The Benefits of Growing Food in Raised Beds

One of the most common questions I get is why do I grow in raised beds and also what are the benefits of growing in raised beds? In this video, I provide the answers and outline 7 key benefits of raised beds so you can find out exactly why I am growing in them. If you are interested to find out more about my upcoming online course, here is the link you need: mailchi.mp/huwsnursery/morefood
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HuwsNursery is a channel which dedicates itself to teaching you how to grow an abundance of food at your home. Videos are uploaded every week and cover a vast range of subjects including; soil health, sowing, transplanting, weeding, organic tips, permaculture, pest control, harvesting and low maintenance growing to name a few.
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[@julietteveron4568]

My son has been watching your channel for about a year . He’s 11 and just built 3 more raised bed this week . Thank you for another great video

[@HuwRichards]

Wow that's amazing and well done to him! :)

[@M1NDCR4WL3R]

You have an awesome kid 😯

[@matthewmcknight4175]

Well done young man 👏smart kid 😃

[@marijoheitman2577]

" When you see seed packets, you want them ." Yup 😊

[@BonnieBlue2A]

Marijo Heitman 🤣🤣👍🏻 so true

[@beepee31]

This is exactly the comment I wanted to make!

[@OurEnglishTropicalGarden]

Raised beds are good for me and my back at my age ... great video thank you ..👍👍

[@thedirtdad4915]

Huw, a huge thank you from Colorado. You have inspired my family to tear out our deck and use the timber to create raised beds. Now our girls are excited to plant in their seeds and grow their own food. Thank you!

[@nathanjames7661]

Please be sure your not using treated lumber...

[@canusdominici]

So glad that your beds aren’t laid out perfectly level. Makes me feel better about mine.

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

I call my beds "permanent borders beds" The last point is the biggest advantage for me. The borders makes each bed it's own little room. One can tend to the garden room by room. Rather than looking at a huge expanse of work.

[@krzysztofflis1847]

I have bought your book. I am very grateful for what you're doing. You were also a great sport and recommended Charles Dowding in one of your videos. Thank you so much. Now, I'm listening to you both. Fantastic content delivered in a very pleasant accent. A pleasure to listen to.

[@thomaslester6173]

Huw you've inspired me to be to get into the garden while I'm off work due to the corona virus crisis. I spent this afternoon disassembling an old dog house that the previous owner left in the garden and have turned it into some raised beds! About to order the book from Amazon as well!

[@DarkAgeGrowing]

I'm in the middle of making more raised beds as I'm listening to this video!

[@luther7541]

My friend asked me about the problem of having rocks on her ground. This video is a good answer.

[@giojared]

Love my raised beds for so many reasons. In fact we just harvested about 20 pounds of organic produce from a tiny backyard yesterday and made a you tube video of it. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@suongpham2260]

Small Backyard Big Farm Glad to hear this !

[@MyFamilyGarden]

I can never sit still when I'm in the garden, too fidgety lol. Like you I have grass paths between my raised beds, good seeing another thumbs up for grass paths lol

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

In the future, all my beds will be separated by green manure pathways. It's a great place to grow plants to use as mulch.

[@marijoheitman2577]

@@GravefriHave I love a good scavenge ! 😊

[@Jallenbah]

@@ecocentrichomestead6783 What kind of green manure are you planning on growing that won't die when you walk on it? Grass can take a lot of abuse, I can't say I know if any green manure that is suitable to be walked over.

[@InisMor]

Really clear helpful info. Thanks Huw.

[@andymoore9977]

Huw really has the knack to zoom in on the psychology of vegetable gardening and, in this case, the use of raised beds. His best 'hack' and USP is how he understands the mindset of the typical small time grower and so motive them to do more stuff..... But I must add that raised beds should never be wider than 1 meter to ensure easy reach!

[@Waldvogel91]

Very good explanations - nicely done!

[@danielarichter2453]

Nice explained! Thank you

[@kdiggs5487]

Great video. Thanks for all the info on raised beds. Especially the posture part, and regarding helping out poor native topsoil.

[@FindingTheBliss]

Great video! Just bought your book and signed up to be notified about your online course. I can't wait to start my veggie garden, but I have everything to learn! You are now my new garden guru! :) Thanks. Luciana

[@coolanimestuff2617]

Hello from Romania. Greate channel..usefull information. Love it. I am fairly new in gardening and i have learned a lot from you. Thank you for your work. :)

[@danielsteven3320]

I'm so glad that I came across your channel! 😁 You've inspired me to take up an allotment plot myself. It needs so much work doing though... Wish me luck!

[@Handleisstoopididea]

Tbh I was just thinking about you. Your video is one of my source of entertainment and zen during this lockdown. I mistakenly thought it was 2 weeks ago was your last upload. Man I really lost count of days. Love your video as always!

[@Asdfbedffhdsxe345]

Another Brilliant video Huw!!

[@wowpets9457]

Love your garden !!

[@suzyq6767]

Thanks for all this amazing content. It's interesting to watch your progression over the years. I've tried and abandoned quite a few methods and hope this is my final frontier. Thanks again.

[@BoiledOctopus]

Just ordered your 'veg in one bed' book. Can't wait to dig into it!

[@GardeningforBeginners]

Used your book last year and had amazing result , so good I am videoing the bed this year too cheers Rayc🌸🥕

[@tashacid-pitawilson922]

I just bought your "Veg in a Bed" book and am so inspired! Not sure how to start after April and still follow the schedule, but will give it a good go.

[@tashacid-pitawilson922]

Fab, thanks!

[@judithhume9047]

Nice one. You've got me all excited and I am going to get cracking on this . We're lucky to have a big back garden up here in Glasgow and have grown vegetables in a conventional way. But I'm going to switch now and give this a bash given we won't be going anywhere for months. Thanks.

[@hildebecker2016]

Another wonderful video and tutorial. Thank you so much. I can learn from every single one. Especially that you still have the time to sit down with a book 😄. I cant do that. I always see something to do and my husband complains I am so restless. Please stay safe und have a wonderful Christmas. Greetings from Silke in Germany

[@murrayzuckerman123]

Excellent information.

[@cottagemommy5116]

I grow in raised beds too. It was interesting how many reasons we shared.. I too live in a rainy climate- up in the mountains in the US. I also have rocky soil. I love to sit on the edge of my beds to weed- so much more comfortable. And I also love that I can weed 1 or 2 beds a day for example and keep it all in good shape without getting so overwhelmed. Raised beds have revolutionized my garden!!!

[@stevebuck1737]

Thank you for another useful video. I am a member of a community garden and we have been replacing beds that need to be replaced. Many of our members are seniors so we are making bed 20-24 inches deep to help them use garden seats. I'm in US, hope we can join the online cource. I know it will be great just like your 2 excellant books. Stay safe

[@Eon0007]

Great vid Huw! After only a few year's I think if you have a good quality soil then I believe you are better making small areas and using the soil, then you can move and change the size of your beds if you want easily until happy with the layout. Raised beds plenty of benefits as you've stated. Stay safe and keep making the fab informative vids!👌😊

[@suongpham2260]

Wonderful !!! Thank you so much !!!💙

[@lamyaesebai8136]

so wonderful, you have the life I'm dreaming of it .

[@garykeighley712]

Thank you for answering a question I had about raised beds ready to build mine when I can get some timber 👍

[@lubosholicka3291]

@glyn hodges i see a Gabion Basket Raised bed in my neighborhood.. it looks luxurious, last forever

[@HA-bc4pc]

Good set of advantages. What are the disadvantages? Slugs / snails living in the wood / soil gaps, they rot after x years, need natural oak which can be expensive?

[@cymruambyth322]

Okay diolch Huw, ddiddorol iawn. My back yard is on a slope, but with a good depth of top soil, so I'm building beds in terraces using the stones removed as mini-walls. (But then again, a sloped garden should work too.) You got me thinking about drainage. Got some ideas.

[@NimmiHarasgamaOFFICIAL]

love your videos!

[@LT-lu8lb]

Thank you Huw

[@babycheesus666]

Huw, you're my hero

[@DragonFireSpirit]

I’m from Wales too! South coast.

[@amerruru2443]

Thank you so much 🌻

[@larkatmic]

I love ‘Veg in one bed’ thank you 😊

[@silviabrachner]

now i have the solution for the very hard stony soil in my garden. i can't even dig a small plant hole without the help of a pick axe... thank you very much ;)

[@joshcheez611]

I'm hoping to move later this year and would love to start a garden off with some raised beds. Are they sleepers that you use for the perimeter of these and where would you recommend going for getting these at a reasonable price? Are there any videos you could recomment for setting up a raised bed?

[@mekashealingjourney]

Very detailed video. Do you have more problems with slugs in a raised bed as opposed to non raised bed. As a new allotmenter, I have been looking into the prospects of corrugated raised beds. Please what are your thoughts on them?

[@stefanlemke172]

I will do that! Greets from 🇩🇪 🙂👍

[@MelixDesigner]

Thanks for this great channel! I've built my first raised bed but the foxes keep doestroing everything. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep them away? I've tried several methods but nothing seem to work 😣 Thanks! Keep up with the good work 👍

[@DanielFernandez-jv7jx]

Thank you from California! Do you find slug control more challenging with raised beds? I've heard say that the boards help harbor them. I also wonder how they are for gopher control or other ground pests.

[@OurEnglishTropicalGarden]

enjoyable video --- new subscriber here ..👌

[@cassieoz1702]

Grass paths are great unless ... you have runner grasses like couch and kikuyu

[@MeanOldLady]

It's better than tilling up dense clay every year. We've gotta make some concrete edge replacements this year though...

[@suzanneparent283]

Question about table height raised bed. Can I grow carrots and how deep does it need to be? Prefer not to bend over at all. I live in Florida temperatures varies between hot and very hot. I also have a tiny space on a patio. What is the smallest bed and what do you recommend can be grown here. Herbs for sure but what else would work? The heat makes for difficult choices. I also like fruits. What flowers can be mixed in the same bed or should I separate it? Thank you very much for your inspiring videos.

[@dragossorin85]

Depending on how low the temperature goes in the cold season it might or might not be a good idea, I have raised beds, strawberries, parsley, and other plants die in the winter because of freezing that occurs when the plants are higher than the soil level plus in the summer the drying effect is more pronounced for the same reason, in my opinion, beds are good when are raised only a bit from the soil

[@MeanOldLady]

Mulching them with wood chips or straw saves mine. Also cold frames for one or 2 beds that need special care (most of my beds are protected from harsh winter winds by the house). I also made ollas (glue 2 terracotta pots together, plug the hole on one end & lightly cap the other with a good-sized rock or something) & it's cheaper & easier to water those in harsh summer than wasting water & running long drip lines throughout the garden.

[@ohiogardener4019]

@dragos I have not experienced that at all. My raised beds are 18" high, and freeze hard every year. But, the perennials survive very well and get an early start the next spring when the beds warm faster than the ground soil.

[@foxglove8836]

Hi, Q, I have let a few Kale flower, Will i be able to get seeds from them ? I have raised beds and i love them :-) I went to a scaffold firm and they chuck old boards out,some times they give for free, I was lucky. I have lined the beds that way they last longer. I have clay soil, it was a up hill struggle, now as you say it's easy and yes you can get a lot in :-) I can grow a whole year of veg and ferment or cann/freeze. Love your vlog. take care be safe.

[@dej8782]

Hi Huw, thanks for sharing! Quick question about Veg in One Bed. Would it be useful no matter where you live?

[@suttonsplash14]

Huw's Nursery rules!

[@robbromynach5242]

Huw as someone who lives in west wales as well (Devils Bridge) what are you methods of slug control. Basically the carrots get hammered each year. Another pest which is difficult to control is mice eating our beetroot. Pest control might be a good video topic.

[@Cygneture]

Hi Huw, totally agree, raised beds are so much easier (& enjoyable) to grow veg. Question though, some of our raised beds are ~10 years old and the wood is very rotten. I suspect that autumn/early spring best time to fix, but how do we go about it ( without all the soil spilling out)? Any advice gratefully received. Thank you 👍🤗🥕

[@cymruambyth322]

Here's an idea. Just build a new frame around the old and let the rotting ones rot. It's organic.

[@puckishpixie]

Hi Susan. I've actually seen this done on another channel (but can't remember the name). For raised bed a single board high move the soil from the edges of the bed into a mound in the middle. This will allow to remove the existing sides and replace with new sides. If the raised bed is deeper or too narrow for this to occur try doing two sides at a time then mound the soil on the other side and replace the other two.

[@srmedia1234]

Hi Huw I am planning on building a raised bed in the garden of my rented apartment. I have some plywood left over from another project and wondered if you know if using plywood would be harmful and whether it might leach toxins into soil? I am very limited on funds and being able to use this plywood I have spare would be good financially. However, I am also an organic gardener and so do not want to affect my health with the glues.

[@MaximusShantaro]

u should try korean natural farming

[@aileenoneill5619]

Hi. I tried 4 raised beds & rats set up home in 2 of them. Had to dismantle everything & dispose if it in case of disease. Would like to try again, do you have any solutions to stop this recurring?

[@gloriaa3652]

A gardening course? 'm interested

[@yungxama1606]

what is that greenhouse contruction you got there? Looks slick!

[@jasontrump5868]

Looks like a poly tunnel

[@seblam7269]

hello, are raised beds suited to dry gardens?

[@smoothlarryhughes]

If you were starting a bed would you do a blend of compost and quality topsoil or 100% compost?

[@LoloDanNZ]

If you have access to heaps of cheap or free compost you can fill up your raised garden with just compost,but make sure the compost you are using are fully matured.

[@karenramcharan8983]

Hello from the Caribbean....so I have always thought that raised beds were an additional soil bed over the ground for more room for the roots to roam....is that true? For basic vegetables how deep should the soil be in a raised bed? My yard is fully concrete so I mostly use buckets or containers. I'm just starting off with herbs tomatoes and garlic ginger but wants to do carrots potatoes and sweet potatoes

[@karenramcharan8983]

@Chris Peters thank you....and I would need to line before putting the soil?

[@karenramcharan8983]

Thanks guys ...one more question....I have seen carrot tops being replanted but only yesterday I understand they do not regrow the carrot but produce flowers for accumulating seeds. Does this apply to beetroot also?

[@someguy43210]

I use galvanized steel raised beds.

[@LucySterling65]

Max Johnson I have two galvanised raised beds. Brilliant

[@ChromaEquinox]

Where can we buy your book? And would it be of much use for me living in a warmer climate like southern Spain?

[@BoiledOctopus]

Amazon or Ebay

[@PeytonWind]

Oh my gosh. 1:06 You're playing croquet with potatoes. Or is it golf? LOL

[@KateVeeoh]

Hi, Huw! I recently bought a house and it has some outdoor space but it's all concrete...it's fenced by quite a large, fastflowing brook so they had to reinforce everything and I guess the previous owners weren't that green fingered 🤭. Would I be able to put in some sort of raised beds or planters to grow some veg like beans, carrots, onions...? I'm in Belgium, so also lots of rain 😅

[@sandyg3772]

Check out Gardener Scott and the Galileo Garden. He built a school garden on an old tennis court. You can do the same on your concrete.

[@KateVeeoh]

Thanks! I'll definitely have a look over there. I don't have oodles of space but I would love to get some veg in, a bit worried about it being west orientated as well. The tiny front garden is south east orientated and laid to lawn at the moment but I'm dedicating that to wildflowers, fruit shrubs and a sloe hedge 😄

[@KateVeeoh]

@@GravefriHave sounds brilliant, will look into making grow bags! A bit new to this after having lived in an apartment for yeaaaaars, but excited to get stuck in 👌🏻

[@deribrown]

Diolch Huw 👍

[@brokkoliomg6103]

Hey there! I came here from the channel Self Sufficient Me some time back when you made the cooperation. Now I'm wondering why your raised garden beds are still relatively low. I personally probably would prefer the beds to be on the height like those from Mark... What's the issues with that? :)

[@BoiledOctopus]

Depends what crops you are growing.

[@PatriciaJessup]

I am over 60 and I do have issues with bending up and down so I will be building higher ones. So question, as these beds will be higher my garden budget does not allow the extra soil to start out with. Am I good with filling the bottom void with old foam seed trays then pile the soil on top of them?

[@naomitress8250]

Better to pile sticks, then leaves, then compost rather than foam

[@BonnieBlue2A]

Naomi Tress Hugelkulture

[@wingabouts]

Foam would probably be toxic. You can fill with rocks if you have any on your property then that's free. You can also use wood logs or lumber as long as it isn't pressure treated. Start composting in place immediately by just tossing any food scraps, leaves, lawn clippings into your beds. Regarding the lawn clippings, avoid using them if you've been treating your lawn with weed killers. I built my beds 18" tall last summer and filled about 1/3 full because that's all I could really afford. This spring I've added another 1/3 worth of soil. Hopefully next year they will be completely full. I'm 61 and can still bend over pretty good but that won't always be the case. I've had 4 knee surgeries and figure more are in my future.

[@kristofp72]

You might want to look into Hugelkultur and raised beds. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYCVonaHipx2l8U Will save you lots of money on soil

[@bishaldas648]

The soil in our garden is hard as rock and red in colour.

[@artinaam]

Probably has a lot of iron content.

[@BonnieBlue2A]

BISHAL KASHYAP DAS You need to supplement with compost. Lots of compost. Raised beds may help you as they’ve helped Huw.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Mine too but limestone. You might like my version: free and never deteriorate...on my channel.

[@pawelsku]

i have concrete round the back of mine house. i made raised bed on concrete. just 12 inches/ 30cm high i put gardener fabric on the bottom and sides so the soil/compost isnt washing away underneath filled in with 75% soil from other part of the garden covered every bed with good 5inches/15cm of compost (to save money on buying compost - untill i found out that i can get free compost in my local recycling centre) and i successfully grew on it beetroot, onion, beans, kohlrabi, courgette, and other things. would not be good for roots like carrots but i manage what i can.

[@bishaldas648]

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

[@david22591]

What are the dimensions of your biggest raised beds? Some seem longer than others.

[@megaxenu753]

do you put something on the bottom?

[@HuwRichards]

Nope as there is no need at all

[@megaxenu753]

@@HuwRichards does it not stop worms getting in?

[@nathanjames7661]

I tried to sign up for your online course but it wont accept hotmail or gmail accounts.. too bad

[@HuwRichards]

Hmm strange - sorry about that! If you want to send it to me on Instagram or Facebook I can add it in for you :)

[@nathanjames7661]

@@HuwRichards sure how do we connect on Facebook?

[@HuwRichards]

Send a message to my Facebook page: HuwsNursery :)

[@ramthian]

🥰👍

[@Welshman2008]

My garden is all concrete so I built a raised bed for my vegetables

[@athromm5469]

6" raised bed, 12" raised beds, 2' raised beds. What is the best?

[@LoloDanNZ]

I prefer 12 inch raised bed so i can sit on the edge when doing some weeding,I am 68 now so easier on my knees.It depends on every individual choice how high your raised beds.I will put up my raised bed to 2 feet this coming winter so i can get rid of tree branches dow the bottom of my garden.

[@lourdes1991mg]

My soil is literally hard white rock underneath

[@sandypineda7207]

15th

[@dborismusic]

My climate is pretty dry and very sunny. Maybe raised beds are not a good idea for me. I dunno.

[@ohiogardener4019]

Or, it might be the only solution. Raised beds filled with compost and a drip irrigation system can do wonderfully. Check out the youtube channel for growingyourgreens - he grows in raised beds in the California dessert.

[@mawkernewek]

I've done a video of the garden at my parents house, where some of my plants live. I'm taking part in the #singleseedchallenge with a camellia seed which I had actually forgotten I had until recently. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnSZlWyDisqrg7s

[@Another_Story_]

marry me plz

[@Jasonmanmosa]

Why I grow watching your channel: because you're hot