The narrow beds were invented by the famous consultant and expert in agriculture from the USA Jacob Mittlider. In the traditional ideas of gardeners, the beds should be wide, and the aisles between them should be narrow. But this experienced expert believes that everything is quite the opposite: the beds are narrow, and the aisles are wide. And although organic farming methods are now taking the first place, the narrow bed method continues to be applied and brings large yields.
This technique has individual characteristics, advantages and benefits. Such beds can be of any length, but the width is not less than 30 centimeters and not more than 90. It is recommended to leave the row spacing from half a meter to a meter wide.
Having a small piece of land in your possession seems to be a great luxury or stupidity so it is not economical to use it. But such wide passages were not invented in vain - they also play a role. Those gardeners who already use this method claim that a small area of the beds yields not less, but more.
General principles of the functioning of a narrow bed
Scientists easily explain the advantages of narrow beds. It is generally accepted that all plants feed only on the nutrients that are in the soil. In fact, this is only forty percent of the food, and the main food is air, no matter how unexpected it may sound. The more air, the healthier and stronger the plant is.
Each gardener spends a lot of time on his site - caring for plants requires this. But take a close look at the most remote extreme vegetable beds. They always have the best harvests of roots and greens. But it seems that everyone grows in the same conditions.
Now think about who cares for trees, grass, shrubs in cities? They usually grow on their own and still look great. What helps them survive without watering and feeding?
If each plant receives the required amount of carbon dioxide, its growth and development will accelerate significantly. In narrow single-row beds, each vegetable gets maximum heat, sunlight and air. Only here you cannot do without wide row spacings. They act as a source of carbon dioxide. All passages between the beds must be mulched or planted with green manure.
Arrangement of narrow beds
To create such beds, various additional materials or their waste will be required: slate, boards, cardboard, paper, all kinds of vegetable waste. This will help set up an organic, warm, narrow bed.
It is necessary to arrange the garden bed on the site from north to south. The top layer of soil, which is densely overgrown with grass, must be carefully removed. It will be needed for row spacings. Then the site must be dug up, while adding any organic fertilizers. A wooden box of at least twenty-five centimeters in height is knocked down along the perimeter of the garden. In the future, the beds are not dug up.
You can use another way. It is suitable for those who do not like to dig a garden.A layer of cardboard is placed in a prepared box (without digging up the soil), and a layer of sand is placed on top. This will protect the plants from weeds.
The next layer (main) will consist of any organic waste. The order of their laying is from coarser to softer: branches of trees, corn, sunflowers, dry grass, waste of vegetables and fruits. The filled box is sprinkled with a layer of earth and spilled with a herbal solution or a solution of a preparation with effective microorganisms.
Wide row spacings can be not only useful, but also beautiful. If tender lawn grass grows on them, this will decorate the appearance of the site. As it grows, you will mow the grass and use it to mulch the soil. Instead of grass, you can fill the aisles with sawdust.
Narrow beds, arranged once, will save you time and energy for several more years.
The advantages of narrow beds
- A garden bed done once brings good yields for many years. It does not require an annual conversion.
- There is no need to dig up the ground every year. Digging up the beds is not required at all.
- The minimum number of pests from the world of flora and fauna.
- The soil in such beds warms up earlier, which makes it possible to plant seedlings and seeds earlier than in a regular garden.
- The box does not erode the soil during heavy rains and retains moisture in the garden for a long time.
- There is no need to root out the weeds. It is more convenient and faster to cut weeds with a flat cutter. On narrow beds, this procedure is fully justified.
- It is convenient to adhere to the rules of crop rotation.
Narrow and warm beds have a lot in common.
Advantages of a narrow bed
- All vegetable crops and any other plants in such beds are always evenly illuminated from all sides, receive all the necessary amount of sunlight and heat, and are also fully provided with air and carbon dioxide.
- In ordinary dense beds, you have to make your way to their hard-to-reach middle, while stepping on the soil in which the microroots are located. On narrow beds - free approach to plants. There is no need to get into the garden at all, which means that the topsoil will not be damaged.
- Everything is in plain sight on a narrow bed. This makes it easy to care for the plants and just as easy to harvest.
- Each crop is provided with excellent air exchange, which reduces the risk of various diseases.
- A narrow bed can be covered with foil if necessary without any problems.
- Wide row spacings are not only convenience, but also beauty and cleanliness. A trip to a regular vegetable garden usually ends up with large lumps of dirt on your shoes and cleaning them. With such an unusual system of beds and row spacings, you don't have to worry about this.
Do not be afraid to experiment on your land, move away from traditional methods. Organic farming and narrow warm beds are easy to work with, convenience, beauty and bountiful harvests.
