Starting a Community Garden: Raised Beds vs. In-Ground Gardens

Suppose you’re planning to start a community garden. In that case, you may wonder whether raised garden beds or in-ground gardens are the best options.

 

Starting a community garden is great for getting to know your neighbors and growing fresh, healthy food. They offer several advantages over traditional garden beds.

 

Raised garden beds can also be designed to meet the specific needs of your community garden. In this blog post, we’ll talk about raised beds and in-ground gardens. Keep reading!

 

The Characteristics of Raised Beds and In-Ground Gardens

Suppose you’re considering getting a gardening service. In that case, you’ll need to choose a raised bed or an in-ground garden. 

 

Raised Beds Gardens

Raised garden beds are a great option if you don’t have a lot of space. They can be placed on a deck or a patio and take up far less room than an in-ground garden.

 

The maintenance of raised garden beds is easier than in-ground gardens. You won’t have to worry about weeds much, and the soil will drain better.

 

For community and school gardens, there are several advantages to gardening in raised beds, including:

 

  • Manageability: Raised beds are a practical approach to garden in a small space as they allow you to do so intensively.
  • Less weeding and upkeep: Once the soil in a raised bed has stabilized, compaction is almost non-existent, so the need for seasonal tilling is minimal. In a maintained, mulched raised bed, weed numbers decrease over time.
  • Better drainage: In an in-ground garden, the soil drains worse owing to the lack of drainage holes and microclimates created by planting near one another.

 

In-Ground Gardens

In-ground gardens are the traditional choice for most home gardeners. They’re generally less expensive than raised garden beds, and you can grow just about any plant in them.

 

In-ground gardens can be more work to maintain, so it’d be a good idea to hire a backyard designer. However, weeding is often necessary, and the soil can compact over time. Growing directly in the ground offers several benefits for many schools and community gardens.

 

Ground gardening is much less expensive than raised beds, and tractors can be used to prepare grounds and reduce start-up expenditures. Some benefits include:

 

  • Use of existing soil: Gardening in most soils is perfectly safe, provided the soil is appropriately tilled, mulched, and watered.
  • Less start-up work: A tractor or a big rototiller may be used to prepare a flat, well-drained location.
  • Less permanent: A garden in the ground may be replaced with another crop or relocated to a different site with minimal effort.
  • Easier irrigation: Irrigation systems for flat, in-ground gardens are far easier to create and install than raised beds, which necessitate precise planning and execution.
  • Lower water requirements: In-ground beds will not dry out as quickly as raised beds and require less water to keep alive.

Get a Customized Gardening Service That Fits Your Needs

We’re edible gardening experts at Backyard Eats in Philadelphia. We exist to spread the joy of homegrown food to as many people as possible! 

Our backyard designer will collaborate with you to create the ideal garden for your needs and budget. With our assistance, you’ll be able to enjoy fresh and delectable fruits all year. 

 

 

 

Read More