Anything 8 inches thick means having to reach 8 inches further, kneeling on the border or making narrower beds, depending on bed width. We did rock borders on our 3 foot wide raised beds once and I ended kneeling on the rocks a few times. I did 28 inch wide beds once using some 2x6 boards, 16 foot long and that worked out pretty well but the boards didn’t last. I spent 25 years leaning over a 4 foot wide work bench and also working on cars and I just can’t do it any more. (Three foot tall raised beds would be nice for some things as we get older)
All depends on your goals. Just having something to eat seasonally; doesn’t take much space and it’s the least amount of effort. Nice neat raised beds are good for a lot of thing in that case. Putting up food for the year; quite a bit of work with a root cellar, canning etc. Making all your own tomato based sauces from paste tomatoes? Lotta work and a lot of canning jars needed. Market gardening; it becomes a job.
No one system will fit all scenarios or crops. We like strawberries but every time I’ve tried, they get overrun with grass/weeds so that definitely warrants raised beds and also netting to keep the critters from getting them first here in the forest. I like lettuce, baby greens/spinach salad mix.
Taters are easy because they come up so fast and shade out the grass/weeds.
I tell myself every year that I’m going to go bigger on gardening but I always end up working on infrastructure and other projects. I do enough to get some things figured out for this location so it’s progress, albeit slow. I’m sure I’ll end up with several systems at some point.
At least you’re trying! If Infrastructure is a priority, so be it!
Strawberries and Asparagus - NOTHING gets weedier faster than a patch of either!
My goals are always enough tomatoes for canned Salsa, V-8 Juice and my Bloody Mary Mix. This year I made Tomato Soup, so that has moved UP the ‘needs’ scale around here. ;)
I am on STRIKE for growing anything beyond canning until Beau gives me the spot in the field stone basement (currently full of Guy Stuff!) that stays 55 degrees all year long and is the PERFECT spot for a Root Cellar. :)