How To Prepare The Garden Beds
The Raised Garden Bed program provides gardeners with flexibility, accessibility, and many other benefits. Learn how to prepare a raised garden bed so that you can create a special space to grow what you like.
Determine whether the raised garden bed is suitable for you
The raised garden bed provides an ideal solution for gardeners seeking a simple and effective method to control the planting environment. Here are some of the benefits of an raised garden bed:
Improve the soil
If you have sandy, clay or other bad soil, the raised garden bed can let you create a growth environment full of nutrient rich and well drained soil.
Prevention of pests
According to the height of the wall, the raised garden bed can prevent intruders who are low to the ground, such as rabbits, moles and even wayward children.
Improved accessibility
Raised garden beds make it easier to look after plants while sitting and not bending over.
More room for growth
Because you can move around the entire garden bed without worrying about walking between rows, the raised garden plan allows you to fill the entire plot with plants.
Reduced maintenance
Raised garden beds tend to sprout fewer weeds and will not compete with nearby lawn grasses for space. The soil is not compacted as a traditional bed due to the flow of people, so you do not need to cultivate frequently or intensively.
Extend the growing season
In spring, the raised garden bed soil heats up faster than the underground soil, so you can usually start planting quickly.
Find the perfect place
Although building a raised garden plan is a relatively simple process, taking a few steps will make the process smoother, so you can enjoy a stress free growing season.
Choose a sunny place. Most vegetables and flowers need plenty of sunshine (six hours or more a day).
Find flat ground. Look for the flattest ground. This will make construction easier, and avoid gaps under the bed from which the soil can escape.
Consider your water source. No matter where you decide to place the raised garden bed, make sure you can find a hose that is long enough to reach when needed.
Make sure you can get to the whole plot. In order to make the most of your space and fill the entire plot with plants, you need to be able to wrap around the bed or keep it small enough so that you can cover the entire width.
Plan a raised garden bed
You have a variety of options when you put together your stories. Decide whether you want to buy prefabricated kits, find detailed plans online or make your own blueprints.
If you take the DIY route, you need to buy your own building materials. Choose durable wood, such as cedar or cypress, composite materials, galvanized steel or stone. Avoid the use of pressure treated wood, rubber (such as old tires) or other upgraded and reconstituted materials that may leach chemicals from the soil. If you want to save time and effort. Olle galvanized steel garden bed is your good choice.
Regardless of your raised garden bed plan, please note that there is no necessary bottom. Your raised garden bed is essentially a framed container containing soil and plants. The open base allows the roots to grow deeper, while allowing beneficial worms to move up. Weeds or weeds shall be eliminated by placing waterproof cloth or wet newspaper in the area a few weeks before construction. Or, just spread newspapers or grass cuttings under the bed, and then fill it with soil to help tamper with grass or weeds.
Choose soil wisely
The traditional garden soil is too dense and compact for the raised garden bed, which may cause the plants to be flooded. On the other hand, the potting mixture will drain too quickly, making plants dry at high places. Burpee recommends mixing 50% good garden soil with 50% compost. You can also find organic raised garden bed soil mixtures at your local garden store.
To calculate how much soil you need, simply measure the length, width, and height (in feet) of the bed and multiply the three numbers to get the cubic feet. Divide the total by the number of cubic feet in each bag you plan to purchase to calculate the total number of bags you need.
Plant your favorite plants
Most plants will thrive on raised garden beds, including flowers and vegetables. Squeeze more plants into your space by planting compact varieties.
Avoid the use of large plants such as trees and perennial shrubs, which have deep roots and will occupy the entire footprint of an average size plot.
Once you have figured out the list of plants you want to plant, draw your plots on the checkered paper and buy seeds or seedlings according to their growing season. Extend your growing season through succession planning, or replace spring plants (such as peas and broccoli) with warm season produce such as tomatoes and pumpkins.
In terms of planting, the process is similar to ground gardening. Follow the instructions on the seed package or plant label. Carefully transplant seedlings to allow them time to slowly adapt to the outdoor environment, which is called hardening.
Water regularly
Your raised garden bed may dry faster than the ground because there is less soil to store water. If you are growing vegetables, aim to drink 1 to 2 inches of water a week.
End of season cleanup
Raised garden beds provide the possibility of extending the growing season through an anti freeze cover. However, when Mother Nature officially announced her withdrawal this year, please remove any existing plant materials to prevent harmful pests and pathogens from overwintering. The topsoil is covered to prevent erosion.
Now you have mastered the exact steps and expertise to build and develop a successful raised garden bed garden. By planning your garden in advance and following the best practices of raised garden beds, you can plant your favorite fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. In the best environment.