Raised Beds Versus In Ground Gardening-- Which is better?

[@illustr8life863]

We went from a 2500 square ft in ground garden to a 576 square ft garden with 21 inch high raised beds and proper paved paths, and will never look back. Clay, boulders, weeds, bugs, sweat, tears, sore backs, bites, annual sapling digging, with little to show for it at the end of the year due to pest pressure became too much. I LOVE my tiny walled garden with less than 1/2 the work and lots of produce to show for it! With intensive planting we get enough of the things we eat for the year and even have soft fruit and dwarf orchard with 5 fruit trees. My peaches are peaching on year 2! Very excited about the ease and pure joy of raised bed gardening. Do what works for you.

[@NewNosey]

I live in a hilly, rocky, clay-soiled neighborhood in Zone 6, Ohio. Raised beds and containers are my only option.

[@bjones8354]

Buying quality soil or compost is such a challenge. Spending a lot is no guarentee of getting a great product. Great video, TY!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It really is!

[@brianczuhai8909]

Buying soil is a dirty business! I do get triple shredded mulch for $30/yd. I use that and winter composed leaves for mulch. It acts like decomposed wood chips and both seem to incorporate into the soli by the end of the season.

[@eric3434]

Tried the free county compost and mulch facility? Slamming good stuff. Mushroom city in 2 weeks,

[@gmansecond4103]

Thanks for NOT trying to sell us a metal raised bed. Almost all garden youtubers are trying to sell something these days.

[@JS-hk3lv]

I swear she's got the most genuine smile out of any KZbinr.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm not 100% sold on the metal beds yet. I have one that's been sitting here for 2 years that I need to set up & try out, so we'll see how that goes.

[@NicolaiAAA]

I don't mind them trying to sell them, I really like the idea, but they all make it sound soooooooo easy to just go find a whole bunch of logs and haul those in to fill most of the bed. Or the last video from the NJ guy it was partially decomposed wood chips. I mean, ok great, but he had a friend who literally had a pile of that for him to take. Where are the rest of us gonna get a huge pile of partially composted wood chips?? I think the smartest idea I saw in the comments was someone who used bales of straw (or hay? I forget) to fill most of the beds, which seemed like the best way to do it. But yeah, that's always been my issue. The expense of the beds themselves and the expense of filling them.

[@65stang98]

@@NicolaiAAA just sign up for chip drop its free. Then let them decompose.

[@meghankenworthy2903]

⁠​⁠@@JS-hk3lv for real, it’s contagious! I had the pleasure of meeting her sister a couple years ago, and she has the same genuine and contagious smile.

[@amac9245]

Zone 4 - Raised beds are a must. They give me 6-8 weeks of additional growing season. I utilized free pallet untreated wood + linseed oil + 6mm poly sheet liner stapled and tuck taped in combination with free city compost + manure + Hügelkultur and natural clay soil . Topped with local straw and leaf mulch = amazing results!

[@_JimmyBeGood]

Make a video.

[@mplslawnguy3389]

Zone 4 here (maybe zone 5 now I guess, if you believe the new zone maps), and I grow in-ground with no issues. Raised beds are not a "must". Where did you come up with that.

[@astrosoup]

I think raised beds are the home & garden industry's way of making our hobby more expensive. The fun part of in-ground gardening is caring for the natural soil and watching your plants thrive as a result.

[@paintedtongue]

We've tried all the methods - in ground, till, no-till, strawbale, raised beds, Ruth Stout, Mittlieder, Back to Eden, Hugelkulture, etc. Zone 5, heavy clay, or sand. And watering is also my least favorite gardening task. Extreme deer, rabbit and small rodent pressure plus other pests and invaders. My husband and I are getting older and our children are grown so we are starting to add some more raised beds to the garden. We've been trying to convert a large lawn to a permaculture homestead for over 10 years with not nearly the results we should be having. We are adding high raised beds in one part of the garden for early season starting, plants that struggle in our heavy clay (I have never successfully grown carrots :( ) and to help with pest pressure. We are using hugelkulture for filling, topping with leaf mold, poultry litter and good growing mediums. Most of our farm is in ground - very hilly clay. Adding some raised beds will allow us to get high production for annual and some perennial crops while we continue to work on amending the remaining acreage.

[@mplslawnguy3389]

I'm in zone 4 and have no problems growing in the ground. Things get going a little slower but by the time the heat of the summer kicks in it makes no difference. I used to container garden exclusively, and those would always get off to a great start, but then one year I experimented and planted in-ground along with my containers and there really wasn't any difference. The in-ground ended up being far less maintenance and watering.

[@YarrowPressburg]

I love watering, very relaxing and I get a good look at everything,and I pull out a few weeds as I go. Thanks for a great video!

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

I could have made that exact comment!😊

[@BRANDYHAMILTONS]

I absolutely 💯 agree... I also talk to my lovely living plants as I water them ❤😊

[@ReapingTheHarvest]

Until summer when it's 100F outside 🥵

[@DebRoo11]

It's all fun for a small garden in nice weather until you have many gardens, a full time job and its 100° out 😅 I get the sentiment but its not always practical to hand water

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

@@DebRoo11 of course you are right, everyone’s situation is different. My garden is small (but very productive), and here in Southern Ontario it just about never gets that hot 🥵! I do love being out in the garden though.

[@Gardenfnp]

I’ve been working hard on amending my native soil over the past two years. Each year I learn something new and it continues to Improve. You have been so helpful and encouraging. Thank you for sharing all you have learned.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so glad to hear that you're seeing improvements in your native soil-- that's very exciting!

[@deadeyedi9833]

I’m in Ohio. You’re a wealth of information. Thank you. Your raised beds with opening into the in ground is beautiful.

[@karenfrankland7763]

We live on top of a ridge line with heavy clay soil. 20 years in and we can dig down well over a foot before hitting the clay line. Over the years we have tilled , added in shredded leaves, grass clippings, decomposing wood chips, homemade compost rich with chicken, duck, quail manure and pine bedding. Rabbit poo goes directly on the soil surface in the garden beds. Heavily mulch all veggie beds with shredded leaves and grass clippings as well as shredded paper/cardboard. Thick layers of cardboard and wood chips in all the pathways. Red Wigglers galore throughout our backyard. We have shallow raised beds just for containing the soil. We also companion plant and plant intensively for little to no weeds. The chickens and ducks have full access to all the garden beds in the late fall and winter when we dump lots of kitchen scraps and shredded leaves on all the veggie beds. They do the work of turning it in for us.

[@JenW-l9b]

THANK YOU for your mistakes! Blessings.

[@jerryleopold1430]

I collected old privacy fencing that people around town were replacing with new. Built my raised beds with 3 layers of the old dog ear slats and lineds the sides with 4mil plastic. They are holding up well.

[@JeanneKinland]

Good point about types of plants. We use both in ground and raised beds. Our deep rooted plants like tomatoes and peppers go in ground. the onions, garlic and invasive herbs go in raised beds.

[@ebradley2306]

My issue with raised beds is the dropping soil level every year. In my hot, humid climate organic material breaks down very quickly. Topping up is a requirement many don't talk about. Have annuals in raised beds and perennials in in-ground beds. Make my own compost, leaf mold and vermicompost.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That is a really good point! Mine require topping up about every 2 years.

[@kmoecub]

In your case I'd recommend building your raised beds to function in the same way that containers do. Have no contact with the underlying soil, but make sure to add worms and some of the underlying soil into your beds to promote a healthy biome. I'd also recommend using slow-decomposing organic matter in the lower part of the beds to maintain bulk and prevent needing to top off so often.

[@ebradley2306]

@@kmoecub My beds are purposefully directly on the underlying clay soil. That soil is slowly being loosened up by roots and worms of which the beds are chock full. I periodically add topsoil from the surrounding yard to the beds to provide permanent structure to the bed mixture. Thought the podcaster would have an idea or 2.

[@NevadaGoats]

@@ebradley2306 Yep. Here in the high desert mine drop every year too. The humus simply burns up. Fortunately I have an unlimited supply of goat and horse manure and spoiled alfalfa I add every season. Otherwise I would have nothing but sand. All my raised beds are full of red wigglers as well. Sand just blows in so I do'nt have to add any myself LOL.

[@cherylmcnaughton7287]

I top mine with compost or a mix yearly. I have done both methods and our native soil is super poor - raised beds are hands down the best method for us. We have enriched it for years and they grow a lot more than potatoes - which is what was grown here years ago.

[@jonthebeau4653]

I’m in zone 6a also and I also grow both in ground and in raised beds. I prefer the raised beds because there are so fewer weeds. I will water all day long if I don’t have go pull weeds.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'd rather pull weeds... I suspect I'm an outlier in that 😄

[@BackyardProduce]

@@GrowfullywithJennaSame here. With my new in-ground beds I can weed almost on my own schedule since the weeds usually aren’t an urgent issue. I can’t do that with watering small raised beds or containers. On a large scale, watering manually takes hours, multiple times a week. Now if the weeds are in the default clay, that’s different. But once I put compost on top it’s easier just sow densely & pull often enough to weaken the weeds over time. When I was a kid I had to water across maybe 5 acres manually. I do not recommend that to any gardener.

[@carolynatubeh1487]

I prefer weeding to watering. I guess I am a bit odd.

[@Stephanie-p9k]

One of the things I hear most raised bed enthusiasts repeat endlessly is how the beds warm quicker in spring which extends their growing season. That's only half true. Granted, they DO warm quicker. However, the variables which allow them to warm quicker in the spring also allow them to cool quicker in the fall. In reality, the net gain in growing season is zero. So, what they've actually done is move their growing season a few weeks earlier, rather than actually making it longer. Plus, that ability to warm quicker also allows the beds to overheat very quickly in midsummer, which can be deadly for roots. I've listened to a lot of people on both sides of the issue, and truthfully, enthusiasts from each side tend to exaggerate benefits and downplay cons. My ultimate conclusion is that the only real benefit to me personally for raised beds is one of accessibility. I'm in my late 60's and getting up and down is much more of a chore than it once was. But that benefit requires more watering. I don't mind watering so much, so I'm willing to pay that price.

[@mplslawnguy3389]

Most of this push towards raised beds is motivated by selling people things. I grow in the ground with no issues. I understand accessibility, but maybe people can just work on themselves and get in better shape. Getting down on the ground and working is good for you.

[@margaritavivero4776]

@@mplslawnguy3389 I bet you are younger than 50 years old. I consider myself to be in good shape at 80 years old. Believe me, it is painful to be kneeling, bending, reaching here and there at this age.

[@mr.williams6471]

​@@mplslawnguy3389pest will destroy my ground level garden

[@lindag4484]

I was very fortunate with my raised bed soil. It was from a guy who was clearing a section of his large, wooded property and the soil was rich in clean, organic matter. He had horses and chickens and brought some composted manure and dumped that in, along with the soil. In the years after, I have supplemented with worm castings, compost, and OMRI cert, supplements. I love my raised beds! I'm in Zone 5 and have nearly inch tall (cold tolerant) lettuce that I direct seeded the last day of March, then we got a foot of early spring snow that was of no consequence. It will be ready late May. I have your KZbin channel to thank for many of my successes!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

What a wonderful resource for soil!!

[@mamanash100]

My raised beds started with native clay soil that I added organic matter to every year. The first year I added top soil, peat, and bagged manure, then turned with a shovel. The 3rd year I added gypsum along with other organic amendments. The gypsum made a huge difference in that it finally broke down the clumps of clay. I've been gardening in the same beds for 25 years. Each year I add compost. This year, a friend had a large quantity of aged cow manure that I added, I can't wait to see what that does to my harvest.

[@nlboyd7647]

fellow Ohioan here. I used a mix of raised bed, hugelkultur, and in ground with mounded rows. Over the past few years I have figured out what grows best for me with the 3 different methods and I see a benefit to all of them. Yes there are cons to each, but I have found that once you learn what grows best with each method in your area the cons are very minimal. I love that I get different results for each type, and it allows me to grow more with less work and less intrusion on nature itself.

[@_c.sinatra]

This is the comment I needed to read! I am so overwhelmed trying to start my garden and I forget sometimes that it doesn’t have to be all one way lol. Also fellow Ohioan! I’m glad to hear that the variety works for you.

[@dustyflats3832]

I use an in between style of in-ground and raised. We used reclaimed wood to outline long 3’ wide rows. First I dug down the rows and added everything-leaves, scraps and wood. I shoveled the soil back on top and then dug down my narrow paths about 12” and threw that soil on top. The dug down paths got filled with arborist chips. Of course as I threw the soil on top of the rows there was layers of shredded leaves, ect. The chips help contain the moisture. The boards just help keep it all in place. We have sandy loam and since I put this work in the beginning it has paid off big time. We never had worms just grubs. I used Milky Spore to get rid of grubs. I haven’t seen wire worms, but I do find an occasional cut worm. We have been in severe drought and last year I just couldn’t water enough fast enough so we installed drip. That was the single best thing we could have done. It improved quality and quantity and saved valuable time and money. It also answered the issue I was having with carrots as we never could water deep enough. It was so dry here the soil even with gads of organic material still was hydrophobic. Since the irrigation we have plenty of deep moisture and the count of worms tells me I’m doing the right things. 🎉we are now getting rain fairly regularly and more than a drop at a time and this may be the sign of La Niña return-Hopefully!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I am glad to hear you've encouraged worms to take up residence! I'm assuming no jumping worms in your area yet? I'm still nervous about them showing up here!

[@dustyflats3832]

@@GrowfullywithJenna nope, no crazy night crawlers here. There are reasons I don’t get soil, ect from other areas and that’s one of them. Ya know, I remember back not long ago when a gardener on KZbin was advocating getting those worms to turn compost as they were available online. I think going forward we really need to ask, “Is ‘whatever’ safe Or necessary?” It’s not necessary to get much of what is being advocated to use in the garden. Furthermore, I get a bit miffed when I hear of plants being traveled personally across country. People should understand that shipments get inspected before they are shipped for invasives and the average person cannot see or recognize what they may be spreading.

[@leonshomegrown]

Fantastic video. You explained everything perfectly. Well done 😊😊

[@DustyRay-x4i]

Having gardened in Illinois and Arkansas, I have had a chance to try both in ground and raised beds. I love that this year in Illinois I'm able to grow in ground and in a 1,200 square foot garden. But I wouldn't have been able to harvest what I did in Arkansas (aka Rockansas) had it not been for raised beds.

[@lettyzane2720]

I’m in ground all the way! Here in so cal in ground just holds the moisture so much better so I don’t have to water every day

[@PlowAndPantryHomestead]

I'm in East Tennessee and I'd say the same about watering in ground beds. I water my raised beds all the time in the heat of summer because they dry out faster, but my in ground portion of the garden only needs water a few times. I mulch a lot and we have summer storms. And yes, the wet spring can make it a bit swampy and hard to get garden chores done during the right time frame.

[@tomst9417]

When I first started my vegetable garden I used in ground beds. We have a lot of rocks in the soil here and weed pressure is high, so three years ago I installed 4' x 10' x 8" high raised beds. I put down cardboard then filled with top soil and compost from a local garden center. I do wish I had installed hardware cloth since we have gophers. I like the neat appearance of the raised beds and the soil warms up faster and I find weeds easier to manage. I add compost every spring and last fall I planted cover crops in some of the beds. I plan to keep using the raised beds.

[@tarawerachannel4780]

From New Zealand: A very good account and assessment. Soil type and climate does have a great influence on what's best. After 10 years I have just ripped all my raised beds out. We have a shortish growing season here in the central North Island. (cool mountain winter and hot summer) Soil here is very friable and volcanic. Raised beds for me dry out too quick. I have a drip system but the water seemed to drain straight through the raised bed, the paths were always wet and the soil in the raised bed still a bit too dry. Also the garden layout too restricted when raised. I like to give the soil a good run over with a motorised tiller to get a very fine tilth so roots can penetrate easier. Yes of course there is more bending on a flat bed, but at 83 I find it OK. My beds are now slightly raised like yours. Because the soil has a volcanic nature about it it doesn't really turn to mud as puddles quickly drain off. It's tillable in the winter but cold short days are quite restrictive to what grows. In winter it's best here to grow a crop like mustard and take a break. Vegetables such as cabbage and cauli do sort of stagger through the winter and survive but as soon as the warmer weather arrives they all are inclined to bolt to seed. Broad beans and spinach do well.

[@christophergetchell6490]

I do mostly in ground gardening although I actually raised the surface of the soil quite a few inches with a blend of compost and native soil. In my enclosed keyhole bed, I employed Hügelkultur and I rarely have to water it. I do have a couple of smaller raised beds and do some significant containers scattered around the place! I do use drip irrigation but I don't supply it with the town water, but pumped water from a retention pond I built as a feature.

[@dhaniaboodoo7042]

Thank you for keeping it real and not trying to sell stuff!👍🙏💕

[@CamoJan]

Zone 4b/new 5a in Minnesota. I have two raised beds that are 4w x 8L x 3d. The bottom is first lined with hardware cloth, then cardboard sheets, then small logs followed by branches, sticks, leaves, grass clippings, soil & amendments. I have had 2 back surgeries so not having to bend so low is a bonus for me. My other beds are in ground but I also have a whole lot of grow bags that I use.

[@loulauer5853]

Thanks for the video. It was very informative. I also have a mix of raised and in-ground. Being a late 60's gardener, my raised (more raised than normal) beds are a big plus side physically for me.

[@PhilipDonna1982]

NE Ohio here. We have raised beds for edibles and in ground inside our fenced in property for perennial flowers. Portions of our back yard were a swamp until mid-June due to neighbors broken guttering and being somewhat downhill of the houses on our street. My husband installed French drains attached to a sump pump which has been a game changer. Still squishy but not ankle deep in the “way back” as we like to call that area. I don’t mind the watering as my husband also installed a rain barrel. I’ve only drained it a few times in the hot high Summer months. I do plant winter rye in my raised beds in the fall and this fall will add other cover crops which I will cut and drop in early May.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Javaman92]

Every time I listen to you on one of your videos I find myself smiling and thinking what a great job you always do. SOmewhere around 16 minutes in you hit on my favorite way to make beds, along with the same reasons. (no surprise) AND that is, mounding up my soil into beds and paths It gives most of the benefits of a constructed raised bed without the cost. PLUS I can plant on the slope where the bed goes down to the path.

[@onetrick.pony1]

Thanks for another great vid! Raised or ground? Yes please ;) Trying to get away with natural "enclosures" on raised beds in zone 6a. Three 20ft beds and three 10ft beds all around 3ft tall and 4ft wide. Their perimeter is stacked slices of clay heavy top soil, a few inches thick and as tall and wide as a shovel head. Grass roots have pretty much held the beds together a few years now with a few minor repairs so far and around an hour of trimming the walls per season.

[@roccoconte2960]

Great video, I love my raised beds I've had them for over 30 yrs. I made them from pressure treated lumber and covered the inside with ridge 1/2inch insulation .

[@craigdreisbach5956]

Dear Jenna. Thank you for all the time and effort you [put into your videos. Like you I have both raised beds and open ground. I also had the same experience with weed fabric. What a mess. One thought about oak for raised beds. White oak is very rot resistant and has been used for centuries for the keels and planking of ships and boats. However, red oak is just the opposite, even though its more readily available. Even red oak that is coated (varnish/wood preservative) won't last more than 3-4 years. As always, Kind Regards. Craig

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks for the info on the various oaks-- I had no idea!

[@outdooorsman]

i am inground all the way although i do have a few pots with greens and onions in them

[@happyhobbit8450]

I live on the west side of the Rocky mountains so we 'Grow Rocks' . . . we also have trees which are excellent to make soil. Mostly it's a matter of removing the rocks and adding compost and amendments. Thank you for the comparison

[@duben55]

Thanks Jenna! Great video! You are such a knowledgeable gardener; a joy to watch!

[@michaelh7506]

Hi Jenna, I am in Ohio also a few miles from Lake Erie I am in a condo but its unique its a cape cod styls two units per building, Have a flower bed that about 100 feet that goes around the building. OMG the clay is horrible. I use an auger and make many holes and put old potting mix and buy a couple of bags of garden soil after 3 years its much better. Backyard have a garden that goes around the patio. Tomato plans and flowers

[@janiceedkins5366]

I didn’t have a choice but to have raise beds I have tried over and over to do it in the ground, but I am surrounded by walnut trees. I do struggle with keeping my raised beds watered in July and August but did have a lot of success.

[@cpoco]

My main growing area is technically a raised bed... it's a corner of the property that a previous owner made a concrete square (divided into two rectangles) but I don't think of it as a raised bed because I step up onto it and then treat it as planting in the ground... but I had never really thought before about the fact that it is indeed a raised bed. Great information as always!

[@TheGardenFamily]

Nice to see another great video Jenna, hope you and the family are having a wonderful gardening season!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks- hope you are too!

[@franksinatra1070]

That was a good breakdown of pros and cons. I have access to a lot of medium size logs from trees that have come down in my yard over the years so I've been using them more lately to frame out a spot and top it off with compost which I guess can be considered a hybrid approach. It's cheap and easy and seems to be working for me.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm considering doing this as well-- so many ash trees down in our woods due to ash vine borer!

[@Matt_K68]

I live in Georgia and my garden would get so muddy with standing water, I had to go to raised beds. I used pressure treated boards after researching the type of chemicals they use nowadays. I feel OK with having them contacting my vegetables.

[@MarlenesHomeandGarden]

Hi Jenna. Great tips. You are quite correct, those top soils areca joke. Have to ammend the soil. Happy Gardening.

[@TerryHanson-e6r]

I too use a mix of in ground and raised beds. It’s been working for me going on 15 years!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad to hear it!

[@melodybales2038]

I don't know if you have any experience being an anchor for news but you have a great voice for news if you ever wanted to!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I do not- but thank you!

[@ritalr15]

I have sandy loam and in some areas black dirt. And I have a built in flower box in the front yard and in the backyard I have a couple of raised beds but majority is in ground

[@margaret2222]

I love my raised beds. I am in Ohio too and my soil is pure clay. I have tried to amend it in my flower beds and have not had much success so when I decided to start gardening I just wasn't going to waste my time or energy on it. The raised beds are nice now that I am older too. They save my back and knees. Thanks for another great video.

[@mindmatters9515]

I am also in Ohio 6a with lots of clay. I had an arborist do a chip drop into my yard from a pine tree that was cut down next-door. It has broken down into my soil and after two years has made a big difference.

[@jms9057]

When wood prices skyrocketed, I added "beds" in kiddie pools. Worked amazingly well! Tomatoes, peppers, kale, squashes, etc., all did fantastic. Four years later, and the pools are still intact (aside from the side drainage holes I drilled) despite the baking NC sun. Raised beds don't have to be expensive, and the bonus with kiddie pools is that I can move them around whenever I want.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Great tip- thanks for sharing!

[@johnanderson3405]

I have a ph of only 5 in my back yard. Ended up building a couple raised beds for strawberries. I used 2x4’s for a frame and got some used metal roofing panels for the sides. Working out great. They’re 4 feet tall so no critters are getting in except the birds. Easy on the back too. Thanks for the good advice

[@DebRoo11]

I built 8 of this this year as well except halved the panels for all but two of the beds. I think they look great too

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

Thank you, this was thoughtful and thorough look at this topic!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MissCarey1420-yf5ev]

Thanks for the information. I don’t know what’s in my soil. I started a flower garden this spring. I amended my soil and threw my rose bushes in there. Practicing how my direct sow flowers will come out. I don’t have any blooms but I love the greenery. I enjoy planting. I don’t have any raised beds but thinking about get one or two with legs for vegetables and herbs soon. I have potted plants as well. I do believe and thanks for the tip of compost and other soils to amend the natural soil around my house. Blessings… tfs

[@rossgeredien9813]

I have a combination. Three raised beds with three more in the works this year, and about 400 sq ft of in ground. Your vids actually inspired me to try mounding the in ground beds in rows like you do! Though I’ve also evolved my own style into kind of a hybrid and I use cut logs to line a lot of them: I find this keeps the soil mounded more, and I gain several inches of real estate this way. My big problem is finding enough soil from a reputable source as I have to import for both. I have used a lot of leaves and compost too. Here in central PA the landscaping companies strip topsoil from ag land when they develop it. And I get concerned about pests, weed seeds, and even heavy metals. Need to get a comprehensive metal test done!

[@rossgeredien9813]

For raised beds I use Home Depot FsC certified Doug fir 2” boards. Treat them with two coats of raw linseed oil from Ace/True Value. Don’t use boiled as that does contain some toxics. I find this extends wood life by 2-3 yrs

[@JulesGardening]

Hello there Jenna! Good to see you. I am about five minutes and wish to share something with you and anyone reading this. I completed an extension program last year and the instructor has raised beds that have no constructed materials on the boarder. They are about knee high and in 4x20 rows. The paths are 3 feet wide and covered in straw. So basically the beds are raised between paths. He uses constant composting to keep them healthy. Sort of like hugukulture, but not. I guess it is a best of row gardening with raised bed gardening....and path control. :) Per the wood, same thing with "cinder" blocks. Those are no longer made to my knowledge. Jamie

[@brianseybert192]

Today I am going out and picking up a couple yards of pulverized topsoil, to amend a couple beds I put in 4 years ago. My mistake was in the raised bed mix I purchased, had zero dirt, all forest products and compost. I did build the beds over a hügelkultur pit, expected settling, but with no soil in the top foot of garden, my tomatoes and peppers would not take off until the roots reached the dirt down below. If I had it to do over again, would skip the raised beds except for one like you have for carrots, perhaps for sweet potatoes too. Good video topic, where was this 5 years ago, lol. Stay Well!!!!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I think this is such a common mistake, and have used mixes like this myself. I feel like labeling products like this as more of an amendment to raised bed soil would be more accurate, and I suspect many gardeners have had poor results using this stuff straight.

[@brianseybert192]

@@GrowfullywithJenna Just got back with my dirt, lovely day to pull all the thyme and oregano I have been using as a perennial cover crop. Looked at bagged topsoil at the big box stores, nothing but complete junk, people buy it up, what a scam. Have a terrific spring, Stay Well!!!

[@davidaleshire4292]

Hello, Jenna. Love this video. I pretty much follow your method of a hybrid garden. My new space doesn’t have hugelkulture yet, but maybe in the future. I have found that some things do much better in certain beds than others. My beets always do best with a mounded in-ground style, and tomatoes do best in ground. My peppers tend to love containers. As for compost, I swipe my neighbors’ leaves and garden scraps every fall to build a monster pile. Talk about some happy worms.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad to hear that the hybrid approach works well for you. And hooray for happy worms!!

[@mneil8880]

Beautiful garden Jenna! Ive used just the flat mother earth for 30 years adding a pickup load of mushroom soil and compost and get wonderful results. 🙏🌻

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad to hear it!

[@thecomplimentking]

Great work. Thank you.

[@viralprimenetwork]

Love watering! So relaxing, Thanks for the video! 🥰😍

[@backpacker2417]

Thanks for a another great video. I just built a raised garden bed today. I did build it 12 foot x 24 inches deep and just the wood and screws came up to $280 for one bed. You mentioned contaminates and I found out that most of yard has old asphalt buried about 6 - 8 inches under the top soil. Years ago, an asphalt contactor owned this place and it looks like discarded asphalt was used to level the yard. I will add the hardware cloth per your suggestion before I fill.

[@DebRoo11]

I made 8 beds with wood frames and corregated roof panels. The panels are $18 each and take 10-15 yrs to break down at least. Saves a lot on wood but still looks nice

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Oh no!! I'm amazed sometimes at what folks find buried in their yards! But I'm glad you were able to build a raised bed in this case!

[@minivandreamin1789]

I also have a combo of inground and raised beds. I’ve been slowly adding more metal raised beds as I can afford them. For me I like the tidiness of them and I feel like I can get more in a raised bed verses in ground. I still have a long way to go before I am 100% raised bed and I may not ever get there. Gardening for me is like one big science experiment and things are always changing.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Gardening IS absolutely one big science experiment-- so true!

[@sarahham88]

I just started an in-ground garden because I’m trying to save money. I had extra bricks just sitting behind my shed so I used those as my border. I’m gonna use some old pots as well. This will be my first garden! Hoping I get some fresh veggies!🤞🏼

[@sunitashastry5270]

I do both kinds of beds like you, for some of th same reasons. It ps good you mentioned the weed cloth barrier mistake. Poeple do not realize that what makes a good garden is good soil - for which we depend on a lot of critters and microorganisms.

[@quantafitness6088]

Thank you Jenna! In ground beds that are topped off with plenty of organic matter is the best for me. On top is loose soil where roots can stretch out and lower down is moist and nutritious clay. In ground is lower maintanance and no sides where critters can hide.

[@julie-annepineau4022]

Lol, I think remembering when to say in ground and when to say raised bed was a tongue twister that day! I grow in ground (or on ground since they are well mounded) I have sandy clay soil that I have been adding lots of organic material to. I am just in my 3rd year at this location but have changed the bed arrangement each year as I try to figure out what works best for me and the location.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Haha- it was indeed!

[@suepowlesland8541]

I'm zone 6b, very dry climate with extreme summer heat, and I prefer in-ground beds with just a low frame made of salvaged and untreated 2x4s. My 4 x 8 foot beds look very tidy edged this way, and this allows me to use diy insect mesh caterpillar tunnels to get a snug wrap around the perimeter of each one as I deal with extreme pest pressure. Think Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom😅. Just that additional few inches of quality top soil and homemade compost over my native sandy soil makes a huge difference in my garden. We are always on water restrictions and like you I find I can water much less than when I tried raised beds in the past. Thank you for sharing your successes with both styles of gardening!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so glad to hear you've found ways to work around 2 big problems- pests & water limitations!

[@justinarnold7725]

I like and usually grow in ground but when we moved to the new house we found under the two inches of topsoil was several metres of dried out potters grade clay soil so we had to go with metal garden beds for a quick fix because it is going to take years to reform the clay soil and many truck loads of compost material to get the ground ready for growing

[@designyourfoodspace]

I just put in my first in ground bed. I have 4 raised beds, excited/nervous to see how it goes this season!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Exciting! Best wishes for a great season!

[@thomasw7952]

Year-round I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini in buckets and home-made earth boxes around my pool. I mix my own soil from Black Kow & various potting soil mixes. Earthworm castings is my latest amendment to my soil. The results are fantastic!

[@QuiteQuietASMR]

Wild!!! We have completely sandy soil here in southern Indiana and I could water every single day and not have an issue.

[@lindacgrace2973]

I'm in the mountains of Arizona, Zone 7b. I don't suffer the scorching heat of Phoenix, but we only get 16" of rain per year, ALL of it in August. I use Australian wicking beds. Make the bottom foot or so of the bed water proof, fill with coarse rock and gravel, cover the rock with weed cloth (or, in my case, old, thin used carpet rescued out of a dumpster), and put 16" - 18" of soil on top. Fill the reservoir with water. You have to top water when planting, and especially when planting seeds, but once the plants are established, their roots wick up enough water through the soil. It's a self-regulating system: never too much and never too little water. I go out and fill the reservoirs about every ten days. Virtually no weeds, absolutely no burrowing animals, easy table-top working height for me (I'm retired, now). It's worked out well for me.

[@joehnsn]

I have switched to mostly raised beds, and mulch alot to help with keeping the moisture in during the summer. I also placed plastic on the inside walls where some of the metal and wood was touching the dirt, to keep any leaching of chemicals into my soil. It's worked great for me! I have about a dozen separate raised beds so far

[@ronaldjunod6601]

I ised to do in ground; but switched to raised beds. This is my first year with raised beds but so far i am loving it. I went a little more expensive route and used composite decking to help keep termites at bay.

[@gpswatching]

Zone 8b Texas Container and raised beds are currently my favorite method of vegetable gardening. I have several in ground gardens, as well. The soil is naturally sandy and slightly acidic. We add lots of compost made from grass clippings, leaves, pine straw and rabbit manure. Mulching with leaves and pine straw. The biggest con in all our gardens is mole/gopher damage!!!! We also have very hot, humid summers and use shade cloth to reduce UV by 40%. Love your videos ❤

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Ugh... I hear you on the moles (no gophers here)-- they are such a challenge!!

[@sharpland]

We do a mix, like you. Small raised beds with fluffy stuff for carrots and other root crops, along with mounded, in-ground beds that get amended and aerated each season. We're using straw and wood chips in our pathways, with the plan of growing wine caps in those paths for maximum use of space.

[@andrewmckinley6571]

Just getting started this year. Planning on in ground with a 6 inch raise. In western Pennsylvania the weather is not helping at the moment 😅

[@thepetlosscompanion6602]

Really helpful! Thanks!😊

[@brianwhite9555]

In our zone 6a garden in SE MI, we have to use raised beds because the native dark clay soil drains so poorly. I always recommend lining a new raised bed with two layers of overlapping cardboard to act as a weed barrier for the first growing season, and after planting mulch with partially rotted leaves or chopped straw. This will help keep the soil moist & cool, suppress weeds, and break down during the season to replenish nutrients in the soil. After cleaning beds out at end of season, add another layer of leaf mulch for the winter. We also make our own compost and use it liberally with all plantings.

[@adeyphil]

As a new gardener in north central Ohio I am going with the hybrid approach of in ground, raised, and thinking to get a high hoop house. Thanks for your wide range of info.

[@kalirussell5982]

I do a hybrid as well, with some built raised beds and some raised in-ground beds. It's necessary for me, as i live in a flood zone, and the water table in my yard is high. Over the years, i've improved my clay soil, using free wood chips, grass clippings, homemade and bought compost, chicken bedding. We just tore out our rotting beds, built new, and redesigned the garden. So looking forward to getting plants in now!!

[@junewrogg6137]

Great information!!! All new garden for me this year. So, I'm going with 6 raised beds and everything else in ground. My husband just used his tractor to till up a 50 x 50 plot for me. I was totally surprised at the rich soil. WE just built a house and have no lawn, WE plan to rake and sew seed soon, but the lawn area, so awful, rocky hard dirt.. :( So we thought our 10 areas would be like that. Very pleased with what I am seeing in my garden area. Bonus, after watching you winter sew in milk jugs, I did that, So FUN! everything germinated and is growing, I just opened them today, fed and watered them. You are a great source for gardening tips. Thank You.

[@threeblindmice369]

I’m glad you put this video out here. For a beginner gardener is to grow what you love. Since I’ve started watching your channel, you only had a couple thousand subs. I’m proud and happy for you. Representing Zone 6a phenomenally. My garden is a hot mess yet it does produce. I tend to grow in containers and with cinder blocks. Thank you for being passionate about your gift 💝 👩‍🌾. Keep up the great work. I’ve been experimenting with self wicking and it seems to be working for me. 😊

[@shawnueda8909]

Hi Jenna, getting free manure from local farmer can be dicey! If the livestock were fed feed treated with Graze On (pyralid based herbicide) The manure even if composted will destroy your peas, tomatoes etc. So be very careful if you want free manure or compost. Best wood for framing a raised bed is black locust (if you can get it). Old saying about black locust "It will last longer than your soil" Black locust is also very hard on cutting blades on your power tool. It will eat your chainsaw blade. Black locust fence post will last over 50 years in many environment whereas, cedar, red wood, cypress may only last 15-20 years. Great info very entertaining for me.

[@David.Gilmore]

I use 2x2x6 stainless steel stock tanks. I use clean plastic bottles for drainage and yes I remove the drain plug and fill with potting soil. Works great now for 6 years.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Great tip!

[@dacgardens]

Jenna: Thanks for this pros/cons video. I'm a newbie to gardening, and a practical kind of gal. Raised beds look nice, but no can do this year. Maybe a few in the future. I have access to small fallen trees. Going to sink them as a border and space beds about 32 inches apart. Have a 1986 Toro 32" riding mower. Will use some of the clippings for compost, some for mulch. Going for the rustic look without the mud, or need for wood chips. Cordless weed whacker should keep all looking tidy. Tip: I attached a frog spear (Wal-Mart $4.99) to an old mop handle. Makes a super, no bending, onion ringer!

[@debrathert]

I do like my 4 x 8 foot raised beds (cheap ones, like yours!), but one of the cons you didn't mention is one that I've experienced. I have my raised beds in the vicinity of some large ash trees. The beds are in the sun, but the roots from the trees have totally found the nice rich, damp soil I provide for my vegetables. These are not the huge roots, but the small hair-like, fine roots that the trees put out to find water....and they definitely found it. This year, even though I try to practice no til gardening, I totally dug up all 5 beds and tried to rid the beds of these roots. The beds were to the point that when I would dig down into the beds, it was almost a solid mass of roots. I did get them in good shape for now, but I expect that I will be back in the same boat in a few years. I did have some hardware cloth on the bottom of several of them to keep out the moles, but these finer roots still made their way through the hardware cloth. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!! Thanks for your channel.

[@dougbas3980]

Been row cropping for 30+ years. Trying two 4' x 8' x 11" raised beds this year. First experience is trying to fill them. A wheel barrow load of dirt looks like a teaspoon full. Going to take a lot to get these filled. I will use drip irrigation in these beds. My well water in Michigan also has minerals. I have a canister filter in the water line so hoping for the best there. I am 77 yo and the raised beds are my adjustment to helping my back from weeding. I am also adding weed barrier for my row crops in one of my 3 gardens. One garden is a non-fenced, non-watered 75' x 50' to raise food mostly for the chickens. A deer trail runs thru that garden, so my production there is more 'shared' than I like. But some field corn, field beans, and Hubbard squash get to my chickens. Your information in this video is excellent; thank you and best wishes, Doug.

[@nicholasdemarest4254]

At the moment I prefer raised beds due to the small size of my lot. But they are only 8in tall and sit on native soil. Topped with compost or just purchased garden soil which has worked very well over the last 6 years.

[@robyn3575]

I did concrete block for my beds as my cheaper cedar bed kits didn't last beyond 5 years. I also have two metal beds which have lasted 7+ years so far with no rusting.

[@brandynash1409]

We do raised beds, “raised bed” in ground, and in ground gardening. All for different reasons with different plants. They all work great!

[@steverichardson8655]

Great video, and so timely, I'm sharing this with my daughter as we've had a back and forth on this very subject for about a week now because she just purchased a couple of those galvanized raised beds off Amazon to get started gardening. But she's in San Jose California and has a great big sunny yard filled with clay/loam soil to work with so I am really pushing for her to do in ground beds, and simply get a load of good compost, drip irrigation, a wheelbarrow, hay bales for mulch, and some fish hydrosolate powder to get the party started. And that's it! My 3 year old grandson is very ambitious about gardening and I want to teach him about KNF as he grows with his garden but I'm afraid he'll get discouraged if he goes out there and burns his hands on those hot metal raised beds.

[@carissalizotte8977]

I like both styles of beds. I try to do more in ground beds with no till high compost methods. We also have clay (southern Maine) but I am now on year 4 of my in ground beds and they have really progressed in soil quality with thoughtful growing and adding lots of organic material. Only thing is with my in ground beds I struggle much more with weeds and grasses creeping in.

[@LunaMaeNova]

Thank you so much for this video! I was just debating what all to build in our yard and what all I want to plant, but your content here has helped me realize that I do not know enough about soil to even begin. I'm too far ahead of myself. xD

[@richardsedgwick1113]

Thanks Jenna. Here in SoCal, 10a, your information was very useful. Raised bed just use too much water that is expensive! I’m have moved to an 1 1/2 acre lot that was once part of a citrus orchard. The soil is sandy and drains well. In ground is going to be best for me. I will however have a raised bed for carrots. Happy Gardening

[@NC-Foothills]

When my cedar raised beds need repair, I cut off the piece of the bed that is broken and save it to make smaller beds. Often use them for smaller plants like herbs or when I want to experiment with a new vegetable that I hadn’t grown before and only want to grow one or two.

[@Sunnylane02174]

Thanks for all you do! You provide some of the best gardening content on KZbin! I’m zone 6 southern Ohio & I’m slowly getting things in the garden! I can’t wait to get my tomatoes & peppers out there!

[@barbaravanerp4598]

For your raised carrot beds. Do you have issues because you aren’t crop rotating? Or do you cover crop for that reason?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I've not had issues yet, but do try to refresh the soil each season with the addition of new organic matter (compost/manure/leaf mould etc). I don't have any carrot diseases or pests (yet) which would cause problems and require rotating out of that bed... but that could always change!

[@barbaravanerp4598]

@@GrowfullywithJenna that’s good to hear!

[@eric3434]

For red clay native soil: In-ground. Big and deep, bathtub effect. Sloped bottom (or V bottom) , with a french drain on the lowest side (or in the center with a V bottom). Filled with rich free county compost, and a bit of the red clay from the surface, tilled heavy. Rowed mounds. A couple pounds of white rice scattered about. Covered with 2" of 100% compost. Than pelletized gypsum scattered about. And initially watered down with some molasses water. Install drip irrigation (drip tips not really needed as long as its got a timer). And a thick 8"+ matt of mulch piled on the top.

[@tomw4338]

I don’t have a lot of garden space, so raised beds for me. I plan to try out in ground gardening if I move to a bigger plot of land. I bit the bullet and bought cedar for my beds, and they’ve gone 3 years without any rot. Way more expensive but no hassle.