tips to do raised bed gardening Amanda Shiffler Contributing Writer

 6 Essential Tips for Setting Up a Bed Garden

Raised bed gardening has become popular over the past decade or so. An elevated garden bed is, in essence, a large planting box used for gardening instead of the traditional method of sowing plants directly into the ground. Raised beds, or "garden boxes", add an aesthetic appeal to the landscape, while at the same time providing many benefits such as facilitating gardening, better weed and pest control, creating a longer growing season, and creating greater heights. Yield.

If you are playing with the idea of ​​trying out raised bed gardens or already using them, check out these great tips to make your gardening even more successful!

1. Build with lightweight materials

When you start planning raised garden beds, the materials used to build them are important. If possible, stay away from heavy logs, railway ties, and cement blocks. Instead, stick to thin wooden planks because they will be lighter. The beds are still heavy, but the thin woods make it easy to move if needed.

2. Keep the width a maximum of 4 feet

The idea behind raised bed gardening is to create an easily accessible gardening space with high-quality soil. That means making the beds large enough to accommodate the gardener. SFGate states that 4 feet wide is the right size of bed for the average person. This size allows someone to reach half of the width of the bed on either side.

3. Place the card on the floor

Weeds are a nuisance in all garden systems. Create a barrier to prevent weeds from growing through the beds high above the ground. Spread a single layer of thick cardboard box over the soil (or grass) at the base of the bed, making sure to cover the entire soil. This will prevent germinating weeds from going to the surface.

4. Add grass clippings or a layer of leaves

The most expensive area in building raised garden beds is filled with soil. To reduce the cost somewhat, add a thin layer of partially decomposed grass clippings or leaves to the bottom of the beds and then fill the raised bed with soil. Not only does this save a little money, but these materials break down over time and help the soil grow.

5. Attach the tube to hold the rings to the cards

Row covers and bird nets are important accessories for gardening. They help protect plants from the intense sun and heat, as well as prevent birds and insects from reaching the plants. Secure the pieces of PVC pipe vertically to the inner walls of the beds before filling them with soil. When it comes time to close the plants, it is easy to drop the ends of the support rings into the PVC pipe.

6. Mulch in the fall

In the fall, remove all plant material from the raised beds and cover the exposed soil with a 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch. Use store-bought mulch or fallen leaves or grass clippings in your yard. Mulch retains soil moisture during the winter and adds nutrients to the soil when it decomposes.