Vent: neighbor told me my raised beds were wasting space, still annoyed about it

Guy across the fence in Tacoma watched me build three 4x8 beds last spring and goes 'you could fit twice the crops in half the ground if you planted in rows.' I told him I like the paths between beds for my knees and he just shrugged. Six months later his rows got flattened by an early frost while my beds still had kale going into November. Has anyone else had a know-it-all neighbor criticize their setup only to eat their words later?

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dakotawood6d ago

Remember reading some study a while back about how deep mulch on top of beds keeps soil temps way more steady than bare ground... plus you don't compact the dirt by walking on it. Your neighbor was probably thinking about maximizing square footage not actual plant health... rows work fine if you've got perfect soil and no weeds but most of us don't. Kale shrugs off frost too so that was just extra proof your setup is smarter for the PNW. I'd have been tempted to hand him a kale leaf over the fence with a big smile.