3 reasons NOT to buy metal raised garden beds

Summary

In this video, Jackie from Eco Endeavor discusses the downsides of using trendy metal garden beds, offering three reasons to avoid them. First, they get extremely hot, making them challenging for plant health and increasing water requirements. Second, they are expensive to purchase, fill, and maintain, with limited options for customization. Lastly, metal beds don't align with permaculture principles, raising concerns about their carbon footprint. Jackie highlights how wood beds, made from salvaged materials, are a more eco-friendly, affordable, and practical alternative for sustainable gardening.

Takeaways

• 😀 Metal garden beds can get extremely hot, which can burn your skin and dry out the soil faster, requiring more hand-watering.
• 😀 While metal beds may be good for warmer climates, they don't perform well in dry, Mediterranean summers where soil temperature is crucial.
• 😀 Metal garden beds are expensive to purchase, fill, and maintain, especially over time as soil decomposes and sinks.
• 😀 Adding extra features like hoop houses or trellises to metal beds is challenging and costly, making wood beds a more flexible option.
• 😀 Metal garden beds don't align with permaculture values, which prioritize sustainability, and they have a high carbon footprint due to their production process.
• 😀 Reclaimed or salvaged wood is a more eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to metal for building garden beds.
• 😀 The speaker regrets buying metal beds and believes wood beds are a better choice for growing healthier plants in a more sustainable way.
• 😀 Many popular gardening YouTubers promote metal beds without mentioning their downsides, often due to affiliate marketing and consumerism agendas.
• 😀 Even if metal beds are advertised as long-lasting, they still require ongoing investment in soil and accessories, making them a poor long-term option for the budget-conscious gardener.
• 😀 The speaker advocates for being mindful of the products promoted in the gardening community and encourages viewers to make informed, thoughtful purchasing decisions.
• 😀 Despite the trendy appeal of metal garden beds, the speaker believes they are not worth the money and ultimately do not perform well in terms of both practicality and sustainability.

Q & A

Why does Jackie regret buying metal garden beds?

Jackie regrets buying metal garden beds because they get extremely hot, which can burn the plants' roots and dry out the soil around the edges. She also finds them expensive, hard to maintain, and not ideal for permaculture practices.

What is the main issue with the heat generated by metal garden beds?

Metal garden beds conduct heat, which causes the soil inside to heat up excessively. While this can be beneficial in cool climates, in areas with hot, dry summers, like Jackie's, the heat can stress plants and require more frequent hand watering.

How does the heat from metal beds affect the soil compared to wood beds?

In metal beds, the soil dries out faster around the edges because metal is a heat conductor, unlike wood, which absorbs moisture better. This results in more frequent hand watering for metal beds, while wood beds retain moisture more effectively.

What is the additional expense associated with metal garden beds?

Metal garden beds are expensive to purchase and even more expensive to fill. Over time, the soil in these beds decomposes and sinks, requiring more soil to be added. Additionally, adding DIY features, like hoop covers or trellises, is more challenging and costly with metal beds.

What makes wood garden beds more cost-effective in the long run?

Wood garden beds are cheaper to buy and fill. They can also be made using salvaged wood, reducing costs. While wood may biodegrade over time, it aligns with permaculture values by replenishing the soil naturally, making it a more sustainable choice.

Why does Jackie believe metal beds do not align with permaculture principles?

Jackie argues that metal garden beds do not align with permaculture principles because the production of metal has a high carbon footprint, which increases one's environmental impact. In contrast, wood, especially salvaged wood, is more sustainable and regenerative, fitting better with permaculture values.

What is Jackie's experience with adding DIY features to metal garden beds?

Jackie found it difficult to add DIY features like hoop houses or trellises to metal beds. The metal beds are less versatile and harder to modify compared to wooden beds, which can easily accommodate additional features for enhancing the growing environment.

How does Jackie compare her favorite gardening YouTubers' promotion of metal beds?

Jackie expresses disappointment in some popular gardening YouTubers who promote metal garden beds, despite their potential downsides. She feels that these YouTubers are pushing consumerism and neglecting the environmental and practical drawbacks of these beds.

What alternative does Jackie suggest to metal garden beds for those interested in sustainability?

Jackie suggests using wood, particularly salvaged wood, as an alternative to metal garden beds. She believes that wood is more sustainable, cost-effective, and aligned with permaculture principles, even though it may need to be replaced over time.

What specific issue did Jackie face with the sharp edges of her metal garden bed?

Jackie was frustrated by the sharp edges of her metal garden bed, which made it uncomfortable to lean on or sit by the bed. Unlike some other metal beds that come with rubber edges, her bed was unsafe and inconvenient to work with.