How Do You Maintain Your Raised Beds Through the Seasons?

[Green Myrnz]

Hey everyone!

I’ve got a raised bed garden and I’m wondering how you all manage plants through different seasons. Some of my plants like strawberries and snow peas only last for a season, but others like spring onions and lemon trees seem to do well year-round.

How do you keep your raised beds thriving through the weather changes? Do you rotate crops, protect plants from the cold, or add anything special to the soil?
Where I live is summer, and sometimes I cover my spinach with a thick cloth (hoping it will help protect it from the heat), but it ends up drying and dying. The same thing happens with my avocado tree. Any tips for keeping things going year-round would be awesome!

Thanks!

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome!

I'm a raised row gardener myself mostly plus some Hügelkultur containers (HK) but have a few thoughts to offer to your raised bed questions.

...How do you keep your raised beds thriving through the weather changes? ...

I garden 365 days a year... i.e. always have something growing whether its veggies and/or cover crops. I make heavy use of green manures, chop and drop organics, and composted cow manure in addition to legume cover crops and grow veggies without synthetic fertilizers or non-organic treatments. My soil consistently tests out "No N, P, K required" with this approach.

Do you rotate crops...

Yes, absolutely and have been raising veggies in the same location for over 4 decades consistently providing over 90% of the veggies consumed by my family. I use cover crops in rotations including fall/winter cover crops as well as spring/summer cover crops.

I might add I also make extensive use of companion plants, trap plants, repellant plants, and pollinator attractors.

protect plants from the cold?

Yes, when necessary, I use drop cloths on some raised rows and sometimes move HK containers to protection. Its winter here currently and I have tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, onions, potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips, etc. going strong. Winter cover crop currently includes turnips, radishes, cereal rye, clover and others and I do not provide any projection to those.

... add anything special to the soil?

Yes, but only what I source from my land...with very few exceptions e.g. fish emulsion. My principal soil additive is well composted cow manure which I source from my own cows/hay.

... Any tips for keeping things going year-round would be awesome!

Thanks!

Of course, your climate is the primary influencer on year-round growing, but I'm convinced that nutrient dense soil amended by heavy use of organic materials provides a significant buffering effect to the ravages of climate... cold or hot, wet or dry...not to mention healthy, nutrient dense, outstanding tasting veggies.


That's my approach and it works for me...others have their own individual approaches, and I do believe you have to find what works for you in your situation.

Again, welcome and good gardening!!

 

[Meadowlark]

@Green Myrnz ,

I don't normally or ever do this but please allow me to offer some introductions to our group. We have recently been plagued by PORN posters who have unfortunately run off many of our core members. However, we are fighting off the PORN and have several days now of PORN free discussions of which I am so thankful and proud.

We have the pre-eminent online plant "diagnosticator " here who joins me in Moderating @Chuck . He is the best I have ever seen in my lifetime, and it is an honor to be on the same forum with him.

@LouisFerdinand has provided literally thousands of posts and photos on all kinds of plants. @Esther Knapicius shares her wonderful gardens with us and provides a much-needed Northern America view. @Oliver Buckle has extensive gardening experience and shares it with us all from his UK viewpoint. @big rockpile provides unique midwestern views on gardening. @YumYum has outstanding soil expertise which he provides from his midwestern area. @pepper2.0 gives sometimes rebellious but highly intelligent views from a Canadian viewpoint. @Sean Regan provides great insights into his UK gardens as does @Sheal and @Logan in the UK.

And many many others. The danger of doing this is missing some key names and I'm sure I have and apologize in advance. I'm not sure who we have left after the horrible PORN attacks but we are rebuilding together.

We need an "Aussie" view here and perhaps you will provide that.

Again welcome and again my apologies to anyone I left out...its late.