How to Create a Raised Bed Garden
By Charles Bellman | Submitted On September 17, 2012
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Raised bed gardening refers to gardens whose surfaces are higher than the surrounding ground, whether they're in the yard or on a patio or deck.
Most are constructed by building large boxes to hold the garden soil approximately 8 inches higher than the surrounding ground; but, it is also possible - and sometimes quite practical …show more content…
Free-standing beds - accessible from both sides - should be about 4 feet wide. If your bed is bordered by a fence or building, make it 3 feet wide, so that you can reach into it without walking on the garden's surface.
6. If you are building multiple beds, leave enough space between them so that you can easily mow the grass or create pathways with shredded wood mulch. (Don't use shredded wood mulch for the vegetable garden, though, as it tends to deplete the nitrogen in the soil.)
7. Fill the bed with good garden soil, which can be either purchased or created. The best soil for most vegetable gardening is loamy soil that drains fairly well - that ideal medium between clay and sand. Each year you can improve your soil by adding compost and tilling your soil.
8. Plant intensively; give the plants enough room to mature, but you don't need to allow space for walking. Indeed, one of the main benefits of raised bed gardening is that you don't need to walk on the beds.
9. At the end of the gardening season, add compost to the soil and till it. Cover the soil with a layer of mulch - our favorite is a layer of shredded leaves and grass clippings, which can easily be tilled into the soil at the beginning of next season.
With a little planning, and a little work up front, you'll enjoy years of productive gardening with raised
By Charles Bellman | Submitted On September 17, 2012
Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest
Raised bed gardening refers to gardens whose surfaces are higher than the surrounding ground, whether they're in the yard or on a patio or deck.
Most are constructed by building large boxes to hold the garden soil approximately 8 inches higher than the surrounding ground; but, it is also possible - and sometimes quite practical …show more content…
Free-standing beds - accessible from both sides - should be about 4 feet wide. If your bed is bordered by a fence or building, make it 3 feet wide, so that you can reach into it without walking on the garden's surface.
6. If you are building multiple beds, leave enough space between them so that you can easily mow the grass or create pathways with shredded wood mulch. (Don't use shredded wood mulch for the vegetable garden, though, as it tends to deplete the nitrogen in the soil.)
7. Fill the bed with good garden soil, which can be either purchased or created. The best soil for most vegetable gardening is loamy soil that drains fairly well - that ideal medium between clay and sand. Each year you can improve your soil by adding compost and tilling your soil.
8. Plant intensively; give the plants enough room to mature, but you don't need to allow space for walking. Indeed, one of the main benefits of raised bed gardening is that you don't need to walk on the beds.
9. At the end of the gardening season, add compost to the soil and till it. Cover the soil with a layer of mulch - our favorite is a layer of shredded leaves and grass clippings, which can easily be tilled into the soil at the beginning of next season.
With a little planning, and a little work up front, you'll enjoy years of productive gardening with raised