I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?

Raised beds tend to have better drainage, an advantage if your drainage is
poor, a disadvantage if you tend towards drought in the summers. Raised
beds also warm up a bit sooner in the spring, which could be an advantage,
or could work against you if things start to grow then get hit by late
frosts.

Raised beds are also good if your soil or subsoil is poor--instead of double
digging, you can just pile compost, amendments, etc., on top to build the
bed. For the plants you list, you are likely to use a permanent mulch
rather than doing a lot of cultivating that could damage the roots. So
whether you build raised beds or not depends on what your conditions are
like and what you hope to accomplish.

HTH,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"WCD" wrote in message
...

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?

Not a comment on raised beds, but if you go that route you may consider 2
beds. Blueberries and strawberries like soil to be somewhat acidic, and
asparagus likes soil to be somewhat basicor alkaline. I don't think they
would do well in the same bed. Don't know what soil raspberries or rhubarb
would like.
Good luck,
Eileen

WCD wrote:

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?

Well as I am not growing anything on yer list,,, I dun know,,,,However,,,
our "raised beds",,,
"early" leafy things, then root veggies,,, and we LOVE them sit on edge
weed, trim, harvest etc !
ed sitting in zone 8-9 Ca,,,,,,,

"WCD" wrote in message
...

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?

I have raised beds (Zone 5) of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and
currants. They all do well in the raised beds and are easy to take care of. A
couple of things to think about. I tend to have to water raised beds more than
the blackberries, black raspberries, grapes and Golden Kiwi raspberries I have
in the ground. The soil is better in the raised beds but tends to dry out a bit
faster than I would like. May have to do some amending to help with water
retention in the raised beds.

The other question I have about raised beds is would raised beds freeze harder
than the ground? I've got pots of plants and trees that I bring in the garage
in the winter to prevent them freezing solid and killing the plants. Are the
raised beds really just great big pots or because of the connection with the
ground raised beds won't freeze that hard. We've had mild winters (IMO) here yet
I still bury and I mean bury the raised bed in leaves in the fall to prevent
them from freezing super hard. I don't know if that help the beds or not. I
don't if my worries about the raised beds freezing are valid but it is something
to think about.

Like another poster suggested, I do have my strawberries and blueberries in a
separate raised beds so I can keep the soil acidic and separate from the plants
that don't need that acidic soil.

I use a mantis tiller in the raised beds. My beds are 4' by 20' and 12" high
and I have three of them made from wood.

So far I like the raised beds and I'm glad I put them in.

Marty

WCD wrote:

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?

I just did a raise raspberry bed. Mostly because my soil is pure clay, but I
have also read that raspberries have shallow root systems that don't like to
be disturbed and don't like to be wet. I just planted my raspberries and
they seem to like it. All of my vegetable beds are in 4X8X12 inch boxes and
the crops are huge, the weeding is a cinch.
Oriole

"WCD" wrote in message
...

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?