role (it is not necessary to dig it up every spring);
the elevation of the upper fertile part allows you to process the bed with less effort;

IMPORTANT. Working in a sitting position is relevant for older people. Often they suffer from atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, in which the head down position is contraindicated.

the recommended height of the part protruding above the surface is approximately 55-70 cm;

the towering part will have to be decorated with side walls, that is, an aesthetically attractive view will be obtained - the garden or vegetable garden will look more stylish, pleasing to the eye with landscape design.

materials

A very important aspect is what to make the contour of the beds from. Although there are a wide variety of materials on the market, they have different properties:

aesthetic appearance;
financial high cost/cheapness;
fragility / durability;
temperature response;
safety from an environmental point of view.

IMPORTANT. Never use glass. The risk of a battle is great, and it is simply unrealistic to remove small fragments from the soil.

The final decision is always yours, and let it be balanced. Brief overview of materials applying for use:

DIY garden bed

In this article, we will consider a mixed type construction:

deepened by the base;
having an above-ground part;
wooden side frame.

Such instructions will help you better understand the general scheme and details of working with various materials.

Preparation for work

Tools and material:

carpentry (saw, drill, level, screwdriver, measuring tape, corner);

garden (shovel, rake, pitchfork, garden cart for transporting compost and other filler materials, earth drill);
edged board 2-2.5 cm thick, 17-20 cm wide;
bar 4x4 cm for stakes;
metal or plastic mesh from rodents.

Bed sizes:

in width, it is important that it is convenient to work with the bed when growing plants. It is optimal if the bed is no wider than 1.0-1.3 m. In narrow places of the site (for example, near the fence), you can make beds 70 cm wide. Even with one-sided access, the plantings will receive the necessary care and care of the gardener.
the length is arbitrary - as far as the configuration of your garden plot allows.

as mentioned above, the ground part of the beds is recommended with a height of 50-75 cm;
however, this recommendation is not mandatory. Especially considering the fact that the thickness of the inner layers varies. Therefore, the bed can also be placed inside a lower contour (20-35 cm).

IMPORTANT. Plan ahead, so it will be easier for you to implement your plans without wasting time on rework and refinement.

Frame manufacturing

Please note that the sides of the beds will have to be made from a double board, that is, one board should be placed vertically above the other so that the height of the walls is sufficient. Thus, you have to do the following:

measure the desired length, cut the boards (4 pcs. side, 4 pcs. end);

prepare stakes from a bar 4x4 cm, 75-80 cm long;

IMPORTANT. How many stakes will be required? With a bed length of 2-2.5 meters, 6 pieces are enough. With a bed length of 3.5-4 meters, 8 pieces are enough.

make two-level boards by connecting two boards together (use cutting boards, loosened with a hatchet into planks);

keep in mind that the screws should not go beyond the drilled wood (when buying self-tapping screws, remember that the thickness of the board is 2.5 cm, and it must be multiplied by two, since the connecting strips will be the same thickness).

This completes the preparation. It will be necessary to install the frame directly into the trench - in the same place to make fastening at the corners of the structure. Measuring angle and level will help you to maintain accuracy.

Trench and its filling

Step by step:

make a marking of the beds or beds (basting with the help of a peg and a stretched cord will allow you to dig a trench of an even geometric shape);

it is desirable to dig a trench so that its depth is about 40-45 cm;

lay down a mesh from rodents (it is sold in hardware stores, ask for a reinforcing mesh or chain-link);
create a drainage layer (see details above) - coarse, long-ripening organic matter;

cover with old newspapers, cardboard;

install side walls;
drill holes for support stakes;

at the corners of the structure, connect the boards and stakes with self-tapping screws;
use a corner and a level so that the structure “sits” in the ground exactly both horizontally and perpendicular to the connecting corners;
continue to fill the raised part of the beds;
add dry grass, foliage and other unripe organics;

further - humus, manure or compost;
the final layer is high-quality garden soil.

IMPORTANT. In fertile areas, before starting trenching, carefully remove the top layer of earth, set it aside. This is the turf you use for planting.

After all the steps, do not forget to water the bed with water to create a humid environment. Under such conditions, the process of decay inside will begin. Do not try to moisten each layer with water as the trench fills. There is no hurry, let everything go at a moderate speed. There is still time before planting, and the contents of the garden bed should just rot and be loose, and not rot in a viscous slurry.

Video - Do-it-yourself warm beds

Warm beds with artificial heating

The concept is that:

water pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are laid on the drainage layer;
the pipe structure is connected to the electrical cable;
heating is controlled by the user (turning on and off the heat supply - as needed, depending on the temperature of the soil).

IMPORTANT. Artificial heating is optimally suited for covered (tented) beds and greenhouses - the heat generated by the pipes is stored inside the system, and is not sprayed in the open air.

The order and list of fillers may vary. In any case, the most important layers should remain:

lower drainage (it is laid directly on natural soil);
additional insulation (prevents cooling of the “layer cake” from below, from the ground);
sand (occupies the location of the heating pipes) - plays the role of fine-grained drainage, helps to retain heat, promotes the passage of irrigation water to go down).

Only after all these components is a fertile layer of earth placed at the top.

in dachas it is advisable to use an electric cable (after all, dacha heating, as a rule, is temporary and low-power);

in capital private houses, you can connect directly to the heating (do not forget to make a shut-off valve in case the house is heated, but the garden bed does not need to be heated at this time).

What type of heating is allowed? It can be of any type:

gas;
electrical;
steam;
water;
furnace.

Operating procedure

It's actually quite simple:

prepare layers (large drainage, synthetic insulation, sand);

lay water pipes. Scheme - a closed circuit (ensure the circulation of warm water in a circle);

add some more sand on top;

the final layer is directly fertile soil. Use good-quality garden soil, as well as additional black soil. Keep in mind that the soil when heated should nourish the plants well;

connect the greenhouse piping to the heat source.

In the absence of experience with electricity, invite a more knowledgeable person to help. If you understand the electrical work, the whole process will be elementary for you, and the design will turn out to be durable, efficient and reliable.

Properly cultivated soil and crop care play an important role in obtaining a rich harvest. Therefore, you should know how to rationally and accurately arrange the beds in the summer cottage.

Before you start arranging the beds, you should decide and take into account such parameters as:

the form;
the size;
location;
layout.

In most cases, many gardeners build right-angled beds.

This is not a fundamental condition for growing a rich crop. The beds can be anything: rectangular, square, round, in the form of a trapezoid, etc. The shape can be selected taking into account the features of the relief.

Non-traditional forms of flower beds and will allow rational use of the area of the site.

The size of the beds can vary depending on the individual desires of the owner and the landscape. It is important to observe some conditions: they should not be too narrow, wide and deep.

The optimal width of the beds is 60-100 cm.

Given these parameters, caring for vegetable crops will be easier. The length of the beds can be any. If the bed is located along the fence, then its height should not exceed 80 cm.

The distance between the beds should be 40-50 cm.

This size is quite enough to carry out the care and collection of vegetables.

The beds in the summer cottage are best located from south to north.

In this case, the soil warms up better, and the crops grown receive the necessary amount of light. There are cases that is located on a gentle slope. The optimal placement of the beds in this case is transverse to the slope.

If the site is uneven, then it is best to place the beds on the south side, and place garden plantings on the northern part.

When planning beds, some features should be taken into account.

Box beds and terraces are the best option when making beds on a site with a strong slope. In the northern part of the garden, it is better to place tall plants so that they do not obscure low vegetable crops.

All these features should be taken into account when constructing beds in a summer cottage.

Basic rules for creating beds

After the shape, size and layout of the beds are determined, you can begin to create them.

It is best to create beds on damp and clay soils, in lowlands where water can linger after rain. Having decided on the length and width of the beds, you can begin to arrange.

When arranging the beds, loosen the earth with a hoe or chopper

First you need to mark up future beds. Then they should be dug up, processed and cleaned of foreign debris. The soil can be treated with a solution of copper sulfate. It will protect vegetable crops from various diseases. Soil with a hoe or chopper. If there are lumps, then they should be broken.

There are several types of beds:

High garden. It is the most common among gardeners. Such a bed significantly improves the warming of the soil, which ensures a high intensity of growing vegetables. To create such a bed, you need to make a frame. The width of such a bed is 150 cm, and the length can be different.
Knoll bed. Its height is 80-90 cm, and its width is about 200 cm. To avoid sprawling beds, a small border must be made around the edges.
Beds according to the Mitlider method. A distinctive feature of these beds is a wide path of about 90 cm and narrow-sized beds no more than 45-50 cm wide. This method of arranging the beds provides simplicity and ease of care, and there is also no need to dig up the whole.

The first layer of the beds is branches and branches that must first be processed. Next, a layer of small wood residues is laid, then plant residues. After that, a layer of peat is laid out. The final top layer may consist of mature compost and fertile soil. All components should be taken in equal quantities.

It is necessary to dig up the earth along the entire length of the beds. Next, using a shovel, pour the earth into the center of the bed, and then make a recess of 10-15 cm. After that, you can proceed with the installation of the sides. They can be built from different materials: boards, slate, bricks, etc.

The borders on the bed prevent it from spreading. In addition, such beds are easier to care for.

A simple and affordable way to make garden beds is wooden boards. The optimal thickness is 4-5 cm. Before installation, it should be treated with an antiseptic to prevent decay.

The wooden frame after installation should be sheathed with plastic wrap. This avoids the outflow of water and washing out of the soil from the constructed frame. The height of the side should be selected individually. Here it is important to consider the depth of the rim in the soil.

Do you want the beds in the country to not have to be loosened, weeded and watered? Learn how to make vertical beds and a pyramid for strawberries.

Garden planning and fencing material selection

The beds can be not only beautiful and neat, but also self-watering. It is convenient to work on such, and weeds do not grow on them. It seems that this is a pipe dream of a gardener, but the so-called beds for the lazy can be done by everyone.

Before you break them, measure the area that you are ready to give to the garden. Zoom out, draw this rectangle on paper. Now imagine yourself as a draftsman. Using a ruler and a pencil, draw beds 1 meter wide on the canvas, their length should be a multiple of two. The distance between the beds is 40 cm. It is quite enough for a comfortable passage.

Now you can go to the garden to transfer the markings from paper to the area. Fence the ridges with pegs and rope. Of course, they must be even and have 4 90 degree angles.

You will get not only beautiful beds, but also perfectly even if you drive four pegs in the corners, and then pull 2 ropes diagonally. They must be the same.

The edging for landings can be made of different materials. Some use brick for this. You can use empty plastic bottles. To do this, cut the necks to the widest place of the shoulders, pour earth or sand inside the container, turn it over, put it in a previously dug hole so that the bottle is half or a third in the soil. Prepare the second and the rest in the same way and install them next to each other using the same method. If desired, the bottles can be painted, in which case the correct beds will look very cheerful even when greenery has not yet grown on them.

If you have slate, you can protect them with this material. To do this, a ditch is dug around the perimeter. Its width should be slightly larger than the width of the slate sheet. Put it in a recess, fill it with a third or half of the soil, tamp the sheet in this place on both sides.

You can make beds not only from slate, but also from wood. Thick boards or timber are suitable for them. This material is pre-coated with an antiseptic in 2 layers, when it dries, a fence is made. If you have thin boards, then install holding pegs on the inside and outside of the ridge to secure the fence. If the boards are thick enough or you have a beam, fasten them at the corners with self-tapping screws to make a rectangle.

You can buy ready-made metal beds, sheets about 7 mm thick are coated with paint. Such fences are supplied already with fasteners.

Now you know that you can make a fence from:

plastic bottles;
slate;
tree;
gland.

Choose the option you like and proceed to the next stage of work.

Warm and self-watering beds

Plants do not like cold soils, and many, for example: cucumbers, watermelons, melons, zucchini, pumpkins, prefer warm beds rich in organic matter. For them, these will be just perfect.

For the device of warm beds, you can apply any of the presented methods. If you have a garden in a lowland, then use the "for the lazy" option. In this case, it is not necessary to dig a trench first, but it is enough to mark the garden bed, during the summer to put any organic garbage on it: mowed grass, foliage, thick stems of plants, tops, kitchen leftovers. Do not forget to periodically water the warm bed, it should be covered with a dark cellophane film so that the process of overheating goes better.

During the season, organic matter will half decompose, settle, many weeds will burn out. In the spring, you just have to pour fertile soil on it with a layer of 7 cm and plant pumpkins. They will grow well in such places.

Next year, you will plant other plants here that will be comfortable on such a ridge. If you want it to give warmth for several years, then arrange it a little differently, but this will have to be worked on.

Dig a pit 60 cm deep, lay stumps and dilapidated boards at the bottom, which must first be sawn. Chop branches of trees and stems of plants such as Jerusalem artichoke with an ax. Place a shredded cotton rag on top. Grass, leaves are thrown on such a basis, watered. A warm bed will warm the plants for a long time due to the effect of decay.

In no case do not put the remains of plants, branches and other organic matter affected by diseases on a warm bed. After all, the spores of some harmful microorganisms are very tenacious, and will cause damage to plantings.

In order to spend less energy on moistening the soil during the summer season, consider a drip irrigation system.

The photo shows how to assemble a purchased one, and what it consists of.

This is how the drip irrigation system looks already in the garden.

Instead of pipes, you can use a hose, even an old one. Holes are made in it so that water flows from each under one large plant. If you are making a watering system for carrots, beets, onions, greens, then the holes will be at a distance of 5–10 cm.

Recesses in rubber can be made with a regular nail of a suitable diameter. Put it with the point in the hose, hit with a hammer, and the hole is ready. A branch of the water supply is connected to such a device using pipes, solid rubber hoses and adapters.

In order for the water to evaporate less, it was not necessary to weed, loosen the ground, cover the drip irrigation system and the soil from above with a thick dark film or black non-woven material or roofing felt, roofing material.

Holes of the required diameter are cut in these materials with a knife or scissors, and plants are planted in them.

How to make a path in the garden?

Look how good it looks between two beds. It is convenient to walk on this, after the rain your feet will not get dirty in the ground. Therefore, it is not only beauty, but also convenience.

Such paths in the country are made of edged stone, the thickness of which is 4 mm. And here is the entire list of required materials:

small gravel;
coarse sand;
carved stone;
cement-sand mixture;
reinforcing mesh;
building level;
rubber or wooden mallet.

Remove the sod with a shovel, pour sand here with a layer of 5 cm, spill it with water, tamp. Pour crushed stone on top, also compact it, put a reinforcing mesh, and a cement-sand mixture on it. Let it dry, then pour in a liquid cement-sand mortar, start laying stones on it, remembering to leave 5 mm wide seams between them.

To make the track smooth, first make a markup. To do this, pull a rope tied to the driven pegs around the perimeter. When laying stones, tap well with a mallet to remove voids under them.

Fill the gaps between the track elements with cement laitance. At this stage, you can not wash off the solution that has come out, and after a day you will remove it with a spatula.

For tall plants, consider how you will tie them up. You can use ready-made metal trellises, between which a rope is pulled, or you can make them yourself from wood. Then you will get such an amazing garden, on which there will be beautiful beds with picturesque paths.

There are other ideas on this topic that you might like, check them out.

Pyramid for strawberries in the garden

If you want to collect sweet berries in large quantities, then arrange just such a bed for strawberries. This building has many advantages.

The berries will be less affected by gray rot, as they practically do not touch the ground and are well ventilated.
Strawberries will be born sweet, as the garden warms up well, and each berry is illuminated by the sun.
This design saves space, as it occupies a vertical rather than a horizontal space.
Shrubs are easier to care for and you don't have to bend over to work those that grow in the middle and upper levels.
The bed for strawberries looks well-groomed, looks beautiful and neat.

These arguments will surely move you to action. Therefore, check out how such a pyramid is made for strawberries.

Choose a suitable place, it should be sunny, as strawberries like to grow in such areas. You need to position the pyramid so that one of its edges faces north.

Clear the prepared area of weeds by digging it up and removing the roots of wild plants. Put a chain-link mesh here, the size of which is 2 m 40 cm x 2 m 40 cm. Place a box of boards measuring 220x220x25 cm on it. Of course, they must be pre-treated with an antiseptic. To prevent strawberry stalks from being cut on the sharp edge of the boards, trim the tree with a planer.

Pour fertile sifted soil into the resulting box to a height of 15 cm. In its center, place an asbestos-cement or plastic pipe with a cross section of 10 cm. You must first drill two holes in it - the upper ones with a diameter of 1 cm and the lower one - 0.5 cm. They are necessary for irrigation. Close the lower end of the pipe.

Pour a mixture of compost and manure over the first tier, compact well. Then install a second box, the dimensions of which are 170x170x25 cm. Soil must also be poured into this second tier.

When pouring the soil, spill it well with water so that the soil sags. Don't forget to add a mixture of manure and compost to feed the plants. You can also pour a little mineral fertilizer for strawberries and plant it in the soil.

In the same way, 3 more floors are created. Here are their sizes:

the third - 120x120x25 cm;
fourth - 70x70x25 cm;
fifth - 20x20x25 cm.

All these tiers are also filled with fertile sifted soil and semi- or rotted organic matter.

Start planting strawberries from the top tier. 4 bushes will fit here (one on each side), on the next place 12 plants. Going even lower one step, plant 5 bushes on each side on this middle floor. On the second tier from the bottom, you can fit 24–28 bushes in total, and 32–36 pieces on the lowest tier.

You can vary the size of the pyramid at your discretion, as well as its number of storeys. In addition to this, you can build other high beds for strawberries, for example, these.

Vertical bed for strawberries

See what materials are needed to arrange high beds.

For them you can use:

pipes;
polyethylene bags;
old barrels;
pots with nests;
slate sheets;
wooden and plastic boxes;
tires;
wheel disks.

When using pipes, such a bed is suitable not only for growing garden strawberries, but also cucumbers and herbs. For her you will need:

wide sewer pipe made of plastic;
central tube for irrigation and liquid fertilizers with a section of 4-6 cm;
sackcloth;
plastic or metal funnel;
drill.

See how such beds for strawberries and cucumbers are arranged.

We start with the design of a plastic pipe. Step back from the bottom up 10 cm, use a drill to make holes in it. Depending on the variety of garden strawberries, they should be at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other. Before reaching the top 15 cm, finish making holes.

Drill a lot of holes with a diameter of 4-5 mm in the central irrigation pipe, wrap it in burlap so that they do not clog the ground, install it in a large pipe. Close the lower part of this irrigation system with a plug or plug, and insert a funnel into the upper part.

A bed of tires is made even faster. For her, you need to put these rubber parts of the wheels one on top of the other, cut holes, fill the containers with soil and plant strawberries.