For many hobby gardeners, a raised bed is their pride and joy in the vegetable garden. However, so that the useful and ornamental plants feel comfortable there, you should pay extra attention to creating the raised bed. March is exactly the right time to do this gardening work. You can find out what you need to consider and how you should fill your raised bed in the article.
Fill the raised bed: these 4 layers provide the necessary nutrients
Raised bed construction is fairly simple. I bought my first raised bed pre-made, but then my husband helped and made three more raised beds for oursVegetable garden built. But as I quickly learned, filling the raised bed is half the battle. Because the correct order of the layers offers the optimal conditions for healthy plants. I stick to a rule of thumb: the materials at the bottom are coarse-grained and at the top – fine-grained.
The lower drainage layer
At the bottom are natural materials such as wood chips, small twigs and river stones. Green waste is also good. To be on the safe side, check for signs of disease and pests first so you can prevent the potential spread of bacteria and viruses in the garden. They improve drainage and ensure that excess irrigation water flows away and prevents waterlogging. This first layer should be between 15cm and 25cm high, although from my experience around 18cm to 20cm is sufficient in regions with a mild climate and lots of rainfall. For regions with traditionally cold springs, I recommend a layer of 25 cm.
For the second layer, mix garden soil and lawn clippings
The next layer is made up of garden soil, balcony box soil and mature grass clippings in a ratio of 50:35:15. About a week after mowing the lawn for the first time, the clippings have already rotted and can be used to fill the raised bed. It should be brown in color and have no smell.
As far as garden soil is concerned, a mix of garden soil, balcony box soil and 15% quartz sand proves to be optimal for local vegetables. For the kitchen garden it is often sandierClay soil recommended. However, since the volume of soil in the raised bed is limited and the bed heats up in summer, clay can essentially “cake together”. Quartz sand proves to be a good substitute. If you have already grown the plants, you can also add potting soil. This layer should be about 15 cm high.
Compost provides necessary nutrients
The third layer is made up of compost (without fish or meat), vermicompost and horn shavings or ripe and completely dry cattle dung. You shouldn't overdo it with the fertilizer - the optimal height of a compost layer is between 5 cm and 10 cm.
You can now buy special worm boxes and bury them directly into this layer. The worms will gradually create compost and loosen the soil.
Upper layer of black earth
At the top comes the last layer of black earth. It should be between 20 cm and 30 cm high. This finished soil contains a high proportion of biochar and can provide crops with all the nutrients they need. It stores water very well, so you should water sparingly and always do a finger test to be on the safe side.
That's why the four layers are important
The four layers are particularly important when filling the raised bed. Mainly because the soil is gradually enriched with nutrients from the decomposed compost. As the grass clippings and compost rot and break down, heat is generated. This means the ground remains frost-free in spring and is warmer than the garden soil in the kitchen garden. This keeps the young plants warm and promotes seed germination.
The right care in the next few years
The organic materials in the layers will slowly degrade over the next few years. After 4 to 5 years the individual layers can no longer be recognized. Instead, you have nutrient-rich soil that can be added to conventional garden soil. And then the raised bed has to be filled again. In the first 2 years, the raised bed generally does not need any fertilizer. Depending on what is being planted there, you can add some liquid fertilizer from the third year onwards.
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