Narrow beds - boxes. Watermelon - agricultural technology, interesting facts about the plant and the best varieties Bed tray made from half barrels

Almost every gardener strives to get the largest possible and, naturally, healthy harvest on his plot. At the same time, the majority devote a lot of physical effort and time to their garden. It is the hard work in the garden that discourages many from engaging in farming, and children, looking at the torment of adults and the uninteresting process of cultivating the soil, do not want to participate in it.

Therefore, you need to approach farming wisely, do what is easier for you, what is more convenient, in compliance with the laws of nature. One way to simplify work and improve results is to create narrow beds.

Vegetable growing in narrow beds was developed by the American vegetable grower Dr. Jacob Mittlider and began to be used in our countries. In his method, when growing vegetables, they widely used mineral fertilizers, however, growing organically produces rich, healthy, and delicious harvests.

A narrow bed is formed with a width of 50 cm (in humid climates) to 100 cm (in dry climates) of arbitrary length, and row spacing in narrow beds should be wide: from 60 to 100 cm.

Pros of a narrow bed

Why will a narrow bed be favorable for plants and why such wide row spacing?

The fact is that plants that grow in a wide bed receive insufficient lighting, shade each other, stretch out, become weaker, and only the outer ones develop much better than those in the middle of the bed.

In a narrow bed, plants are planted in 2-4 rows in a checkerboard pattern and all of them are on the outermost rows, and the free space of wide row spacing contributes to their better lighting, which has a positive effect on development and health.

Plants in narrow beds also receive the necessary nutrients from the space of the bed, filled with organic matter, while the space between the beds also does not “walk” - mulched or seeded with a lawn, it retains moisture in the area, and the bottom layer of mulch is processed into fertilizer earthworms and soil microorganisms. In addition, unnecessary weeds will not grow on those covered with sand, sawdust, hay, straw...

In order not to waste energy on creating new beds from year to year, they are made stationary - fenced with any available materials - logs, boards, bricks, slate, stones. It is better to pre-treat wood materials to protect them from rotting - dry them or paint them with water-based paint.

If you have an arid, hot climate, the soil level in the bed should not be much higher than the level of the soil between the rows, and if the climate is rainy or water spills into the gardens, it makes sense to make beds - boxes. In raised beds (boxes) above ground level, during prolonged rains the plants will not get wet and will not be flooded.

The walls of the bed - box rise 20 - 30 cm above ground level and it is better to make them from durable material, for example, brick, which is more durable and more practical compared to boards or logs.

High bed - box

How to make a raised bed? It is laid as follows: leaves, hay or straw are placed in the box at the very bottom, thin twigs can be added, compost or humus is covered on top, and then fertile soil is placed on the very top. To maintain fertility in the beds, you can add compost to them or grow green fertilizers - green manures, which can be sown in early spring and autumn.

In narrow beds, tall and spreading plants that require a lot of space are grown in two rows in a checkerboard pattern - cabbage, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes..., and more compact ones that will not interfere with each other - in three or four, taking into account the normal distances between them - onions, garlic, carrots, radishes, beets, lettuce...

It is worth noting that for better and uniform lighting, all beds are made stretched from north to south, when the Sun rises, it illuminates one side of the plants before lunch, and the other after lunch until sunset.

Also, do not forget about combining several types of garden crops in one bed, for example, tall ones in the center, low-growing root crops along the edges.

Pros of narrow beds

The disadvantage of stationary beds is the labor and financial costs of materials for the walls of the beds in the first year of their foundation. However, the construction of stationary beds has many important advantages that are justified a hundredfold:

• reduction of cultivated soil area;
• beauty and order in the area, absence of dirt between the rows;
• tillage and maintenance of such beds becomes more convenient;
• no need to form new beds every year;
• ease of watering and less water consumption;
• nutrients are not washed out of the fenced bed;
• a high bed prevents flooding and stagnation of water;
• the bed contains and retains enough large volume useful substances and moisture;
• a mulched bed will retain moisture and the growth of weeds;
• the absence of weeds in wide row spacing eliminates the need to fight them over a large area of ​​the garden thanks to mulch;
• does not require constant application of fertilizers - sowing green manure replenishes nutrients in the soil of the bed;
• an organic bed does not require digging, only loosening with flat-cutting tools;
• the rapid heating of the raised bed in the spring allows for early planting;
• a narrow bed and wide row spacing provides plants with not only good lighting, but also free movement air, which enhances air nutrition of plants and prevents the development of fungal diseases in humid times;
• raised narrow beds are easier to protect from spring and autumn frosts or to stretch sun nets over them in the hot summer.

Narrow beds - boxes will make your site beautiful, plant care interesting activity and will allow you to get a rich, healthy harvest!

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A dacha is not just a site for growing and harvesting crops. For many, this is a favorite place to relax and implement ideas for. Often the method of disembarkation vegetable crops relegated to the background, but this is not correct, because the appearance of the entire landscape largely depends on their interesting location and attractive appearance. This article tells you how to make beds for the lazy at your dacha in the easiest way. Photos and descriptions of the most successful ideas, as well as ways to implement them, should help make your site comfortable and well-groomed.

Tall board structures for planting crops will be the highlight of any area

A garden bed is most often a fenced plot of land intended for growing a specific type of plant.

• Slate.

Typically, this material is used only if it is available (for example, left after a roof repair).

• Plastic.

The main feature of plastic is that it can be molded into any shape, so it is great for round or other curved fit options. In addition, it is not affected by precipitation and low temperatures, therefore it will last a long time without losing its original attractiveness.

Expensive and durable option.

• A natural stone.

It makes the most spectacular sides that will serve long years. Unlike bricks, stones have irregular shape, which will allow you to design a landscape in an eco-style. Disadvantages of stone sides: high cost and gradual sinking into the soil under the influence of its own weight, so such a side must be periodically checked and corrected.

A well-made one made with your own hands from scrap materials will serve for many years, but for a good harvest, its correct location is also necessary.

Placing beds in the vegetable garden: how to arrange, photos, tips

The quality and quantity of the harvest depends on the proper arrangement of the beds at the dacha, so this issue should be given special attention. First of all, you need to know the following:

• Beds located on the cardinal points (from north to south) - good decision only for low plants on a flat horizontal area.
• If the site has a slope that cannot be leveled, the beds should be across it regardless of orientation.
• It is advisable to make the rows of one plant the same size. This will make it easier to calculate the amount of fertilizer, the degree of watering and planting.
• If the site has multidirectional slopes, choose south side(the crop will ripen faster on it).

On small areas There is often a lack of free horizontal space for planting. If this is your case, try one of the following ideas:

• Create vertical structures.

• Use unused objects (for example, a wheelbarrow, a barrel, etc.) to plant plants.
• Attach the garden bed to the seating area.

How best to make beds in the garden - options

Beds are classified according to design features, with the following types being distinguished:

• Traditional (level with the rest of the area, dimensions allow you to easily reach the center from any side (right or left)).

• High (30-40 cm above ground level, contribute to the most rapid maturation harvest).

• Deep (when installing, a trench 20-30 cm deep is dug, thanks to which the ground most often does not freeze, and planting can be carried out earlier).
• Narrow (for example, according to the Mittlider method, described in detail in the next chapter).
• Vertical ( perfect solution for small areas, however, not all plants can be planted in this way).

Related article:

How to make beds from boards with your own hands

Now let's look at how to properly make garden beds from wood. This material is the most common when constructing beds. Board structures have the following advantages:

• Reliability.

The tree perfectly retains moisture inside the row, and also does not deform for a long time.

• Low cost.

This material is often left behind after construction. If you don’t have it, you can buy boards at a fairly low price.

• Easy to install.

The main thing is high-quality wood processing; if this is not done, insects and moisture will quickly destroy the structure.

• Attractive appearance.

Wood is a material ideal for eco-style beds.

The only drawback of board structures is their fragility (in comparison, for example, with plastic or brick).

However, the ability to quickly and cost-effectively change them more than outweighs this.

How to make a bed from boards with your own hands: photos, dimensions, installation sequence

• If you decide to make a wooden structure, first of all you need to choose the type of wood: Oak or ash
• - hardwoods, the boards of which are perfect in this case, but their price is quite high. Pine
• – cheap, but short-lived. The service life of such a fence can be extended by periodic chemical treatment. Cedar or larch
• – the best price-quality ratio. Due to the presence of resin in these conifers, there is no need to process them. Acacia - Also great option

for making beds. What are optimal sizes

• beds made of boards? First you need to decide on the height of the structure, which depends on the following factors:

Features of the planted crop.

• Some vegetables require a certain depth (for example, for potatoes, the planting depth must be at least 40 cm).

Soil fertility.

• If the soil is fertile, the sides can be made 10-15 cm high. If backfilling of fertile soil is required, 30 cm or more.

Type of bed.

For example, warm ones are characterized by a height of 50 cm.

The length of the row can be any, but it is not recommended to make it too long for two reasons: it will be an obstacle to moving around the garden, and the wooden structure will have to be additionally reinforced with oblique or vertical pegs.

In most cases (if the planned structure does not have a very complex shape), it will not be difficult to make a bed from boards with your own hands. The size of the boards depends on the size of the future bed, however, if you only have material of insufficient length, it doesn’t matter, several boards can always be joined along the length.

Procedure for constructing a wooden structure:

• Preparing the area.

At this stage, it is necessary to level and dig the area for the structure.

For a rectangular structure, you need to connect 4 boards and attach support bars to them, which should be 20-30 cm longer than the future sides. They need to be sharpened a little with an ax on the free side (to make it easier to enter the ground).

• Installation of the structure.

We drive the structure into the ground, and it is important to use a level to achieve maximum evenness of the structure.

• Surface treatment of boards.

First of all, the surface is primed (to protect it from moisture and pests), then coated oil paint(optional, you can leave the wood color).

• Backfill.

The composition depends on the type of structure and the selected crop. But in all cases, the first layer should be drainage.

Most often, they try to plant only one crop in one area, but sometimes they practice planting vegetables together in the garden. However, it is worth remembering that not all plants get along with each other. Therefore, below is a table of compatibility of vegetables in the beds.

Related article:

Interesting ideas come to mind for many summer residents and owners of private houses. In the article we will look at original photographic examples and several instructions for creating such beauty.

Mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: examples, photos

More and more summer residents are interested in obtaining not only a large harvest, but also an environmentally friendly one. Therefore, the question arises, how to achieve a high-quality harvest without resorting to chemicals?

An excellent solution is mixed planting of vegetables. After all, some cultures have a beneficial effect on each other. However, in this matter you should be extremely careful, since not all plants like any kind of neighborhood at all.

Thanks to the science of “allelopathy”, a table of the proximity of vegetables in the garden has been compiled, using which you can significantly reduce the use chemicals for pest control and fertilizer.

The proximity of vegetables in the beds - compatibility table

The table below reflects the compatibility of vegetables in the garden. Planting using this information will ensure a high-quality harvest with minimum investment funds.

Mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: examples with photos and tips

Each friendly or unfriendly neighborhood of vegetables in the garden has its own justification. For example, strawberries and onions make great neighbors. Onions protect the berries from rot and disease, and if you plant parsley nearby, they prevent the appearance of slugs.

Onions are also an excellent companion for most garden crops, as they protect them from pests. The most interesting neighborhood of this plant is with carrots. Both crops have their own pests - onion and carrot flies, and the first cannot stand the smell of carrots, and the second - onions.

Garlic is great for pest control and is therefore a good companion for most crops. However, it is not recommended to plant it next to plants of the legume family, since the latter are leaders in fence nutrients, and garlic needs quite a lot of them.

Growing crops together in the garden can be detrimental to other vegetables. For example, tomatoes cannot be planted with cucumbers, as they require to varying degrees glaze. Thus, the proximity of these two crops will create difficulties during processing (there will be a need for spot watering, which will take much more time and effort).

In addition to the properties of plants, it is necessary to pay attention to their size. For example, when alternating cabbage and radishes, the second crop will not receive enough sunlight, causing the quality of the crop to deteriorate significantly.

So, you have developed an ideal arrangement of all the vegetables in your summer cottage, but every year the harvest is getting worse. What to do? It is necessary to ensure crop rotation.

Crop rotation table for vegetables in beds

Crop rotation is the organization of alternation of crops in the garden. Ideally this process must be continuous and annual. However, in real conditions, achieving this is very problematic for the following reasons:

• There is insufficient information about soil contamination and the presence of pests in it.
• No time for exact calculations ideal option landings.

Why is crop rotation a must for a good harvest? Each crop has unique characteristics when it comes to obtaining nutrients. Some people look for them in the surface layers of the soil (for example, a cucumber), while others, in search of water, sink their roots several meters deep (for example, a watermelon). In addition, for the growth of each plant it needs (in to a greater extent) different elements (for example, for tomatoes - phosphorus, for cabbage - nitrogen).

Now imagine that from year to year a certain layer of soil is depleted, and the content of precisely those substances that are necessary for a given crop decreases.To make it easier for you to decide how to alternate vegetables, below is a table of crop rotation of vegetable crops in the garden.

Important! The main thing is that the culture does not return to its original place for 3-4 years. During this time, the soil will have time to recover and accumulate the necessary amount of nutrients.

How to make a bed for cucumbers in open ground: photos, methods

Cucumbers are a rather capricious crop that requires special care. Many people believe that it can only be planted by seedlings, but thanks to many years of selection, there are currently several varieties that can be planted directly in open ground.

First of all, it is necessary to prepare the beds for cucumbers in the spring:

• Choose the right direction of the rows - from north to south.
• Fertilize the soil (the best solutions are cow manure or chicken droppings, but if they are not available, any mineral fertilizer will do).
• Place sides (preferably at least 25 cm).

The main secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground– choosing the right planting time (from May to mid-June depending on the region) and choosing the appropriate variety.

How to make beds for cucumbers - general features

If seedlings are not used, it will not be possible to grow a high-quality crop in the usual way (in standard beds). It is necessary to use one of the other methods of growing cucumbers in open ground:

• Arranging a bed with a bookmark.
• Installation of a warm bed (including a raised structure).

These methods are non-standard, so they are described in detail below to prevent errors during installation.

How to make beds for cucumbers in the garden with a bookmark

To set up a bed for growing cucumbers with a bookmark, you need to dig a trench 30 cm deep and fill it sequentially with the following layers:

Warm beds for cucumbers in open ground

How to make a warm bed for cucumbers on the surface of the ground? To do this, you need to build a box (for example, from boards or bricks) and fill it with the following layers:

• Sand.
• Organic waste (leaves, bark, etc.).
• Straw.
• Fertilizer (manure is best).
• Earth and humus.

The main thing is to thoroughly compact each layer, otherwise the soil will turn out to be too loose, and you should not expect a good harvest.

Advantages warm beds for cucumbers:

• No dirt from the beds due to the presence of sides.
• High yield.
• Aesthetic appearance (you can make beautiful identical beds).

Raised beds for cucumbers in open ground

In unfavorable climate conditions, it is advisable to arrange raised (or high) beds 40-50 cm high (for convenience, you can make it higher). In this case, the sequence of layers remains the same as in conventional warm structures on the surface of the earth. Such designs have the following advantages:

• Even faster warming of the soil, which means the harvest will appear earlier.
• Convenient (no need to bend over to care for cucumbers).

  

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The art of gardening is built on many years of experience acquired through trial and error. To avoid wasting time, it is recommended that the novice gardener learn methods for planting plants in beds to achieve the best results.

Advantages of narrow beds

American gardener Jacob Mittlider devoted his entire life to studying the cultivation of fruit and vegetable crops in different countries world, and made a significant contribution to the development of agricultural science. It is he who owns the famous method of narrow beds according to Mittlider and combines traditional approach to growing fruits, as well as elements of hydroponics. This system is very well thought out, and the circuit has gone through so many stages of simplification that it is not difficult for a beginner to master it and achieve excellent results.

The advantages of this method of planting:

• provides almost twice the yield than with standard methods;
• the quality of the resulting fruits and vegetables improves: they grow larger and tastier;
• thanks to a reasonable layout, this method allows you to ergonomically use the space of both greenhouse and garden beds;
• this universal method is suitable for growing any crops: from zucchini and cucumbers to tomatoes and potatoes;
• the design of the beds is not afraid strong wind, externally, the garden looks aesthetically pleasing and tidy;
• Weeds practically do not appear in the plantings, which means it is much easier to care for them;
• preparing the soil in a small area is easier than in a regular garden bed;
• Watering can even be done using a garden watering can.

What are the main differences between Mittlider beds? They are narrow, between them there is a wide passage, which is arranged using enclosing wooden formwork. The essence of the method is that all plants in the garden receive the same and equivalent nutrition.

What caused this success? Studies have shown that plants planted close to each other begin to compete with each other. As natural selection, they become stronger and grow intensively, giving the best harvest. In addition, the process of photosynthesis is activated, thanks to which the garden self-cleanses, converting nitrates into the necessary substances and developing collective immunity to diseases.

How to plan narrow beds

For gardening we will need:

• containers for mixing fertilizers;
• rake size 30 cm;
• shovel;
• pegs and rope to limit the ridges;
• watering can;
• level.

The only troublesome stage of their creation is that during the initial organization of the garden you are required to spend a little more labor, but know that this is a one-time procedure: all beds and passages remain unchanged for many seasons.

To begin with, it is recommended to organize at least four beds so that during the first season you can decide whether this method is suitable for you or not. Plant the same vegetables in a regular garden bed and in a Mittlider bed, and compare the results.

First of all, you need to plan out the entire garden on paper. Designate where you will construct narrow beds, and choose a place in such a way that you can expand their boundaries later if necessary. Remember that the area should be well lit, not subject to heavy rainfall and be on a flat area. It is best to place the beds from north to south, so they will be provided with the best lighting.

The width of a standard Mittlider bed is 45 cm. A length of 9 m is recommended, but it may vary depending on the number of seedlings. Based on the values, the amount of fertilizer per linear meter is calculated.

The aisles should be twice as wide as the beds. Paths of 70 cm are suitable only for low-growing greens: parsley, onions, garlic. To maintain crop rotation of adult crops, the minimum width of the path must be at least 90 cm. They can sometimes contain melon vines and potato tops.

Between the ends of the beds, as well as along the perimeter of the garden, it is worth leaving passages of 1 m.

Preparing the area for garden beds

The preparation of the beds is done immediately before planting in order to prevent time for weeds to develop, but it is better to treat the area immediately to save time during the sowing period.

1. We thoroughly clear the ground of weeds and dig it up with a pitchfork. Note the remains of rhizomes perennial plants. The need for weeding in the future depends on the quality of soil development.
2. We level the cleared area, if necessary, transferring the earth to the missing places.
3. To simplify marking, prepare a rail that will serve as a module. For example, if the width of the passage is 90 cm and the beds are 45 cm, then the length of the slats will be 135 cm.
4. Prepare wooden pegs in advance up to 5 cm wide, about 45 cm long and sharpen them on one side. Now we drive in pegs from the corners of the bed and stretch the cord between them. By attaching our module rail to each subsequent peg, we mark the future rows.
5. To provide adequate nutrition to the plants, water must be distributed evenly throughout the entire bed, without spreading into the passages, but getting only into the root zone. To do this, a neat earthen roll 5 cm thick is built around the perimeter of the bed, and the plane is checked using a level. In this case, the useful width of the bed is equal to 35 cm. The point is to create a trough-shaped bed with a horizontal surface. The height of the side can be up to 10 cm.
   Another way is to build sides from wooden planks, slate, etc. They are installed around the perimeter so that the height of the fence is also 10 cm.
6. Sprinkle the soil with the selected fertilizer composition and dig it up, mixing it with the soil.
7. Using a rake, we rake the soil from the passages and edges to the middle of the bed, and then level it. Its level should be slightly higher, taking into account the subsequent shrinkage of the soil.

The main thorough alignment occurs only the first time. In subsequent seasons you will only have to tweak it. That is why it is important not to overdo it with the length of the bed - it will be difficult to keep it at the same level.

Advice: the row spacing does not need to be covered with crushed stone or paving, since the roots of perennial weeds remaining under the cover, instead of germinating in the path, will go under the bed and harm the planted crops. Best option- This is well-compacted soil.

Sowing and location methods

When working on ridges, it is important to remember a few simple rules:

• seeds, like seedlings, are sown in two rows along the sides, most importantly, not in the middle;
• the finer the planting material, the more often it is planted;
• The planting depth should be 2.5 times the thickness of the seed.

Head lettuce, broccoli, cabbage and other crops of similar sizes are planted in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. Melons, tomatoes and other fruits that require more space are placed in a single row along one side of a narrow bed.

In this case, the frequency of arrangement should be estimated based on the size of the adult plant: for example, cauliflower planted at a distance of 15 cm, white cabbage - 35 cm. Carrots can be sown in one thick strip, but beets - at a distance of 1 cm from each other. Beans should be placed every 10 cm, pumpkin and other melons - every 40 cm.

An example of growing tomatoes:

• We plant tomatoes in the prepared beds in one line in increments of about 20 cm;
• It is good to alternate tomato beds with pepper, this combination has a beneficial effect on both plants;
• from the beginning of June until the tomatoes are ripe, the row spacing should be left free so that the vegetables receive as much light as possible;
• All fertilizers and fertilizing should be done only in the beds. If there is a need to loosen the ground, this should be done very superficially and with a small tool;
• You can spray the leaves several times a season potassium fertilizer, a solution of ash with urea;
• some gardeners often change the soil by adding cucumber soil to the tomatoes.

Fertilizers according to Mittlider

The American gardener divided all the fertilizers used into two groups.

Mixture 1. It is a purely pre-sowing fertilizer and cannot be mixed with the second solution due to the different sizes of their fractions. The composition of the first mixture is very simple: any calcium-containing mineral is mixed with boron compounds. Lime, chalk, gypsum, and dolomite flour are suitable as the first. For 5 kg of calcium there are 60 g of sodium borate or 40 g of boric acid.

Mixture 2. It contains fertilizers from phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and magnesium, as well as the microelements molybdenum and boron. The latter are absorbed by the plant in extremely small quantities, but, nevertheless, their role is very important. The macronutrient requirements of sprouts are much higher.

Fertilizers can be simple or complex. Simple ones are those that contain only one macroelement, say, potassium or nitrogen. And complex fertilizers contain compounds of these macroelements, such as sodium + phosphorus, potassium + magnesium, sodium + phosphorus + potassium.

The difficulty is that it is not always possible to find a fertilizer that is suitable for you on sale, which means you should learn how to make it yourself. To do this, you need to know the content of mixture number 2 recommended by Mittlider. Let's consider the composition and method of calculating pre-sowing fertilizer using the available ingredients.

The ratio of active ingredients in the mixture “nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium: magnesium” is 1.8: 1.0: 1.8: 0.2. Moreover, it is not their percentage content that is important, but the relationship between each other. This means that for 1.8 parts of nitrogen there will be 1 part of phosphorus, 1.8 parts of potassium and 0.2 magnesium. It is most convenient to start mixing, starting from the element that comes in the size of one.

How to fertilize

The existing mixtures 1 and 2 must be added to the bed. They cover only its internal area and strictly on the day of sowing. No application is required before frost.

It is believed that 900 g of the first mixture and 450 g of the second should be applied to one narrow bed 9 m long. In fact, the length of the beds can vary greatly, so we recalculate the amount of fertilizer we need. Based on the data, 100 g of mixture 1 and 50 g of mixture 2 are used per linear meter. The procedure for fertilizing the soil is:

1. Fertilizers should be applied evenly to the surface of the bed, one at a time: first the first mixture, and then the second.
2. Then the bed is dug up shallowly and its surface is leveled using a rake, after which its horizontalness is monitored with a level. Now the soil is ready for sowing.
3. If fertilizing is applied to existing sprouts, then it should only be placed in the middle of the ridge in the form of a narrow strip of 10 cm, so as not to cause burns to the plants.

Disadvantages of the method

For the sake of objectivity, we should also point out the disadvantages of vegetable growing in narrow beds. Experienced summer residents claim that after just two seasons, the soil in the garden bed becomes depleted, lifeless dust, while the harvest continues to please. The most likely reason is that, while not organic, this type of farming requires a lot of mineral supplements, which can result in the fruit tasting a little unnatural. Therefore, many of our compatriots replace mineral fertilizers with organic ones and use manure, compost, ash and humus. This allows you to obtain an environmentally friendly product.

Important: when using fertilizers, it is better to slightly underfeed the plants than to overdo them.

On the topic of how to arrange narrow beds, many videos have been shot and many books have been written, so that every novice gardener can grow an excellent harvest after the first season.

This article discusses beds for the lazy: photos of the easiest structures to make for those who want to get a neat garden with a minimum of effort, the most common materials and technologies for creating structures based on them. The reader will learn how to combine vegetable crops in one bed and prepare the soil for planting cucumbers. The article contains practical recommendations for beginner gardeners.

Design proper beds in the garden will solve many problems and open up new opportunities for the owner of a summer cottage:

• protection against soil erosion in the garden when there is a large amount of rainfall or watering the plants. The sides of the bed will keep the nutritious soil in place, preventing it from washing out onto the paths. In addition, the passages between the structures themselves will remain clean, no dirty puddles or streaks;

• the possibility of forming the basis for creating a temporary greenhouse for the spring period. By installing high sides as fences, a multi-layer bed can be organized inside the structure, which can be used as a greenhouse. To do this, it is enough to install special arcs and stretch the film. The result will be a neat greenhouse house;
• improving the appearance of the garden due to orderly and even plantings with beautiful framing;
• creating boundaries to prevent the spread of weeds.

Making beds with your own hands from boards and other materials allows you to clearly limit the planting area, thanks to this, weeds and harmful plants are unable to spread widely. If the garden fence is dug to a greater depth, the level of protection increases and perennial weeds, which are unable to overcome this barrier, can no longer penetrate into the garden bed.

Note! With the help of beds with well-buried fences, the spread of plants such as reeds and creeping wheatgrass is effectively blocked. Their root system is capable of covering long distances underground, if not limited.

Photos of interesting bed designs, recommendations for their creation. Tips for Designing the Unusual landscape design Location on.

The most best place is an area where the sun is present throughout the day. It is allowed to install beds where there is shade in the morning or during the day. If the proposed construction area is dark throughout the day, you should not use this place for arranging a vegetable garden.

How best to make beds in the garden: choosing the optimal design

The design of the beds is selected based on early stage planning, when a place for a vegetable garden has already been selected.

Each type of beds has certain advantages:

• raised or - the most effective designs that are best suited for growing vegetable crops. Construction Materials they are not expensive to create, and the soil does not need to be dug up. The width and height of the structures determine how much effort and time will be required to build them. Most often, summer residents prefer wooden beds made of boards. On the Internet you can find photos of raised beds with your own hands; such structures do not have fencing. They also fall into the category of elevated structures;

• Container beds - will be beneficial in cases where site space is limited. Small, large and medium-sized pots are suitable for organizing such beds. Garlic, peppers, lettuce and herbs feel especially good in containers. Mobility is another advantage of container beds, which can be moved to any location if desired;
• open ground beds are the oldest method of growing crops that are planted directly into the ground. In such conditions it is more difficult to obtain good harvest, so technology is often used joint landing vegetables in the garden.

Helpful advice! If you plan to plant crops in open ground, it is recommended to determine the quality of the soil, fertilize it and check the compatibility of vegetables in the garden according to the table.

How to make beds from boards with your own hands: useful tips

Raised beds are most often made from wood. This material, in comparison with others, is considered the most practical and environmentally friendly. Such designs look very aesthetically pleasing in the photo. Do-it-yourself beds made from boards have other advantages:

• a simple maintenance system involving easy weeding, harvesting and watering of plants;
• the ability to grow vegetable crops even where the soil is completely unsuitable for these purposes. A frame is made on the basis of the boards, which is subsequently filled with fertile soil purchased in the store, so there is no connection to the quality of the soil and its composition. Thanks to this, plants can be grown even in areas with rocky surfaces;

• Box structures allow you to hold soil inside the bed. In addition, the presence of sides simplifies the process of installing arcs to form a greenhouse. It is much easier to secure these elements to the fence than to dig them into the soil;
• Even without knowing how to properly make garden beds, any summer resident can cope with the manufacture of wooden box structures. The boards are easy to process, and the construction and assembly of the frame does not require expensive tools;
• there is no chance that plants planted close to the sides will get burned in the summer heat. Wood, unlike metal, is not prone to overheating.

Note! The environmental friendliness of the material allows you not to worry about getting into the ground. harmful substances. Wood is much safer than asbestos cement sheets(slate). The exception is boards treated chemicals designed to double the service life of the material.

Making practical beds from boards: how to make the right choice of material

Summer residents most often create wooden structures based on materials found on the farm. To make beds, timber, round timber, slab, and lining can be used.

When it comes to purchasing boards in a store, you should pay special attention to the type of wood from which they are made:

• a board made of ash or oak will last a very long time. Although the cost of such products is quite high;
• pine remains the most favorable in terms of price and processing. But this type of wood is highly susceptible to rotting while in the ground, so its service life is short. By using impregnations and antiseptics, the life of pine can be extended by a couple of years;
• boards made of cedar and larch wood are considered the most suitable material for making boxes. Larch is naturally impregnated with resin, thanks to which the product will retain its newness for many years without the use of additional impregnations. Cedar wood is characterized by a lower resin content, but it is not inferior to larch in terms of durability and at the same time has an affordable price;

• Boards made from acacia feel good in the ground. It is worth noting that this type of wood is durable and has a solid structure, so its processing will be more difficult. To work with acacia you will need a powerful electric tool.

Helpful advice! It is not recommended to skimp on the quality of the material. Boards made from poor wood are susceptible to rapid rotting. After a few years, holes will appear on the fences of the garden beds, through which fertile soil will be washed away during rains and watering of plants.

Making beds from boards with your own hands: photos, dimensions of structures

Box beds have a rectangular shape and are made of boards. The simplest design does not require special knowledge and skills, so any novice summer resident can handle its manufacture. The main thing is to correctly calculate the dimensions of the boxes.

• height– many summer residents strive to create the highest possible sides. However, this approach is erroneous if it is not intended to build a warm bed for cucumbers or other types of crops, where a fence height of up to 0.7 m is acceptable. The technology for manufacturing such structures requires laying multi-layer insulation. For ordinary beds, such high fences are not required; it is enough to limit it to 0.15-0.2 m. Excessive height of the sides is also unprofitable in economic terms, because their construction will require a lot of boards. In addition, wood is susceptible to deformation changes under the influence of moisture, so there is a risk that over time high fences will swell and lose their attractive shape;

• width– experienced summer residents recommend choosing a width equal to half the height of the person who will care for the beds. Most often, this parameter is in the range of 0.9-1.2 m, because during work a person should be able to reach the middle of the structure from the side fence;
• length– this parameter is practically unlimited. Although excessively long structures reduce the level of rigidity of the side rails, it is therefore recommended to choose a length within 4-6 m.

Helpful advice! When choosing dimensional parameters for wooden beds, you should take into account that between them you need to organize passages 0.4-0.6 m wide. Only after this is considered the layout of structures on the site.

Creating mixed plantings of vegetables in the garden: photo examples and optimal schemes

The method of combining crops is very effective in practice if the companion plants are chosen well. Therefore, plot owners use a special table to calculate the proximity of vegetables in the beds before planting. Some types of vegetables have a depressing effect on each other, others can improve the growth and development of neighbors and provide them with protection from pests.

The correct proximity of vegetables in the beds: compatibility table

Many summer residents note that thanks to the proximity of beans as a seal for the beds where potatoes are grown, the number of Colorado potato beetles is significantly reduced. Marigolds effectively protect cabbage from the white butterfly. Despite this, a certain balance must be maintained. After all, an excessive amount of marigolds in the garden can stifle the growth of cabbage.

Table of vegetable neighbors in the garden that create a successful tandem:

The following pairs of plants are characterized by poor compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden:

• cabbage and strawberries;
• onions and beans;
• carrots and celery, dill, parsley;
• cucumbers and potatoes.

Helpful advice! In addition to the main crops, it is recommended to spot plant herbs and ornamental herbs in the garden bed. Thus, the garden will not only be beautiful, but also useful.

Examples of mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: popular schemes

A good example of the compatibility of vegetables in the garden is the combination of onions and carrots. As an independent crop, onions can produce about 2.5 kg of yield from 1 m² of bed. Carrots on the same area yield approximately 6 kg of yield. When growing these crops together, 1 m² can produce 9 kg of vegetables. These plants create protective barriers against pests for each other, so the efficiency of the used area increases.

Of course, when planning to grow crops together in a garden bed, you need to group the plants based on their height so that none of them blocks the light for the other. This is necessary because vegetables can not only have different heights, but also grow at different rates. It is desirable that the compactors that are planted additionally be lower in height than the main vegetables. The principle of multi-tiered juxtaposition of vegetables in the beds makes it possible to create favorable conditions for the root system of crops, and also promotes rational use solar energy.

High yields are collected from the beds where beets and late cabbage. To do this, beets (9 plants) and cabbage (4 bushes) should be planted on an area of ​​0.8x0.8 m, not forgetting to fertilize the holes with a glass of compost and a handful of eggshells (grind first).

To get excellent results when planting beans and tomatoes, it is recommended to place the plants in a row with a step of 0.3 m. Along the row with bush beans, it is installed so that each plant is located at the dropper. Tomatoes are planted in the central part of the garden bed. As a result, the bean and tomato bushes should be arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

Helpful advice! It is better to trim tomato stems for the winter, and as low as possible. On the contrary, it is recommended to leave beans untouched.

Table of crop rotation of vegetables in beds by crop groups

Crop rotation can also affect the yield of beds. If the annual change of crops grown in the same bed is carried out in the correct order, the garden will produce good harvests.

Advantages correct construction crop rotation:

• the likelihood of soil fatigue on the site is eliminated, since the same vegetable absorbs the same set of nutrients from the soil every year and does it from the same depth;
• the spread of diseases and pests that affect plants of the same family is prevented;
• it becomes possible to use fertilizers rationally.

The most primitive way of organizing crop rotation in a garden bed involves planting plants from different families in the same area every year. The easiest way is to divide cultures into four groups:

1. Leaf crops - these include different kinds cabbage, green onions, lettuce, and spinach.
2. Fruit vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, pumpkin.
3. Legumes - beans, chickpeas, peas.
4. Root vegetables - potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots.

Table of the simplest crop rotation in the garden:

Arrangement of beds for cucumbers in open ground: photos and recommendations

To grow cucumbers in open ground, beds are usually prepared in the fall. This should be done before the rains and temperatures drop. The planting area must be carefully dug up and saturated with organic fertilizers. Cucumbers like fertile, light soil that has a good level of air and water permeability. If the soil on the site is heavy, sawdust, peat or sand can be added to the soil to facilitate loosening.

Helpful advice! To get a rich harvest, it is recommended to add a tablespoon of superphosphate and a glass of ash per 1 m² of area. Instead of ash, you can use dolomite flour.

The process of preparing a bed for cucumbers in the spring includes the procedure for disinfecting the soil. To do this, the site of the future garden is spilled with potassium permanganate. The solution must be hot and strong. In addition, soil fertility can be increased by adding chicken manure or manure. This procedure carried out locally, that is, the fertilizer is placed directly into the trench or hole. After this, the bed is covered with a small layer of soil, where the seeds are then planted.

How to make a bed for cucumbers: agrotechnical secrets

To get a rich harvest of cucumbers from the garden, you must adhere to the basic rules:

1. There should be no irrigation canals, streams or flowing reservoirs near the beds.
2. If the planting area is not protected, it is better to place the garden in a quiet place where there are no drafts.
3. Procedures such as watering and loosening the soil must be performed on a regular basis. Otherwise, a hard crust will form on the surface, and the bed will dry out greatly.
4. Cucumbers grown in open ground need to be fed much more often than those grown in closed beds.
5. During harvesting, it is not recommended to change the position of the plant's vines or turn them over.
6. Weeding of plants in open beds needs to be done more often than in closed ground.
7. It is recommended to cover the entire surface of the bed with black film.

Cucumbers need a rich biological composition of the soil. Therefore, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with organic matter, for example, grass, humus, branches, rotted manure, and food waste. In the process of their decomposition, not only does the fertility of the soil increase, but also heat is released, warming the soil. So that the high temperature does not damage root system cucumbers, experienced summer residents advise abundant watering.

Interesting fact! Sometimes decomposition organic fertilizers occurs so actively that the soil in the garden bed warms up to 80° C. Under the influence of such a high temperature, many pests, viruses and pathogenic fungi contained in the soil die. As a result, natural sterilization of the soil occurs.

There are several ways to grow cucumbers in open ground. For these purposes, you can form a long ridge bed, a hole, dig a ditch, or build a high structure.

How to make cucumber beds in the garden with a bookmark

To form a bed with a bookmark, you will need to dig a trench. The depth of the ditch should be equal to two shovels. Then branches are laid out across and sawdust is poured in. The next layer consists of straw and garden waste. You can add autumn leaves, cardboard or newspapers, and compost. The thickness of the fertilizer layer should be within 5-7 cm. The layer is filled with warm water and covered with a mixture of compost and soil.

A bed with a bookmark can effectively serve for 5 years. In the second year of operation, you will not need to add compost to the top layer, because during the decomposition of organic components, the bed itself will produce nutrients.

Advantages of a bed for growing cucumbers with a bookmark:

• convenient watering system;
• stagnation of water is eliminated;
• In spring there is no need to dig up the soil, just loosen the soil.

Plants can be planted on such a nutrient basis much earlier than is customary in conventional beds. It is not recommended to use beds with filling in low-lying areas and areas where water stagnates.

Warm surface beds for cucumbers in open ground

This type of warm beds for growing cucumbers is built on the surface of prepared soil. This technology will be the best option for areas located in lowlands. In order to enhance the heating process, the bed is covered with film. As a result, it is formed Greenhouse effect, which has a positive effect on the growth of cucumbers and their yield.

Surface beds also include structures in the form of boxes made of brick, slate or boards. The bottom of these containers is filled with sand, then with wood waste. Next comes a layer of organic waste and straw. After laying each component, the contents are carefully compacted and filled with liquid manure. Finally, the bed is filled with a mixture consisting of soil.

Helpful advice! Vegetable and fruit skins, fallen leaves, and eggshells (crushed into powder) can be used as organic waste.

Cucumbers are planted in two rows. Plants are placed along the edges of the box bed, which ensures enough level illumination If you plan to plant cucumbers in early spring, the structures can be converted into greenhouses. To do this, you will need to install plastic arcs and pull them on plastic film. Thus, heating is enhanced and it becomes possible to obtain early harvest. Moreover, the result is completely independent of weather conditions.

Raised beds for cucumbers in open ground

Warm beds with a raised structure are used in cases where the site is located in a region with a cold and humid climate. Due to this, the soil is fully warmed up, allowing the harvest to be achieved at early stages. If they get too close to the garden groundwater, the bed is raised high, due to which the plantings do not get wet on soil that is oversaturated with moisture. Stone fruit trees, whose roots are severely affected by groundwater, are planted in a similar way.

They are used as borders for these structures. various materials. The most popular of them are slate and wood. In rare cases, metal is used. This type of bed can even be installed in the middle of the lawn. If you frame it in the form of paving stones or tiles, a raised vegetable garden with cucumbers will become a worthy decoration of your summer cottage.

As an alternative solution, you can build a bulk hill on the territory that does not have a fence. You can take any length for such a bed; the optimal width is 1 m. You should not raise the ornamental garden to a height of more than 1 m. The air that remains in the voids formed between the elements of large organic matter provides good ventilation and promotes rapid heating of the soil.

To speed up the decomposition process of fertilizers, the soil is spilled with a solution saturated with special bacteria. The procedure is carried out twice a year. The first time the soil is watered with bacteria is in the spring. After treating the beds, you should wait at least a week before planting plants. The second time the soil is spilled in the fall after the crop is harvested. When the soil has already been treated with the composition, it should be loosened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen and the drug itself is evenly distributed.

How to make beds in the garden: video review of technology

Despite the fact that melon is a “purebred southerner,” summer residents grow it not only in the south. And all because this culture is extremely tasty and very healthy. And varieties “for the market” are not always distinguished by high taste qualities, not like fruits from your own garden or greenhouse. True, melon has its own “secrets,” but they are not particularly difficult. Therefore, if you have not yet grown melon on your acres, you should definitely try it at least once!

Red Sea salad with squid, crab sticks and red caviar - a light and healthy snack that is suitable for a pescetarian menu; it can also be prepared on fasting days, when fish and seafood are allowed on the menu. The salad is simply extremely tasty and easy to prepare. Buy squid freshly frozen. I do not recommend preparing a dish with giant squid fillet; although it looks appetizing and tempting, it has a strong ammonia aftertaste that is difficult to get rid of.

From ordinary fruit trees columnar ones are distinguished by a compact crown, small height, and lack of lateral branching. With a small habit, these miracle trees are distinguished by their ability to produce large yields of large, tasty and beautiful fruits. On 1-2 acres you can place up to 20-25 columnar trees - varieties of apple trees, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots and other crops of different ripening periods. Our article will tell you about the features of creating a columnar garden.

August can feel a little sad - autumn, followed by a long winter, is already on the doorstep. But the flower beds are still full of colors, and their color scheme creates an atmosphere of warmth and joy. The rich palette of August flower beds mainly consists of yellow, orange, and crimson tones. And it seems as if the garden has become warmer and more sunny color. What flowers should definitely be planted in flower beds so that they brighten up the inevitable passing of summer with blooms?

Peach jam with bananas is aromatic, thick, healthy and, most importantly, it contains half the sugar than regular jam. This is a quick jam with pectin, and pectin powder, as you know, allows you to reduce the sugar content in the jam, or even make it without sugar. Sugar-free jams are fashionable sweets these days; they are very popular among supporters of a healthy lifestyle. Peaches for harvesting can be of any degree of ripeness, bananas too.

Coriander is one of the most popular spices in the world, and its greens are called coriander or coriander. Interestingly, cilantro leaves no one indifferent. Some people adore it and happily use it in any salads and sandwiches, and they love Borodino bread for the special flavor of coriander seeds. Others, citing the smell that evokes associations with forest bugs, hate coriander and flatly refuse to approach bunches of cilantro even at the market, let alone plant it in their own garden.

Saintpaulias are coming back into fashion and changing the idea of ​​cute blooming violets that willingly live on any windowsill. Trends in the “market” for Uzambara violets indicate a rapid increase in interest in plants with unusual leaves. More and more admiring glances are attracted not by the unusual colors of flowers, but by the exotic variegated colors of the leaves. Variegated Saintpaulias are almost no different from all the others in cultivation.

Sweet and sour marinated cherry tomatoes with red onion and basil marinated with balsamic vinegar and mustard. These pickled vegetables will decorate any festive table, they are very tasty and aromatic. Marinade filling is a completely different story: you get a delicious brine, the only drawback of which is the small quantity. Choose sweet, red onions. Cherries are strong, slightly unripe, and the smallest. Fresh basil will work either green or purple.

My first acquaintance with hydrogel took place a long time ago. Back in the nineties, my husband brought funny colorful balls, which greatly increased in size if they were filled with water. They were supposed to be used for bouquets or for some other decorative purposes. Of course, at first it was funny, but then I got tired of playing and abandoned them, I don’t even remember where they went. But I recently returned to using hydrogel. I will tell you about my experience in this article.

Watermelon and summer are inseparable concepts. However, you won’t find melons in every area. And all because this African plant takes up a lot of space, is quite demanding of both heat and sun, and also of proper watering. But still, we love watermelon so much that today not only southerners, but much more northern summer residents have learned to grow it. It turns out that you can find an approach to such a capricious plant, and if you want, you can get a decent harvest.

You can make red gooseberry jam in 10 minutes. However, it should be borne in mind that this is the time required to cook the jam without preparing the berries. It takes a lot of time to harvest and prepare the berries for processing. Cruel thorns discourage any desire to harvest, and you still have to cut off the noses and tails. But the result is worth it, the jam turns out excellent, one of the most aromatic, in my opinion, and the taste is such that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the jar.

Monsteras, anthuriums, caladiums, dieffenbachias... Representatives of the Araceae family are considered one of the most popular categories indoor plants. And not the last factor in their widespread distribution is diversity. Aroids represented aquatic plants, epiphytes, semi-epiphytes, tuberous and lianas. But despite such diversity, because of which it is sometimes difficult to guess about the relationship of plants, aroids are very similar to each other and require the same care.

Donskoy salad for the winter is a savory appetizer of fresh vegetables in a sweet and sour marinade with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. IN original recipe regular or apple cider vinegar, but with a combination of wine vinegar and light Balsamico it turns out much tastier. The salad can be prepared without sterilization - bring the vegetables to a boil, put them in sterile jars and wrap them warmly. You can also pasteurize the workpieces at a temperature of 85 degrees, then quickly cool.

The main mushrooms collected are: porcini, obabka, boletus, chanterelles, boletus, moss mushrooms, russula, milk mushrooms, boletus, saffron milk caps, honey mushrooms. Other mushrooms are collected depending on the region. And their name (other mushrooms) is legion. As well as mushroom pickers, of whom there are more and more every year. Therefore, there may not be enough for all known mushrooms. And I know for sure that among the little-known there are very worthy representatives. I’ll tell you about little-known, but tasty and healthy mushrooms in this article.

The word "ampel" comes from the German word "ampel", meaning a hanging container for flowers. The fashion for hanging flower beds came to us from Europe. And today it is very difficult to imagine a garden where there is not at least one hanging basket. In response to the growing popularity of container floriculture, a large number of hanging plants have appeared on sale, whose shoots easily fall outside the pots. Let's talk about those that are valued for their beautiful flowers.