RicelandMeadows

June 15, 2019

This was our first picking of strawberries for 2019…well not counting a few early ripe ones, eaten while weeding 😮  The wet weather has made it possible to have berries such as these, without any added irrigation. The raised bed also kept the plants from becoming waterlogged, with muddy fruit. I would say that the raised beds were perfect this year…not to mention no bending over for weeding or picking!

Here is a picture of our raised beds. We have two , side by side, one we keep a kitchen garden in, the other is planted with strawberries. We switch beds every three years. The switching allows us to fill the beds with soil and compost and amend with any nutrients needed, like lime.

The bed above is boasting a late summer growth cover crop of buckwheat. The buckwheat suppresses weeds and attracts all sorts of “good” bees. These beds produce lots of vegetables for us. In fact, one day we probably won’t need the main garden at all. Until then, we will garden in a traditional garden and tend to these wonderful raised beds and enjoy the fruits of our labor.