Creating a Raised Garden Bed for Your Vegetables

For those who don’t have a huge section to garden or prefer to plant their vegetables in a more controlled area, a raised bed is a good option. It makes it easier to reach the plants and take care of them without doing too much “back-breaking” work.

Advantages of raised bed gardening

• Better drainage: Wet conditions can make soil very heavy and drainage poor, so a raised bed will prevent waterlogged plants and improve the condition of the soil.
• Aeration: As the soil on the raised bed is unlikely to be compacted from being walked on, it should stay light and healthy, thus increasing biological activity and improving plant growth.
• Easier weed control: The denser planting of vegetables in a raised bed will leave less room for weeds, and also make them easier to pull out.
• More effective pest control: The manageable size of the beds makes it possible to construct a flexible frame with netting to protect against birds or butterflies. The height of the bed will prove to be a barrier to pests such as snails and slugs and prevent damage to leaves. If burrowing rodents are a problem, the floor of the bed can be lined with poultry wire or hardware cloth.

Design and construction tips

It is important to plan your design and location of the raised beds ahead of time. Remember to take into account your water source and consider the possible drainage pathways for directing water flow . Keep the size of the beds small enough to ensure plants can be reached from both sides for weeding and harvesting, It is also important for all plants to get direct sunlight for a good part of the day, and taller plants shouldn’t block the sun from the smaller ones.

Edging the gardens properly will keep the soil off the pathways and hold back the spread of the plants. Whether you’re using rocks, timber sleepers, wooden planks or even old clay pipes, it is wise to concrete any gaps to prevent the escape of hard-to-control weeds. Ensure any wood, or other material that is used, is suitable for this purpose.

The best soil to use for your raised bed

Choose a good-quality soil and a well-drained loam is the best all round garden soil. Thoroughly work in organic material such as compost, manure, mulch or other organic matter that will provide essential nutrients and improve drainage. Adding organic matter to sandy soil will help to retain water and for clay soil, will loosen up the dirt. The ideal soil has a crumbly structure that allow air to flow freely within the dirt.

If you want to make your own soil, use equal amounts of peat moss, coarse vermiculite and compost. A raised garden bed , approx 4 foot square will need eight cubic feet of this mixture which will be high in nutrients and promote good plant growth.