Preparing Beds, Hills and Rows - Grown By You (2024)

FAQs

Preparing Beds, Hills and Rows - Grown By You? ›

Planting in Rows, Hills, and Beds

You can either use rocks or extra top soil to build up the ground. Either way, a retaining wall will offer a very secure way to prevent your plants from moving down the slope and will also aid in moisture retention. Use extra top soil from 6 inches to one foot to build a retaining wall.

Some of the vine plants, such as squash and cucumbers, do fairly well in the mound. However, most of them, particularly the cucumbers, require watering, since they cannot withstand drought. I don't use the mound for such plants as tomatoes and bunch beans.

In areas where it rains a lot, raised rows will drain better. And in northern climates, the soil will warm faster. Finally, raised rows mean fewer weeds. This method can be done over top of an existing garden bed, over a lawn, or over another patch of earth.

Additionally, arrange the plants in such a way that the tallest ones are at the north end of the row, followed by medium-height veggies, and finally, the shortest ones at the south end. This arrangement maximizes sunlight exposure for all the plants.

To spread the soil, begin at the bottom of the area and dump it in by the wheelbarrow load in a line across the slope, working to build the lowest area up to your desired height. Add additional loads of soil until you have a level area to work with.

Tomato plants require abundant moisture for best growth, so arrange for easy watering. The area selected should be well drained since poor drainage promotes root loss. Tomatoes grown on heavy or poorly drained soils should be planted in raised beds or mounds four to six inches high.

Create hills in mounds or rows. Start with a layer of newspaper or cardboard to act as a weed barrier, then take several shovels of quality garden soil and form a mound. Mix in a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure. Plant your seeds or seedlings, and water well.

Hügelkultur is a centuries-old, traditional way of building a garden bed from rotten logs and plant debris. These mound shapes are created by marking out an area for a raised bed, clearing the land, and then heaping up woody material (that's ideally already partially rotted) topped with compost and soil.

And a layer of straw mulch between your veggie rows sets off your plants and makes your garden look neat and tidy. Although it takes a little effort up front, mulching with straw will save you time in the long run when it comes to weeding and watering.

How to plan a vegetable garden layout? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

In rows: Any vegetable can be planted in straight rows, but this arrangement works best with types that need quite a bit of room, such as tomatoes, beans, cabbages, corn, potatoes, peppers, and summer squash.

Vegetable Planting with Hills

Note that the hill method is a misnomer: it refers to simply generously spacing apart your crops in circular groups (creating actual hills or mounds can cause your soil to dry out too quickly).

Ground Cover Plants

Popular varieties include sedum, creeping thyme, dichondra, Corsican mint, and chamomile, among others. "Ground covers are a good alternative because they require fewer inputs like water, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor to thrive than turf grass lawns do," says Gott.

Planting on hillsides can be a challenge: Water just runs off, and the moisture levels may vary at the top and bottom of the slope. Plus, not all plants are well-suited for hillsides. For example, annuals add color, but they won't keep the soil in place in the long-run.