How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

Space
Construct your beds somewhere that receives at the very least 5 to 6 hours of day-to-day daylight — the more, the far better! Orient them north to south to avert crops from shading just about every other out. Beds need to be at minimum a foot extensive, although no additional than 4 ft across to make weeding and harvesting manageable. Six to 8 ft lengthy is standard and charge-efficient. Ten to 14 inches is an suitable peak to accommodate strong roots. Go away at minimum 2 or 3 ft in between beds for walking and wheelbarrow accessibility.

Wood
The brilliance of a plank-and-rebar structure (see above) is that just about every unique wall is effortlessly replaced. Try out the natural way rot-resistant kinds of wooden, such as oak, cedar, and redwood.

Soil
You want the sort that’s darkish, prosperous, and loaded with microorganisms. Fill your beds with a blend of 50 to 60% great-high quality topsoil and 40 to 50% nicely-aged compost. In advance of each new growing season, test your soil for pH and nutrient information. You can obtain a kit at most home-advancement suppliers. If your exam displays a need for further vitamins and minerals like nitrogen and potassium, elevate amounts by performing in amendments these kinds of as bone meal and kelp. Costume beds with an more ½ inch of compost later in the developing season to increase organic make a difference and strengthen soil wellbeing.

Vegetation
If you’re building your beds in substantial summer, it’s not as well late to plant drop crops. Sow seeds like carrots and lettuce right into the soil, or acquire midseason transplants for crops like kale and broccoli. If you’d fairly wait around until next calendar year to plant, go over the soil in your new raised beds with a mixture of grass clippings and shredded leaves in autumn — the product will compost prior to you are prepared to begin in spring.

Water
Raised beds have wonderful drainage, which is fantastic for plant health and fitness, but they dry out promptly. Give your plants a very long drink in the early night, but test them once again on very hot summer time afternoons. If the soil is dry, it is a genuine scorcher exterior, or you live in a hot and arid local climate, water all over again. A programmable drip-irrigation procedure (check out a starter kit from dripworks.com) is low-cost and handy, delivering consistent dampness straight to plant roots. Invest in a timer element to preserve funds and water.