Best Size Garden Bed - Here Is Why

[@Elkysium]

For Imperial users: Growth Bed: 75 Centimeters = 29.5 Inches roughly = 2 Feet 5.5 Inches Walkway: 25 - 30 Centimeters = 10 - 12 Inches roughly 1 Meter = 39 Inches roughly :)

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

JM Fortier....the Quebec Farmer/homesteader/farm trainer, has videos on all the "who/what/where/why/when" facts done...he's one of the best now. He's earned it. He's the new "Eliot Coleman of our modern/small farm time"...if you will. Everything has been analyzed and generally "agrees" with this man's (Simeon,....I think he said?) scenario's and logic. Also.....anyone interested in this "stuff"...knows Joel Salatin,...Vandana Shiva, Curtis Stone,...and many "up-and-coming"others who talk, teach, preach and travel around teaching us "why our ecology and what makes up the soils" to sustain us....it's not about learning how to eat at Burger King and McDonald's poison....and they are slow poisons....make NO MISTAKE. Blessings to all who maintain health and longevity. God Makes NO JUNK.

[@berri5769]

Elkysium thank you for the measurements! Our community garden plot is not garden beds just an open field and we have been debating what size to make our future rows 👍

[@songbirdforjesus2381]

I would have walkways wide enough to bring a wheelbarrow through

[@JWHealing]

@@songbirdforjesus2381 Yes I'm just a gardening newbie but that was my thought too.

[@PeterSedesse]

@@JWHealing you can bring a wheelbarrow through a very small walkway (10 inches). You just have to be a little careful if you have plants where you sit it down at, but most of the time you will be using a wheelbarrow it will be next to empty beds ( applying compost etc). 5 gallon buckets are also a good option instead of a wheelbarrow and they fit nicely on 10 inches. You really want to minimize walkways if you have overhead watering or weed issues.

[@theoldtimeywoodworker2488]

I've used this method for 20+ years with a lot of success. The micro-organisms are so going to love you for it. The aerobic and non aerobic organisms are staying in their natural environment this way and will not die as they do when tilling.

[@mikerilling2745]

Several studies have been done over the years and they’ve always found that the 30 inch wide bed is the best or if you like double that to a 60 inch bad and you have access from both sides

[@travis2511]

My dad is a brick mason so we have been pulling lines to plant all my life. We have also had horses and chickens forever so plenty of compost to spread on the garden. The main difference we leave enough space between the rows to set the tiller real shallow to deal with any weeds. I'm sure your method will work well for you.

[@johnhansen8272]

I prefer circular beds. The key is the size of the circle. I started with tiny circles, like one plant per circle. Tiny. Actually the tiniest. That was ideal except we only grew enough for the chickens and our goats died, and we ate frozen pizza like Norwegians. And i descend from Norge so that was ok, I like frozen pizza just like a true Norwegian! Joy! Next I said forget everything from the one plant circular style, I could make a circle of say five plants. Yes! Huge success! I could feed my new goats but my chickens died. But hey, it worked! Depending on your definition of worked. This coming year, 2023, my seeds haven’t yet germinated, but assuming the winter temperatures improve in a few months, I expect my rows of crops to explode! I followed this video precisely. I made my beds the right width and my walkways are superior. I committed my entire seed to this new method, even if I had to break up my frozen ground on New Year’s Day with an ice pick! My crops are in! Wish me luck! I love growing vegetables. Even when I can’t feel my fingers!

[@jeffreydustin5303]

Very timely and intelligent video! One of your finest! I have a row 4 feet wide and don't like walking to the other side to weed or plant veggies. 3 feet is about perfect in width.

[@AcornHillHomestead]

I have been doing BTE method for two years now. For now I have rows and wood chips in the walkway. Once those wood hips in the walkways have broken down. I will go in for a bit more of a free form style garden and incorporate flowers etc. I use a small hoe and hand shovels mainly. Im keeping my other tools for now in case I plant a tree but I don’t till anything. Im getting too old to do heavy work and so the layering works great. Im also thinking I might compost right in my beds. I still want a compost pile or two for planting larger things like trees and vines but the BTE method introduced by Paul Gautsche and complimented by the Ruth Stout method are is great if you don’t have space for tools and a lot of strength. My first year year yield was much better than expected and I just love gardening this way. It really reduces the labor and time. Thanks for sharing your ideas. 👍🏻

[@shelly5596]

You could do well building soil fast using fresh grass clippings to mulch your paths and surrounding areas, after the grass breaks down into soil, use the new soil in the garden beds. Alfalfa is also an excellent choice for mulching beds because it feeds and builds the soil as it breaks down, unlike straw. I did watch a elderly women throw potatoes with sprouting “eyes” on the bare ground, threw straw on top of them and walked away. She said she had always grown potatoes that way. I’m sure she must have watered them. Straw is great for chickens nesting boxes, the compost, and mulching. Happy gardening this new season.

[@chopwoodfarm1974]

Simeon, I don't have a broadfork either, so I made a video using my standard garden fork, just like yours, to fork my garden. My soil is not nearly as high quality as yours! My fork wit all my weight on it only penetrated a few inches. Yours sunk in all the way! Good soil!

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

I don't know if this would work for you, but, it works for me, and I have rocky sandy compacted soil, and this fork worked GREAT!!! Thought I'd share it with you. www.fleetfarm.com/detail/yo-ho-6-tine-manure-fork/0000000208738

[@chopwoodfarm1974]

+imasurvivornthriver I appreciate the info! Tomorrow I am posting another video. I could have used a fork like this!

[@thomasfarkas5458]

What a beautiful day. Looks like Spring has arrived. Gardening is an ever evolving chore, thanks for sharing your thoughts about planting. Looking forward to seeing the outcome.

[@kazzana9013]

Like the size of your garden beds, but at my age, I tend to sit quite often and garden, so my paths will be a bit wider, to accommodate my fat butt. The wood chips are great. Thanks for the videos.

[@theropesofrenovation]

Can relate

[@ColonelKlink100]

Hey, Simeon, I think I figured out what that grub was. It looks like a European rhinoceros beetle grub. You might want to leave the next one in the soil because they are a farmer's helper. They turn the sawdust into dirt and also are rare and endangered in some parts of Europe. Another one to leave alone is dermestid beetles, which eat soil-dwelling pests--slugs, etc, and some weed seeds too.

[@krzysztofrudnicki5841]

I think the best method is to not kill if one don't know what this is. Leave it.

[@troyb4533]

I do a 3 foot wide bed, 15ft long. I amend all the soil in the plot, and create naturally raised beds by moving the soil where my paths will be onto where the rows will go At the end of the year, I knock it back down, mix it all together, amend, then cover.

[@lorenpat]

Excellent video. Would like to hear more of how you started that bed from the beginning.

[@Admiral-GeneralAladeen]

If you're struggling for space consider merging two beds together by removing one pathway, you can access half the bed from each side. Or just use the space for some flowers that attract beneficial insects like i do.

[@inthekitchenwithnancy618]

Transplant your garlic as they are coming up, line your garden with them,also have you checked out square foot gardening,I like what you are doinh,the cold frame that you built against your house.

[@perthyren4567]

Very nice, you skills/knowledge are increasing day by day :)

[@LifeGoesNorth]

You are doing so much on the homestead AND filming, editing and uploading so consistently. I wonder how you do it all. Glad you do because I really enjoy your videos. We just got 9" of snow yesterday on top of lots of previous snow fall. Looking forward to the day I can work the soil too. 🌱

[@melissamarsh7777]

I've done something quite similar for over 20 years. Started out with compacted soil, added manure, compost, green sand and powdered rock phosphate, dug it all in 12" deep and then measured and marked for beds (mine were 48") and extra wide (24"-32") footpath rows. Dug out 12" deep rows which soil went on top of beds (which made the beds over 18" deep fluffy soil). Filled in the then approximately 18" deep paths with fine wood chips (waste from area sawmill). I never ever walked again on beds. Mulched beds heavily with rotted hay, leaves, straw, grass clippings. About every 2-3 years scooped the by then well rotted sawdust directly onto beds and 'refilled' paths once again with new. I taught many people to use my method, which I called 'not raised raised bed gardening'). Loved my garden, which required very little watering and was almost impervious to flooding. Grew so much more than average organic growers in area.

[@jccgold]

What was the size he said? 75cms?

[@jamiet9132]

I like this approach... The wood chips will still break down.. And feed the rows.. !!

[@bigunone]

Talk to your local welder about building you a broad fork that is how the original one was made in Mother Earth News in the 80s.

[@debbiegallett1125]

That was great. I am going to try that. Love the broadfork idea.

[@kevinparker7953]

Good job Simeon, looks like spring has sprung.

[@greymanzink6118]

The walk areas being deep will allow water to penetrate deeper in the soil for your row crops. We always did raised (hilled) rows in the garden, because the soil was shallow.

[@BradBolton-wq6ub]

I’ve been doing my beds at 36” wide with 24” walkways. It seems to be the best compromise to use the space. The fact that I’m 6’4” tall might be a factor though.

[@shanemillard608]

have you seen curtis stone (The urban farmer)? He used a similar size and has a lot of cool tools. He has a great KZbin channel and does online courses along with a book

[@jccgold]

What was the size? 75cms?

[@fallingleaves6951]

He said his new beds are 75cm / 30 inches wide. Paths are 24 to 30 cm wide - about 9 inches.

[@catw5294]

The best of whatever for you is what works best for you. A life lesson in a garden video LOL

[@memyselfandeye8377]

Great teacher! Thanks for the demonstration.

[@wheelnut64]

I have 15 beds that are 3 foot wide or just under a metre and are 15 foot long or around 5 metres. I find these dimensions perfect. The narrow width allows a stride across which about a yard. Four foot wide beds is too wide I find. I use wood chip paths too.

[@swampy4544]

hi Simeon, I read somewhere that birch makes ideal borders for beds as they encourage beneficial organisms as they decompose.

[@StormInDiDormEntertainment]

I have the same worms in my garden & there are wild chicken that roam around my area

[@gardeningwithatley3098]

Great video mate, thanks for the info.

[@carrytheworldnonprofit2883]

charles dowding has a non dig, non fork system and I like that more then forking. It does make a difference in amount of vegetables to be harvested. So I'd say, don't fork. Do you have a reason to fork the beds?

[@Cyclonut96]

Yes, Charles showed that forking produces less yield.

[@martynelson8858]

as many people and restaurants that use garlic.....I would think that would be a huge cash crop if the garlic was grown to be the best......garlic is absolutely used in almost everything....personally I do not care for its strong taste and smell but many more do....it would be worth it to make about 20% of a selling garden in garlic and tomatos.....

[@raymondhodge3979]

Thank God your a young strong man, that's a lot of work with all the area that you manage. I'm worn out from watching you!!! Great video as always.😎

[@C3Voyage]

Nice, just found your channel and subbed. I've always done something similar except I called them raised rows. Helps with drainage too. Only I don't fork, I till before raking and cover for weeds. Nice video.

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

Just like the teachings of the Big Three: Salatin, Fortier, and up-comer; Curtis Stone's teachings....everything is becoming "science, logic, sustainability with less and less work. THIS is smart.

[@naturally-logical]

Great info. Thank you. Question: *What do you do after 1-2 seasons, when the wood-chips are pretty much composted?* Rake the walkways on the beds and start over with the wood-chips in the walkways? Or do you make your beds in a different way these days (2020)?

[@gardentiger69]

Have you considered welding your own broad fork??? Would be interesting. You may not have time in season.

[@Gantzz321]

I disagree with the width of the rows. Walkways are perfect. 2ft 5inch is like the old farmer style row planting, obsolete and a waste of space if you don't have a lot of it to play around in. My rows are 4 to 4 -1/2ft wide. Reason for this is because I can easily reach in 2ft from walkways on either side of the rows. Given a limited dimension garden area, this method decreases the walkway space taken up and increase the Grow space used. I have been doing this for a couple of decades now and it works great. Everyone that see is cannot get over how much I manage to grow in the limited space I have to work with.

How are the narrow paths working? I'm reading that airflow in the beds is also important and your paths seem to be a bit narrowish.

[@daviddean4618]

Great video Simeon. I wonder if you have ever seen the work of Jean-Martin Fortier of Saint-Armand Quebec - author of "The Market Gardener"? On KZbin, the channel "Living Web Farms" has a multiple video presentation of a work shop Jean hosted. He has some really great ideas for those who want to be commercial producers of produce - natural weed control, season extension, soil building, row spacing, crop rotations, efficient tools, etc. Really good information for a person who is able to produce a six figure income (over 1 million Krone) for he and his wife.

[@annetteormond3477]

I love your videos and lifestyle. May you have a bountiful harvest and really good year. God bless you and your family.

[@borowik2701]

How to plant cucumbers or pumpins on a such small width?

[@denisdufresne5338]

In a no till perspective it is more space efficient to make beds 120cm. Avantages: - Plus de surface du potager est consacré à la production de légumes et moins pour les allées. C'est un avantage important si on veut produire plus au mètre carré. - Moins de perte de sol dans les allés. - On peut planter un peu plus densément sur des planches plus large ce qui augmente ce qui est possible de produire Inconvénients: - Il est difficile d'emjaber le lit de plantes. Ce n'est pas un problème pour moi car je travaille sur une moitié du lit à la fois. De plus marcher une fois à l'occasion sur un lit bien paillé ne tasse pas le sol. Avec des lits moins long on peut raccourcir le temps pour se rendre de l'autre côté si ça vous est vraiment nécessaire. - On ne peut travailler debout directement au-dessus de la planche. Dans mon cas ce n'est pas grave puisque je n'aime pas cette méthode que je trouve fatigante. - Les équipements sont habituellement de 60cm de largeur. Il n'y a donc qu'à passer 2 fois sur le lit ce qui n'est pas plus long.

[@Greens5511]

Very good info! 👍👍

[@annasophia7977]

Complete newbie here: how to I make straight rows for the garden? I know string is used but couldn't I mistakenly make srroaght diagonal lines? Thank you :)

[@HansQuistorff]

Those large wood eating grubs make castings as good or better than worms. I use their castings called frass as part of my potting soil. They have been hollowing out the dead inside of some of my very old apple trees. I keep the grubs in buckets with old rotten wood until I need it then sift them out.

[@sheebakitty378]

Hans Quistorff ugh GROSS. THOSE THINGS CANT BE GOOD IN THE GARDEN..

[@julier1080]

Those grubs are NOT good in the garden. They will act similar to cutworms and chew on plant stems and roots too. At least the grubs on this side of the Atlantic do.

[@HansQuistorff]

Ti try to write carefully but I don't think commenters are reading this carefully. I did not say to put the grubs in the garden. When their work is done they go to the chickens. The point is they eat rotten wood and turn it into fertilizer which when sifted out is used for starting plants.

[@davemcavene]

Great information and you have a great looking homestead.

[@11spitdms]

Do you still use this method? Are the wood chips necessary or can you leave it bare soil?

[@shelly5596]

Instead of using a broad fork, you can simply lay cardboard down where you want to make a bed, and add layers, leaves, grass, dirt, and such then compost on top, then plant in that. Google lasagna gardening, or No Dig gardening

[@eivindmong]

how do you make the wood chips?

[@bearhawk7497]

Very helpful thank you!

[@Daniel-nf8pp]

A little question. What variety of garlic do you plant ? Thanks ✌

[@Kitchissime]

What you do from 7:50 does break the structure. The shroom threads get broken and have to rebuild. Don't work the soil at all! The vertically going worms aerate it; not humans. It's not the place of humans to do so.

[@mr.anonymous8783]

What are you using to measure with a ruler , lol next people with measuring in mm .

[@ZrubekFamily]

Do you have a welder? , why don't you make your own broadfork? I am pretty sure it is something you could do.

[@sheebakitty378]

I wonder if you'd heard of the Mittleider Gardening Methods? More specifically about that method are the micronutrient packets that they reccomend be added to the standard general fertilizer of equal N-P-K numbers between 12-16..(12-12-12, etc) I ask because it looks like you're making your beds according to how the Mittleider Gardening Book suggests. Thank you for making these videos! You're really a GREAT role model and inspiration for young white males today. Which God knows, are desperately needed today more than EVER!

[@norriewise9532]

So if I like the idea of putting my chickens out on my garden beds after harvest in a chicken tractor and let them do their magic to the soil, should I make my tractor 30" wide or the full meter?

[@alexandergomez7334]

Aye simeon do you buy your seeds in bulk or how do you get enough seeds to plant in 30 or 40 garden beds

[@rebeccalankford2652]

These measurements are for high density and cramped working spaces. Does not leave space for a wheelbarrow, about 25.5 inches in width, nor comfortable work space, your own waist width when kneeling down or reaching across on your knees. Most beds are just at or just under 4 feet or 48 inches wide. Broad fork width times 2. Broad fork twice within the row. Working back wards as to not compact the soil you just aerated. Using the path on each side of the bed, 2.5 feet or more to walk down.

[@Sparkeee1978]

my wife would go in, and run the tiller crooked, and zig zags...just to mess with my straight lines.... she gets a kick out of it.

[@EnGammalAmazon]

What did you do for your initial bed preparation? Did you till this at all after last season? Will you be putting your pathways down the center of this year's bed and moving the soil over last year's path? I'm envious of the fact that you can even get into the soil Here in Oregon there is what is called our 'rain year.' it is the five months when we get most of our rain and snow. It goes from November 1 to April 30th. This year we hit 100% of the expected rainfall at the End of February. Here it is the end of March and I don't think we've had a day without snow and ice or heavy rains since October! I can't even think of working in the garden! Gggrrrrrrrrrr!

[@Aquacentric]

Near Bandon, Oregon. The rain has been bad. A lot of work ahead.

[@jimkemnitz5692]

Nice

[@dorascott8286]

Very good...

[@alwayslearningthankyou2708]

What kind of larva was that Simeon? We're there more?

[@hxcAMBERhxc]

It is what the locals around me call a junebug or june beetle. A _cotinis nitida_ larva. They are a major pest here in the southeast united states.

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

Just put a "conversion chart" on your 'desktop' and do the simple math conversations. It'll be fun to watch this guy do a 'Joel Salatin' growth spurt in the next 10 years. It's about sustaining one's garden....first with knowledge, then with "small scale practice"....then "doing it over and over again. Our foods,...just cannot come from the store any longer; organic or not...one never knows what one is getting. Calculated correctly....a small "homestyle garden" with very small dimensions can feed a family of four...and have "neighborhood left-overs" for many. Don't have exact dimensions,...cause' I'm learning myself.

[@marcomarco7099]

I use the rule 80/40. Growth bed 80cm and walkway 40cm.

[@LachlanTurville]

video starts 4:22

[@ppss.6302]

As somebody who grew up with 1 acre garden and no mechanical aids I want to laugh at this gentlemen "permaculture" (what a bs term, the only perma is labor everything else is mostly bs). As far as growing supplemental veggies, it does not really matter how, it is hard to screw up. Anything on top of that will crush your perma delusions.

[@loppylou490]

I have read that you have to be very careful with what you plant around both garlic and onions because they can kill other crops. Have you had any problem with that in your garden?

[@meredithr9824]

Ah! I heard you knee crunch when you squatted down at 0:45. Neat video. I

[@andrewtrip8617]

The cm s don't matter .your beds you'll be layer out to tractor wheel widths .As your body ages you will understand ! !

[@williamfreeh9598]

holy cow. you remind me of an old led zepellin song titled ramble on. (spell check lol)it took you more than half the video to discuss pertinent facts.

[@henrik8463]

Hi S. ( Dont dare to spell your name :-D ) I like your videos, and i live just on the other side of Øresund. I`m sure you could ask Torbjørn Åhman about making you a Broadfork, He is a very good blacksmith from sweden, and i follow him, here on KZbin :-)

[@ColonelKlink100]

That was a huge grub! What was it?

[@TheInfokey]

Cut worm

[@ColonelKlink100]

Cut worms are the grubs of moths. That would be one huge moth. Also the tend to have stripes and a less pronounced head.

[@uppsalahazzemarkstedt2759]

This larva is probably to be a "stag beetle" or in swedish "Ekoxe". Not so common and you can find them only in Europe. Rare in Sweden so be careful with them. I put the larvas that I find in my wood-chip piles in an older hardwood-chip kompost and after several years the start walking about and do no harme. But they are impressing in size and look! Read more in Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucanus_cervus The female lay the eggs commonly in sawdust or wood-chip piles because lack of natural old forrest decaying wood. Noshornsbaggens [European rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis)] larva looks almost the same, but is a little smaller. The habitat is of the same kind. But it is the only rhinoceros that can fly! I have them too. My chicks and badgers really loves the taste of the larva, so I have steel net over the old kompost pile.

[@ColonelKlink100]

Well, sounds like you know your European grubs, so I bow to your opinion. I checked out your link and it turns out scary looking males don't bite. However, the females can! Not that they're likely to, of course, but either way, I wouldn't want to pick up either one. You are wise to protect them. I would bet your garden soil is full of variety and life.

[@dpower02]

I don't agree with your method of walking on the grow part of the row I do similar addition of compost and wood chips but I avoid walking on the grow portion. Sometimes I use sawdust in the row when I am short of wood chips. I do not fork aerate my soil, I use cattle panels for most grow portions of my rows and leave the cattle panels in place year after year.

[@JWHealing]

If you don't mind a question, what is the purpose of the cattle panels on the grow portions?

[@robs9574]

Ahh we have identical broadforks.

[@johnatkinson512]

That was the queen

[@johnatkinson512]

You won't get babies if you kill the queen

[@FirstLast.69]

If you need a belt while wearing suspenders you are suspendering wrong

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

wow....is this "your - take away" from this. "Don't worry about the 'Spec' in your Brother's eye....worry about the LOG in your own". Really? God bless you.

[@sviezius474]

Try not to walk on your beds, while aerating them.

[@letitsnow4822]

Do you answer question to people that don't produce videos? Like me, if i ask you a question will you answer? WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION TO CREATE KZbin VIDEOS?

[@HomeShowTV]

Again with the Dobro music lol.

[@janesuzannestreeter1827]

Oh, the size is the easy one. Raised of course is the only one you need to concern yourself with a measured size, you want four feet tall, three feet wide and eight feet long. If you are planting in the ground, then you need to relax and calm down. Decide what you want to harvest. Decide how much you want to harvest and then get enough seeds and young plants to do that. Follow package directions. At the end of planting season you will have EXACTLY the right sized space for that year. Garden size changes from year to year as you decide what you want to grow and what you don't want to bother with. CHILL OUT.

[@JWHealing]

I think he's trying to make a living gardening and money sounds like it's tight so he wants to maximize grow space and efficiency. Nothing wrong with that.

[@garlicdude1690]

You use the same song as the Cooking With Dog channel.

[@memaepap4220]

Du bist gut am abnehmen grade oder? Siehst sehr fit und gesund aus!

[@RDubdo]

Would have liked to watch and listen to your video but the obnoxious music drove me off.

[@hollylaughter8722]

Your soil looks dry

[@MisterAmbassador]

go No Till

[@lonefoxbushcraft]

6 foot be a man n grow food!