| Summary: | Raised beds are commonly used in urban agriculture, but crop production benefits have not been well
studied. The objective of this 2-yr field experiment in Illinois was to determine the effects of
urban production system (direct soil, raised bed with compost, or raised bed with mixed compost and
soil) and fertilizer source on growing media properties, weed abundance, and vegetable crop yield.
Due to the presence of compost, raised bed media had higher pH, organic matter, and nutrient
concentrations. Water infiltration rate was 20× higher in raised beds with compost only compared to
soil. Mixing soil with compost in raised beds reduced nutrient concentrations and water infiltration
rate compared to compost-only beds. Compost-only raised beds required more irrigation than direct
soil due to lower bulk density and greater porosity, but mixing soil with compost in raised beds
reduced irrigation demand by 32% in year two. Compared to direct soil, compost-only raised beds
reduced grass and broadleaf weed abundance by as much as 97 and 93%, respectively. Radish ( L.), kale ( L.), and cilantro ( L.) yields were highest in raised beds, regardless of growing media composition, whereas
garlic ( L.) and pepper ( L.) yields
were less influenced by production system. We recommend raised beds with a mix of compost and soil
for vegetable production in urban agriculture.
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