Generally, when people need to cultivate or plant a plant, they use seedbeds, pots, or simply work the land directly. However, recent years have seen the increased use of growing beds. Learn with this article, everything on this subject, so continue reading.
Cultivation Beds
They are square spaces that have a barrier, built with planks of wood, plastic, concrete, among other materials, which serve as a support. Within this, is the land or substrate where the plants you want to care for and produce will be grown. Additionally, it is good to point out that this type of crop has different benefits for those who decide to have one in their homes. For example, they are easy to install in any area of the garden, regardless of its size, and can even be used to grow vegetables and ornamental plants, which you can then transplant elsewhere in the home or garden. Other advantages that they can give you would be:
- With this, soil erosion is not achieved, since the cultivation beds prevent the other elements caused by the rain from damaging the plantation. In addition, compaction of the soil caused by the passage of humans or animals is avoided, which allows better nutrition of the roots and thus better growth of the plants.
- They represent an important barrier against small animals and insects, which generally tend to invade plantations to feed on the vegetables that grow there. By being able to better focus your plant care efforts in this small space, whether it's adding more organic matter to the growing medium or optimizing irrigation, you'll be able to improve crop yields while advancing plant growth .
- When several crops are grown together, a microclimate is created that helps maintain humidity and thus improves the growth of plants and seeds. They improve and maintain a more homogeneous substrate temperature, resulting in healthier, larger and stronger plants.
- They prevent weeds or other plants from growing that did not grow in the beds. They can be raised above the ground, making it easier for older people or people with back problems to participate in this activity without affecting their health.
- Additionally, this type of cultivation platform is perfect for any variety of plants, since the soil it will have will have a neutral pH.
Grow beds have a great benefit as they are easy to take down making them temporary in the location you place them.
Materials for its elaboration
Next, we will teach the simplest and fastest method to make the growing beds. First of all, you must get a series of materials, which can be easily obtained at home or by going to a hardware store. You need 4 wooden boards of 10 x 10 x 40 cm; a pair of planks 5 x 30 x 120 cm; another pair of 5 x 30 x 240 cm; buy 2 dozen 8,5-inch wood screws and the same number but make them 1,5-inch; Additionally, get 6 PVC tubes with a diameter of 20 mm and a length of 30 cm; Finally, you should have 6 metal tube hooks.
How to build grow beds simply
To start, you need a 120 cm plank and one of the square pieces of wood. It will be convenient to help you with a couple of clamps to join the pieces while you put the screws. So that the wood does not break, it is good to drill before placing the screws. You will continue with the process until all the boards are joined. Three screws in each of the boards and corners will suffice. I present you to always observe that the square blocks of the corners are flush with the boards from the bottom. Now you will go around the drawer and look for the best location for its final installation. The north-south orientation will be the one that will provide the garden with the most hours of light. In any case, a place with direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day is always recommended.
Then you will fix it to the ground by making holes of about 12-15 cm in which you will introduce the four stakes that it must have. You will check that it is level so that later the irrigation water is distributed evenly. Finally secure the legs of the bed by filling in the holes. Install three PVC pipes on each side board of the bed. You will do it on the inside and you will fix them with two metal hooks. These tubes will serve to place rods that will act as a support to put a net, metal mesh or plastic to protect it from birds and cold.
Next, prepare a mixture of substrate or compost and mineral soil in equal parts. Distribute it well throughout the bed and then moisten the garden soil. You can add a drip irrigation easily and cheaply, you only need a main line the width of the bed and four irrigation lines of the length of the bed approximately. With all of the above done, you will be able to grow what you want and create a small family garden. Although of course, you can also grow ornamental plants or both at the same time.
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