Traditional in-ground gardens are great, but there’s something to be said for raised bed gardens—it allows you grow more food and feel more connected with your growing region. Plus the soil is warmer earlier than an on ground garden so that planting can begin sooner!
Raised beds are a great way to garden without fighting roots and stones. The soil in them is always easy to amend, with the addition of low tunnels helping you extend your season when frost threatens!
Raised bed gardens have a few drawbacks. In hot dry weather, the soil tends to become dried out quickly and cats may find it appealing due to its soft texture or for their own reasons.
Planting your vegetables garden is easy with these tips. First, you’ll need a sturdy frame for the bed and plenty of soil to fill it up! Consider what width works best so that planting or maintenance can be done easily.
Here are 10 tips to help you create a successful raised bed in your garden!
Skip Walking on the Soil
Raised bed gardening is the best way to garden because it’s so easy. You can create light, fluffy perfect soil without ever having to step in your raised beds!
The biggest advantage of raised bed gardening is creating an absolutely flawless environment so crops have everything they need to grow healthy roots straight down into rich topsoil.
You can also make the walk easier on your feet by installing patio pavers or boards in strategic spots. This will allow you to step only where needed, rather than through soil that could be moist and slippery.
Always Do Some Mulching After Planting
Mulch with straw, grass clippings or leaves after planting your garden to reduce the amount of weeding you’ll have and keep soil moist.
Install an Irrigation System
I’ve found that soaker hoses and drip irrigation are the best ways to water my raised bed. They allow me to do it early, before planting season starts- saving myself time spent standing around with a hose later on in summer!
Install a Barrier to Roots and Weeds
If you have large trees in the area, place your raised bed away from their shade and roots. Most vegetables prefer full, or at least partial sun to produce a good harvest (although this is not an absolute requirement).
If you want to ensure that weeds don’t grow up through perfect soil, consider installing barrier on bottom of bed – either commercial weed-barrier material like metal sheets, placed overtop earth; or thick piece cardboard which can be laid flat onto the soil.
If you have an existing raised bed and find that the roots of trees are constantly getting in your way, consider excavating soil from around them. You can then move the location of the raised bed.
If you don’t want voles in your garden, try adding hardware cloth to the bottom and up against inside of a raised bed before planting. The metal mesh-like barrier will make it nearly impossible for burrowing creatures like them from accessing these areas where they eat roots of plants!
Top-Dress with Compost Once a Year
Raised bed gardening is essentially like growing your vegetables in an extra large container. As with any planted garden, over time the soil will settle and become depleted- but you can mitigate this by adding 1 to 2 inches worth of compost each spring before planting!
Lighten the Soil if Needed
For a little help with lightening compacted soil in your raised bed, just stick a garden fork deep into it and wiggle back-and forth. Do this 8 to 12 inches all over. Your bed will look great without having any more work on your part!
Cover up Your Soil, Even When You’re Not Gardening
If you’re looking for a way to protect your soil and increase fertility, add organic mulch or plant cover crops at the end of season. Soil that’s exposed in harsh winter will break down much faster than protected earth can do when they are grown organically. Plus by adding these two things together not only does it help keep nutrients locked into place but also creates rich topsoil which benefits us all!
Plant Annual Cover Crops
Annual cover crops, such as annual ryegrass, crimson clover and hairy vetch can be planted at the end of your growing season.
They provide nutrients to soil especially if you dig them into an already existing garden bed in spring! Annuals reduce erosion whilst fixing nitrogen for higher quality food production all year round.
Create an Eye-Catchy, Edible Garden
A simple raised bed is a great place to start if you’re looking for an interesting garden design. Aesthetically pleasing arrangement of favorite edibles, beautiful companion plants, and beneficial insects will attract more natural pest control in your home without having spent extra time or money on pesticides–just make sure they have enough space!
Flowers are a great way to bring more color and life into your garden. They’ll also help create the perfect environment for pollinators as well, such as bees! Just make sure you don’t plant anything toxic so they can enjoy everything too–from nectar collection on flowers or juicy bugs found underneath leaves (yummy)!
Plan Ahead to Expand the Season
A little planning up front can enable you to grow earlier in the season or expand your growing season well into fall. Consider installing supports for a low tunnel and cold frame, which will have minimal work when protecting crops from frosty conditions outside.