Hanging Beds - Effective Plant Elevations

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Creation of artificial elevations on their plots: pyramids, containers and "hanging beds" to increase the yield

Many summer residents and gardeners have plots with a very limited area. And for this reason, they are forced to put up with both a small number of plantings and modest yields of garden crops grown. At the same time, some land owners have already accumulated such a positive experience in using the land, which allows them to get significant yields from the same area due to the weakening of the cold coming from the soil.

They achieve such results by creating various kinds of artificial elevations on their sites: pyramids, containers and so-called "hanging beds".

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In the first case, which is used more often than others, the pyramid is made either round or rectangular in shape and includes from 3 to 5 tiers (see Fig. A). The vertical walls of each tier are made from various scraps of wood materials, container boards or pieces of slate, and the bottom of each tier is covered with fertile soil containing compost and mineral fertilizers in accordance with the requirements of the crop to be grown. In the center of the pyramid, so that the soil warms up not only from above by the sun, but also from below, various wastes (wood, garden, garden, cardboard, paper, etc.) are stacked, mixed with barren soil and emitting heat during decomposition.

Diagrams of the device pyramidal (A) and suspended (B) beds for plants:

1 - bulk pyramid; 2 - soil mixture; 3-4 - plank walls; 5 - plants; 6 - pipe; 7 - holes for water; 9 - supports; 10 - boxes; 11 - clamps.

I read the experience of small gardening site owners who use pyramids like this. Most often they grow strawberries and potatoes on such structures, and often also beans, peas and beans, which, rising along cords fixed on a pole driven in the center, add beauty to the site. At the same time, all crops, heated from below and from above and blown by the winds, feel quite comfortable, do not get sick and give yields that are 2-3 times higher than usual. For example, gardeners N. Gromova and V. Saenko were able to bring the harvest of strawberries and potatoes up to 0.5 kg and up to 20 kg from 1 m² of land, respectively, and they do not consider this result to be the limit.

It should be noted that although the soil of such pyramids freezes in winter, it thaws noticeably earlier in spring, and this makes it possible to plant plants and get harvests earlier than in ordinary beds.

Various containers (see Fig. B) - wooden boxes, old barrels, as well as plastic bags, etc., help to improve the use of the land and at the same time give the plants additional light and heat. In the first case, the boxes are fixed with clamps on a pipe driven into the ground and having holes for water, and in the second and third cases, a similar pipe is inserted into a barrel or bag, installed vertically. All three types of containers are filled with fertile soil, in which plants are planted in the first case in the corners, in the second - in the side holes, and in the third - in the cross-shaped slots.

Judging by the experience of gardeners N. Vasin and P. Golovin, the best results are achieved when growing cucumbers, strawberries and potatoes in such containers in a soil mixture containing compost, garden soil and sand in a ratio of about 2: 1: 1.

I will especially note that all three crops, warming up well from the inside from the walls and soil, and also from above - by the sun, not only give yields that are many times higher than usual, but also, protruding from the containers outward, give the site a very attractive look with their greenery and flowers.

The third way to more effectively use the space of the summer cottage is to hang small containers (pots, pots, plastic containers, etc.) filled with nutrient soil on fences, walls of outbuildings or to the beams of greenhouses using wire or twine. Most often, peppers, green crops and flowers are grown in such containers. Experience shows that to reduce the number of watering of these plants, it is very effective to lay sphagnum moss on the bottom of containers, which perfectly accumulates moisture and has bactericidal properties.

According to the gardener N. Vasin, the "hanging bed" made by him from long boxes suspended in a glass greenhouse occupied by tomatoes, provided an area saving of 6 m² and allowed to get pepper yields that were almost 1.5 times higher than usual.

I also used this method: I grew pumpkins in plastic containers suspended from a household block. At the same time, the lashes of pumpkins spread along the transverse slats, they are well heated and bear fruit without taking up the garden area. Good results are also obtained by wrapping pumpkins around any supports: poles, fences, trees, etc.