How to Increase Production in Raised Beds

Q. What can I do to increase the vegetable production in my raised beds?

A. Add Compost Annually

Improve the soil with a high-quality compost once a year, plant at the right time of year, plant the correct distances apart, follow rotation principles by planting in different spots each year, and fertilize regularly.

Each early spring or fall, add a 1-inch layer of quality compost to the growing area and mix it into the soil 8 to 10 inches deep. When you’re finished, the soil should be firm, not fluffy, and easy to dig with a garden trowel.

Two Books to Get

             Mel Bartholomew’s book on Square FootGardening is a good start for understanding planting distances to improve production in raised beds and Dr. Wittwer’s publication from Nevada Cooperative Extension is a good primer for growing vegetables in the desert.

Rotate Your Vegetables

            Rotate, or move vegetables to new locations each time you plant. This rotation should last 3 to 5 years before you grow vegetables in the same exact locations. In raised beds, this can be as simple as growing tomatoes and peppers at one end of the bed, the next year the other end and then in the middle.

Use Recommended Varieties

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to people who have grown vegetables from seed they purchased at the local hardware store. Those seed can be hit and miss unless you know what you are buying. If you want good quality vegetables, pay a little extra money and buy better quality seed of varieties that you know will work here.

If You Take, You Gotta Give

            If you take from the garden, you must give back to it. Fertilize the garden lightly every month as you are harvesting. This can be as mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizers or compost.