Gardening is easier when sitting or standing, because a stooped posture and kneeling when working on the soil beds put a lot of strain on the back and joints. For this reason, a raised bed is as practical as it is back-friendly - all the better if you can optimally combine its advantages with those of a greenhouse.
Should I choose a raised bed or a greenhouse?
Both raised beds and greenhouses have their advantages, but the combination of both in the form of raised beds in the greenhouse or a raised bed with a greenhouse attachment enables year-round gardening, optimal growing conditions and back-friendly gardening.
Raised beds in the greenhouse
If you're thinking about whether you'd rather put a raised bed (or several) or a greenhouse in your garden, you can simply place the raised beds in the greenhouse and cleverly combine the advantages of both forms of cultivation. A raised bed in the greenhouse also ensures that you don't have to lie on your knees and work the greenhouse soil at temperatures like those at the equator. Other advantages include:
- Thanks to classic compost raised beds, regular fertilization is no longer necessary
- Warmth-loving fruit vegetables find optimal growing conditions in covered raised beds
- Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini and pumpkin need lots of nutrients and a warm and protected location
- If the raised beds are in the greenhouse, you can garden all year round - even in winter
The raised beds are very easy to integrate into the greenhouse: Instead of creating ground beds to the left and right of the central aisle, you simply install appropriately built raised beds. The necessary boxes are particularly easy to build out of wood (€59.00 on Amazon), although due to the high humidity inside the greenhouse you have to carefully protect the material - otherwise it will rot within a few years.
Raised bed with greenhouse attachment
However, “real” greenhouses are quite expensive and time-consuming to build. However, it is easier to place a suitable greenhouse attachment on an existing raised bed box or one that is being built. This meets all the criteria of a “large” greenhouse – and can even be removed if necessary.
Constructing a raised bed greenhouse correctly
When constructing a self-built raised bed or choosing a purchased raised bed, you should consider which accessories you need for the bed box. It makes sense to find out beforehand about the usual dimensions of covers, attachments, fleeces and films so that the dimensions of the raised bed, greenhouse attachment and accessories ultimately fit together. Custom-made products always require more work and are significantly more expensive than parts with standard dimensions.
Tip
For early cultivation or for gardening in cool locations, it is worth using a suitable attachment made of glass or acrylic, which turns the raised bed into a cold frame.
