Why I Don't Use Raised Beds

Raised beds are a lot of work. Are they worth it?
Raised beds can help with drainage and airflow. Some state that they warmup sooner in the spring. Are there other solutions? If they do raise production, is it enough for my situation? I answer why --I--- do not raise beds on my farm.
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Conor Crickmore is a well known educator in small scale market farming and has been very successful at earning a good living growing vegetables on a small plot. He farms without a tractor. He also designs tools and hosts online courses in farming and gardening.
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[@lisadouglass1229]

This is really fascinating I am transitioning from growing for family and friends with raised beds to expanding to make a business and have really struggled to see how the cost/benefit would work. My main reason for raising the bed is because we had black walnut in the soil and wanted to be able to plant into the soil quickly and adding 6-12 in to the top allowed me to grow tomatoes etc where they would have struggled before. I would love to hear more on this!

[@JohnathanProphet]

Owning new home with great areas for gardens I have been asking the same questions. Being an engineer I always try to avoid, to many steps or moving parts. Time Money and Resources being a part of that. You have confirmed for me why I should not use raises or box types beds. Thank you!

[@nicole73551]

Interesting. When I was living in a dry area with hydrophobic sand (where sales of wetting agents and soluble fertilizers are big business, more than organic matter) I overcame the issues to make a good organic garden bed by making sunken beds. I could add organic matter, which many did not want to add due to "the extra water it needs" (among other reasons), and know that any rainfall and irrigation would run into the beds from around them. This enabled the very sandy soil to improve in those areas quickly. In another area I made raised garden beds over compact soil. Mainly because I had to and I did not want to spend how long it would take me to chip up the ground. Which might have ended up a repeat process but who knows. It needed to be raised for years but the ground underneath gradually softened and I'm sure would have eventually not needed to be raised if I was doing it longer. How long I don't know. Where I am now I consider myself lucky to have a beautiful loam. Still a dry climate and the soils are typically called deficient, but deficiencies can easily be fixed right, and I use level beds. People around here like to use raised beds for seemingly no productive reason and seemingly just because they are popular or simply that they like it. But I actually don't like it and prefer the ease of flat beds (I don't like lots of work lol).

[@JoshStobart]

I enjoy this perspective, but my issue with this style of farming is that the soil is laid bare without a mulch to protect it. No-dig methods are quite effective when using a compost mulch in the spring each year and planting into the soil underneath, allowing the soil to retain water easily, protecting it from the sun and providing nutrients over the growing season. It's not a raised bed in the traditional sense, but over time the beds become slightly raised by the addition of organic material each year plus the fact that the new soil is not compacted by water from rain, snow and irrigation helps to keep it fluffy and therefore it raises the area a little to give the impression of a slightly raised bed. Honestly, I see more issues with the bare soil than with the lack of raising the bed. If you tackle the bare soil issue, you will slowly raise the bed over time while benefiting the soil and reducing the need for irrigation. Just my two cents :) keep it up!

[@scottmaschino1927]

The only reason I'm even thinking about doing some raised beds is my aching back. The bending, stopping, squatting, lifting all take a toll. Add to that my main focus is and will be, growing my honeybee operation, which just adds to the abuse lol. I can put in a raised bed, not have to bend as far to harvest, transplant, weed, ect, and have a conviniant place to sit for a moment while I work. Yes, I will loose space and productivity, but it will increase my ability to weed and work the crops and increase my production. Sure it's a give take thing, but allowing a person to more easily tend to the crop is a big benefit to me.

[@spoileddoggproductions2559]

Thanks for the Vid. I appreciate the fact that you preach what works for you, and don't expect every situation to be like yours. I also love the fact you can have a frank discussion without histrionics or drama. Please, keep them coming, they are a light in the storm sir. And yes, in a few weeks I think we may have to just get your course, if your free vids are this good, the course must be amazing.

[@billastell3753]

In a heavy clay soil raised beds are an advantage if we get a soggy wet year. However if you have raised beds and it is a dry year, which it usually is where I live, you have to use a ton of water to get a crop. I don't have irrigation so the answer is don't raise the bed.

[@charlesvickers4804]

I've had to use raised bed. I have about 5 inches of black dirt then about the same in grey sand then a layer about a foot of grey clay that acts like a big bath tub. Tried punching through the clay into the white sand under that and had water percolate up for days. Finding some success in crowning the full 50 by 170 gardens like a road. Still have to be carefull how much of the grey sand I end up pulling into the edges when it does dry out it gets like concrete. I can grow almost 4 seasons here the winter and spring is the toughest. The swamp land behind me will get belt level in the winter and spring and totally dry in the summer. Placed a sand point at one corner, its 3 ft below the clay layer it flows on it's own from mid December to late may early june ,and has helped some.

[@purpleman173]

Thanks for the content Conor greatly appreciated.

[@lecsu131]

Hello, thank you for this info. I'm just starting my greenhouse and was really struggling with this question. It's clear now - no more raised beds. But i still have one question. After you clean your soil of rocks (I saw that video too) how do you prepare your soil for the first time? What do you add?

[@garlandthompson5970]

I too, would enjoy the answer to this question.

[@purpleman173]

Hmmm I smell video content involving answers to questions?? Hopefully

[@purpleman173]

Curious myself. I trust this mans experiential wisdom and highly respect the organic wholistic simplistic gardening style. I have only helped a little bit and have no to little experience. I'm getting more comfortable with the idea of making a living this way. Being in WV I'm inspired to grow endangered herbs, edible local plants, hemp, fruit trees, with my focus being on maximizing growth via the greenhouses. Very curious Neversink Farm I would also love to know

[@superman5150]

Which video of his mentioned cleaning the soil of rocks? Dealing with this problem myself at the moment and looking for insight

[@01Autentic]

Vezi ca are un videoclip cu ce pune in sol, asta in caz ca nu l,ai gasit singur.

[@mtsurov]

So glad you're covering return on investment aspects, ... in this video as well as others. I'm down with that.

[@mariayelruh]

You look at it from a production point of view, from your experience. You've calculated the time and effort involved. It's clear you've tried them and they aren't a positive for you. What I like is that you aren't saying they are bad, because you mentioned some times were it might work for people. I have raised beds similar to you because my soil is poor and I add stuff to the beds... which raises them. I'm also only a backyard gardener so it's nice to see various POV.

[@jordanbanda4744]

Really great to see your subscriber growth... phenomenal content

[@TheBardo60]

Awesome stuff! I have a BCS and it's a lot of work. Can you please talk about your bed turnover? How do you move one crop out of a bed and then prep bed for next crop in the succession? I was thinking of investing in flail mower for the BCS to chop up and then tarp the bed. You seem to have it figured.

[@saintmaxmedia2423]

That is what I have been thinking as well. Thank you for sharing.

[@joansmith3492]

How about very rainy wet springs where some years you get 10 inches of rain in a month.

[@robertbrawley5048]

About 3 summer seasons ago it rained 3 or four times a week in June July and the first 2 weeks of August. Not drizzling rain but decent rains that causing theuh unpaved roads to wash out. And I saw no detrimental effects to my tomatoes and young fruit trees. This was in the Manassas Virginia area 50 miles outside of Washington DC

[@stevenbyers5591]

My new favorite small farmer, the KISS method to the fullest. Why make things harder than they need to be, work smarter not harder :)

[@caroledavis9362]

I have clay/coliche/digging critters/bad back... not sure I could grow anything without raised beds... I add fertilizer in Spring, and plant seedlings out after Mother's day. The growing season is until beginning of November when we get frosts. Wish our soil was like Neversink's.

[@NeversinkFarm]

It can be. I started with %50 rock and %50 sand. It took lots of work but you can do it.

[@robertdiffin9136]

Conor, thank you for all the great content. Working on layout for a new micro farm here. Quick question: How you decided upon 14” pathways? Thanks - Bob

[@Chris-op7yt]

even worse than simply using earth, i has fallen for the aesthetics of having raised bed boxes with wood edging. this is a common, expensive and counter-productive way to grow veg. i just got rid of the boxes and ended up with slightly raised rows, because of the excess soil i had but, i can already see the benefits of rows and how much nuisance the boxes had. unfortunatelly it took me years to realize how much better rows are.

[@SherrickDuncan]

Are you familiar with Paul Gautschi's Back to Eden Gardening method of using sifted screened composted woodchips chicken manure and vegetable and yard easte as a covering or mulch for the soil? Can you do a video on the compatibility of that method with a Market Garden like yours?

[@dawsonmehalko711]

Look up Curtis Stone’s channel. He did a video on why he doesn’t do it and I’m sure Connor’s answer would be similar :)

[@SherrickDuncan]

Seen it. Curtis is great but his answers in that video only showed he hadn't even done proper research on Paul Gautschi, his actual method according to himself and his actual garden. He hadnt even seen the original film nevermind all of L2Survives videos or all the other films on youtube about Paul talking about his method. He kept saying things that had nothing to do with the actual method. I wish he would go out there and actually talk to Paul and see what he really does and then comment again on it intelligently

[@everydayfarm3765]

I'm no authority on the subject, but our friends a town over have used a very similar method to grow vegetables for sale for more than fifteen years. They put down sheets of cardboard covered in composted chicken manure the first year, and plant shallow rooted crops right into that, and after that they just add compost, and re plant. They don't till the soil at all ever, like Paul, and they have done very well for themselves on a rocky piece of land with out much top soil that would be very challenging to farm any other way. If you want to learn from them directly, come see them at the Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange, Massachusetts this fall.

[@SherrickDuncan]

Joe and Hannah I would love to see that but could never afford to travel. Would you please do a video walk through tour with your neighbor of there farm and post it on youtube?

[@everydayfarm3765]

There is a link to their channel and a video of their method.

[@StephanieSomer]

I have argued with people before over raised beds. The suggestion that they warm quicker in the spring may be true. However, contrary to their further deduction that earlier warming leads to longer growing season, they ignore the other end of the season in which the beds COOL earlier in the fall. Net growing season extension: ZERO. All you've done is shifted the growing season a couple weeks. Raised beds also require more watering since the soil is a few inches further from the ground water and the fact that the aforementioned "earlier warming" also leads to higher soil temperatures resulting in greater evaporation. Nonetheless, when I do finally achieve my homestead dream and begin gardening, I am seriously considering raised beds. And my reason is actually the ONLY legitimate reason for raised beds, accessibility. I'm in my mid 60's and getting up and down is gradually becoming more and more difficult. I have two options: raised beds, or wider walkways which would allow some type of rolling stool. Wider walkways would require greater area to grow the same amount of food. And they would also create more area requiring maintenance. So, I'm leaning towards raised beds.

[@Hammerfall501]

What number do you use with the frost cloth agribon? I know the higher the number means less light transmission. I live in the same growing zone as you.

[@CBsGreenhouseandGarden]

For commercial farming this makes a lot of sense.

[@crpth1]

For most any type of farming it makes sense. Raised beds are pretty much a trendy "architectural feature". Pull away the drainage issue and what's left to support a raised bed crumbles fast into...not much. ;-) Between colleagues and acquaintances that fell into the trap I count way to many. What is shockingly evident is that most don't even have a clue why they do it. Particularly in water deprived/challenged areas seeing people making raised beds enter into the realms of ridiculous. It's the only description possible. Add people question about making raised beds in Cape Town. During the worst draught in decades!! What???!!! Same in other regions in Africa and Europe. It's simply stupid. Good soil drainage or soil improvement don't need "stilts" to work. ;-) Cheers

[@honestacehole6172]

What would you recommend for an extremely rocky environment? Where digging in the ground is nearly impossible.

[@crpth1]

Question yourself why do you need to dig in the first place. ;-) Cheers

[@kerrytoby7041]

In a greenhouse that big and growing for production it seems to make sense not to do raised beds . Raised beds would be great in other situations for a variety of reasons.

[@530eman]

Ok...so how did you wrestle your 50% rocky soil in an economical way...??? Thank you

[@sunnyseacat6857]

Isn't "rock dust" or "gravel rock/dust" supposed to be beneficial to plants? Would it make sense then to remove the small rocks? I could see if the fields were covered in small rocks. Would the rocks be deposited from an ice age long ago, enriching the mineral content of the soil, much like volcano lava/ ash over time?

[@yeshuaisthewaythetruthandt515]

Thanku

[@mattwernecke2342]

I agree with you. I understand. Can you talk about your ammendements based on your soil requirements? I am based in GA. I will have my soil tested by UGA ext. I can make my own ammendements. Thsnks!

[@jackbarrowiii989]

What size and brand is your greenhouse

[@royormonde3682]

Ya but no one farming for a "farmers market" or as a business is doing it in raised beds, not on any of the vids I've seen anyways. Raised beds is great for a backyard garden and more importantly, for those who can't bend over to plant and harvest. I grow my own food in about 1/8th of an acre, maybe more and have 25 raised beds, a bunch of half barrels and they're all 20 to 24 inches tall, the only in ground beds are for my potato, carrot, corn, onion, garlic and bean, all those are harvested with a fork or shovel and the beans and peas are on trellises. I start 7 to 8 hundred plants in my basement every year to put out and there's no way I'd be able to do it if I were doing daily harvests on the ground.

[@tangobayus]

Have you considered growing on tables to avoid all the stoop work?

[@nutrientdensefarmstefanlin5007]

just curious about the kind of sprinkler heads you use on those stands

[@NeversinkFarm]

wobblers

[@nutrientdensefarmstefanlin5007]

Neversink Farm thanks, really appreciate your videos, a lot of very useful content

[@bikingbristol]

You said you prep beds to be ready in spring. Is your soil bare all winter? You said you don’t tarp, do you use cover crops?

[@NeversinkFarm]

Yes cover crop. I also grow till freeze leaving veg to rot on the surface.

[@zacharylong3987]

Neversink Farm Conner how do you get rid of the cover crop in the spring? You don't need to till this in? This is something I've struggled with and have gone the tarp route. The answer to this would make a great video.

[@rufia75]

Ok, but how do you apply your compost in a no-till system then? Raised beds in most no-till market gardens are a symptom of no-till, are they not? They do it because they are piling 4-6 inches of compost on new beds and 2-3 inches on established beds every year and then transplant into that....so isn't that what's making them 'raised beds'? If you're not adding compost in those amounts to your beds (which it seems like you're not), I am curious why all the other no-till market garden channels swear by it.

[@NeversinkFarm]

I apply compost all the time. I don’t consider that creating raised beds. Many farms use rotary plows to build raised beds. That is something I do not do.

[@JLLedford]

Raised beds will extend my ability to continue to grow and garden. My back can't do all that stooping . Next is less predator and pest issues. Gophers, rats, and rabbit problems vanish over night.giving me much higher yields. Then there is the pure aesthetics.For a home garden, I find raised beds to be...WAY more attractive. If this were my livelihood, maybe I would agree with your perspective. But as a general statement there are LOTS of reasons that raised is gaining in popularity.

[@NeversinkFarm]

My home garden has raised beds. Here I am referring to farming with raised beds. The type of raised beds used in farming are just a few inches of raised soil using a plow. They will not give you the benefits you mentioned. Farming and gardening are very different

[@usbpphillips]

Raised beds ate good for people with medical issues. My daughter has POTS and bending over to pick a strawberry or pepper can result in her falling. Large scale it doesn't make sense but for home gardens it can/does.

[@juliecar8430]

What about a SERIOUS mole problem? When I pick the rocks, weed the beds, plant & water my garden the moles bring their forks & knives and make swiss cheese underneath all my hard work. Very frustrating. I feel like raised beds are my only answer. I have to put a mesh on the bottom of the bed to keep the pests out. I would love to plant directly into the ground. I feel like I spend more time on mole hunts than actual gardening :P

[@SherrickDuncan]

Julie Car get a hose then attach it to your tale pipe of you car stick hose in there holes one at a time and let your engine run while you rev the engine while car is in park. Bye bye moles-prarie dogs-rabbits etc

[@mtarves24]

You said it

[@brianjohnson1273]

What variety of tomatoes are being grown

[@NeversinkFarm]

Check out the video “most profitable tomatoes”

[@530eman]

I use raised beds because of crappy/rocky soil. Also, my beds are flat and level. Much more work working the rocky soil...

[@NeversinkFarm]

I know it. My soil was 50% rocks.

[@deadpresident78]

I dont need to but I am sure lots of people HAVE to use raised beds in areas were its sandy and maybe lots of red ants, stuff like that.

[@johnpeterdean1653]

Raised beds look cute in a garden but have minimal benefit in a commercial environment

[@rayalnaturel7394]

What about the battle with gophers?

[@L3TTUC3prey]

Google "The Gopher Hawk" trapping system... I've got 3 of them myself, and they have made a huge difference on the roughly 1 acre property where I live that is literally surrounded by commercial ag fields on all sides. Seems the gophers have figured out that they can avoid the heavy tractor traffic/ regular irrigation woes on my side of the fence... that is, until I began using the Gopher Hawk traps.

[@daysofage]

What about urban gardeners who don't have all the perfect land you have?

[@NeversinkFarm]

No perfect land here. All of it is considered not farmable. I created all the soil here through hard work.

[@daysofage]

On top of concrete?

[@daysofage]

Or on top of "troubled" soil?

[@NeversinkFarm]

Gardening is completely different. My home garden has raised beds made of river stone.

[@robertbrawley5048]

Raised beds are a fad. The purpose of raise beds us to make an attractive garden . . That is my opinion only . There are tons of videos on how to make raise beds but no info on why make them . I depend on rain as my only source of water so I'm thinking of the opposite of draining or h kik w wet can the soil be before it detrimental to the plant