A raised bed is an asset to any garden. It not only looks beautiful, but also promises the best harvests. Hobby gardeners are using it more and more often to grow vegetables, as yields are two to three times higher than those achieved on a flat bed of the same size. Thanks to the increased heat within the raised bed, fruits and vegetables ripen faster and can be harvested more quickly. Anyone who is convinced of the advantages doesn't hesitate for long and gets to work straight away. Regardless of whether you bought it as a kit or built it yourself, as soon as the frame construction is finished, the question arises: How do you fill and plant it correctly? In this article you will find out what you should pay attention to when creating a raised bed and how to properly coat the raised bed.
When is the right time?
Fall and spring are generally the best times of year to install a raised bed. To do this you need many different organic materials. They contain many nutrients that stimulate plant growth. Since garden waste is usually available in autumn, this time of year is also the best time to fill it. Ideally, you should create a raised bed in the fall for the following year. This gives the layers enough time to settle. Planting in spring is not entirely optimal, but still possible.when the garden is brought into shape.
How high should the raised bed be?
Determine the right size and height for your needs. Raised beds vary in height depending on the plants - from 25 cm to one meter. For potatoes, for example, a low bed with a height of 30 cm is sufficient. If you suffer from back pain and prefer to work standing, you should build it at a comfortable height of 80 - 100 cm.
The ideal measurement is a width of 0.80 cm and a length of 2 meters. The length of course depends on the space available, but the width must not be more than 130 centimeters so that the plants remain easily accessible.
Pay attention to alignment and space
The raised bed should ideally be laid out in a north-south direction, so that the path of the sun can be optimally used. Its short sides should face west and east.
Also take into account enough space to be able to walk around the entire raised bed without obstacles and easy access with large garden tools such as a wheelbarrow. If you want, you can also place several beds next to each other.
Which layers and what to fill with?
Before you fill it, you should consider whether you want to use it as a bed for ornamental plants or crops. Flowers are not as demanding as crops, but filling the raised vegetable bed properly is the most important step for a successful harvest.
The advantage is, among other things, that it is independent of the soil quality of the garden. The flexibility in putting together the filling means that the best possible soil conditions can be put together specifically to the requirements of the plants. All layers should be approximately the same height. In general, the filling material becomes finer and finer towards the top.
undergroundDoesn't necessarily have to consist of fertile topsoil, but can also be paved. That's why urban gardening friends can also look forward to home-grown vegetables, herbs and fruit. However, additional excavation of topsoil in the garden can stabilize the raised bed in the long term. To avoid problems with rodents, you should line the bottom with a wire mesh before filling.
Raised wooden beds are used to protect against rotMadnesslined from the inside. But if they are made of natural stone, this is not necessary. The film prevents liquid from penetrating the casing, so pond liners are a logical choice. However, you can also use other foils. If you want to use the raised bed to grow vegetables, make sure that harmful substances from the material of the film do not migrate into the soil in the raised bed.
Layer number 1: drainage layer
This layer consists of branches, twigs, bark mulch, wood chips, pottery shards, large pebbles, expanded clay. The drainage prevents water from accumulating. Mix the cuttings with some soil to fill large holes.
2nd layer – sod with the vegetation facing downwards
Next is a layer of garden waste or grass clippings so that smaller components from the upper layers cannot trickle down. Alternatively, you can also use cardboard.
3rd layer – leaves, straw & coarse compost
Now follows a layer of collected leaves, horse manure and coarsely decomposed compost. This layer contains the microorganisms that support the decomposition process and provide important nutrients. Beneficial insects such as earthworms are also welcome to enrich the soil.
4th layer – planting layer
The last layer is the planting layer. It consists of high-quality potting soil for planting. Use special humus soil or ready-made compost soil. If you fire your fireplace with wood, you can use the resulting ash as fertilizer.
Lifespan of a raised bed
The raised bed will sink by around 10 to 15 centimeters over time. This is a natural process as the material inside rots and loses volume. For multi-year cultivation, it must be continually replenished with mulching material, compost or soil. The nutrient content of the soil is exhausted after 5 to 7 years and it should be completely renewed.
Which plants for the raised bed?
In principle, all plants can be placed in raised beds. In order to achieve a good harvest, you should find out in advance which plants can be planted and when. Different types of vegetables, for example, have different nutritional requirements. A distinction is made between heavy eaters, medium eaters and weak eaters. You can also benefit from certain planting combinations, while some varieties should never be planted next to each other.
Vegetables
In the first year, you should grow particularly nutrient-hungry vegetables (so-called heavy feeders) due to increased nitrate levels. For example tomatoesgrow. For example tomatoes, eggplant, cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, carrots.
From the second year onwards, you can grow more nitrate-storing plants because the nitrate load in the nutrient-rich soil is significantly reduced. The middle feeders include fennel, garlic, lettuce, onions, peppers. In the second year, radishes, beetroot, Chinese cabbage and spinach can be planted.
You can only plant weak-growing herbs and lettuce from the third year onwards. Poor eaters include peas, beans, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi.
When planting, it makes sense to create mixed cultures. So a combination of different plants that thrive next to each other and can even have a positive influence on each other. This also prevents one-sided nutrient removal. Another advantage is that the plants can protect each other from pests. For example, cut celery protects cabbage crops from caterpillars and flea beetles.
Cucumbers with dill or carrots with onions grow particularly well together. Potatoes become particularly tasty when caraway or coriander are next to them. Cress can make radishes even spicier. A mixture of flowers and vegetables can also encourage the presence of insects and thus increase the harvest. This is especially true with tomatoes, pumpkin and the like.
Good neighbors in the bed: spinach next to lettuce, cabbage with celery, parsley next to strawberries, basil next to cucumber and zucchini
Tall-growing varieties go in the middle and low-growing ones are used at the edges. This avoids one-sided shadow formation. The plants you choose should have a maximum final height of an arm's length so that you can still reach them comfortably.
Herbs
In principle, lovage, dill, rosemary, chives, parsley, thyme, sage, basil, savory, tarragon, lemon balm are suitable. When it comes to herbs, take the height of the plant into account: tall-growing herbs such as rosemary and sage should be arranged in the north-facing area.
For Mediterranean herbs, the soil must not be too rich in nutrients, otherwise they will lose their taste and scent. Rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme and marjoram thrive best in poor soil. For these varieties you can mix soil with a third of sand.
Strawberries
If strawberries are planted, harvesting is easier. In addition, the berries do not lie on the ground, where they easily become dirty or rot.
Strawberries are heavy feeders and can be grown in a freshly created raised bed. The best planting date is March/April. It is recommended to mulch the bed with bark mulch, pine needles or straw. Strawberries get along excellently with a variety of neighbors such as lettuce, garlic, radishes and onions.
After three years, the strawberry raised bed should be completely rebuilt.
Flowers
Raised beds are also being used more and more frequently in ornamental gardens. Almost all perennials and small trees are suitable for planting. Unlike the herb and vegetable raised bed, you can do without the complex layering system of the bed. This is where the light comes in. Focus on a good drainage layer and then fill the bed with compost and potting soil. Here you choose the potting soil that is best suited for the desired planting.
In the first year you can plant strong plants such as chrysanthemums, geraniums and tulips. Dahlias, gloxinias and snapdragons thrive in the second year. In the third year, plant flowers that love poorer soil such as azaleas, petunias, primroses, pansies, begonias.
