Raised garden beds and planter boxes come with several advantages over their grounded counterparts. While many of these benefits overlap, others apply to either raised garden beds or planter boxes. Let’s delve deeper into the subject!
1. Controlling Soil Quality
With both garden boxes and planter boxes, you have greater control over soil quality. You can customize its texture, quality, and condition since the soil stands separate from that on the ground.
Having high-quality soil in all aspects promotes the growth of healthy plants. It also drains water while retaining enough moisture to prevent the plants from wilting.
2. Providing Greater Depth for Roots
That applies mainly to raised garden beds, which represent raised soil hips sitting on the ground. Unlike the grounded garden beds, they are usually deep for better root grounding. As a result, the plants experience better growth and development.
3. Easier to Work With
Raised garden beds and planter boxes are easier when gardening. Since they are more accessible, you don’t have to bend to work. They are ideal for everyone, including those using walkers, wheelchairs, or can’t turn. Besides, you don’t need to keep tilling the soil to loosen it. Instead, simple garden tools are enough to maintain good plant health.
4. Efficient Pest Control
Planter boxes and raised garden beds are equally effective when it comes to warding off plant pests. The raised walls or barriers block pests like snails, slugs, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, birds, and neighborhood cats. However, planter boxes are especially effective when warding off burrowing pests like moles, voles, and gophers.
5. Protection Against Weeds
Raised beds and planter boxes are also more effective in preventing weeds’ penetration compared to in-ground gardens. When preparing the bed, it is essential to fill it with weed-free soil. Unless you introduce weed seeds from elsewhere, the bed will have zero weeds.
Raised beds also have weed barriers on the ground, preventing the intrusion of weeds from below. On the other hand, planter boxes has solid bottoms which keep such weed away.
6. Conserving Water
Some specialized planter boxes have self-watering capabilities, preventing water leakage or evaporation. They have a water reservoir below the soil for gradually moistening the root area. In the end, the planter boxes require less water than other types of gardens.
7. Promoting Soil Drainage
In places with poor drainage, planter boxes and raised garden beds can be very helpful. Since the soil sits above the ground, it can quickly release excess water, promoting drainage. Thus, the plants will get just enough water necessary for their growth.