How To Build A Raised Garden Bed
- Author: Saiqa Najeeb
- Last Updated On: July 30, 2023
Do you have an idea that you can grow as many plants in three 6 by 3 foot raised beds planted intensively as in a traditional 10 by 20-foot row garden? Raised garden beds boost garden productivity by intensive planting—closely spaced planting in wider rows. It helps to enhance yield per square foot and also makes your garden easier to tend.
The garden with a wide row plantation needs less watering and weeding than commercial gardens. Also, you can say goodbye to frequent tilling and heavy digging, once you’ve added organic matter to the raised bed.
Keep reading to explore how to build a raised garden bed!
Preparing your site
Before going ahead, you need to make your garden soil workable. You may need only a light fluffing with a garden fork if your garden already has well-woked soil. Make sure to check the moisture levels of your soil before turning on the tiller.
- If the soil is too wet that it cakes or clumps, when you squeeze it, then you should be patient and wait for optimal moisture levels. Tilling the soil while it is wet, may cause the soil structure to disrupt.
- If the soil is dry enough to crumple in your hands, that’s the time to go for tilling.
It is best to shape your soil in beds at least two weeks before planting. You are recommended to not go beyond 7 inches while working with soil.
When you work with soil, it brings up new weed seeds and with the exposure of light, they start to germinate. But if you have done with the soil working way before your planting, this will give you a chance to remove the weeds just before planting and have a completely weed-free garden bed.
How To Build A Raised Garden Bed
When your loose and crumbly soil is ready after tilling or digging, you can prepare raised bed with just a hoe and a rake. You can make these beds 2 to 3 feet wide, depending on how far you can comfortably access them for planting, watering, spreading mulch, and harvesting. Go with the widest bed possible as you’ll have more room for growing a variety of crops.
Here’s how to build a raised bed successfully:
- Mark the layout for your garden bed. You can mark the edges with stakes and strings. The width o the paths should be 1 foot wide. But you can go with some wider paths to move your garden kart or wheelbarrow along them.
- Form the beds. Move the loose topsoil from the pathways to the top of the garden beds, building beds 4 to 6 inches taller than the pathways. Use a wide hoe to do the job. When you’re done working with one bed, move on to the adjacent bed. Similarly do this for all the beds. You can also use a rake for this step
- Finish digging out the paths. Now make a final stroke by sweeping the soil from each path with a shovel and dumping the soil onto the garden beds.
- Level the top of the bed. You can use the back side of a wide rake or any other tool on your hand to smooth the surface of your beds. Remember to not step in the beds from this point on.
Perfecting your paths
For the final touch for your garden finishing, make sure to cover all the bare soil in the pathways. If you’ll not cover the bare soil, you’ll end up with sticky muck or standing puddles that may ruin your clothes and shoes. Also, weeds can grow very quickly on bare paths.
You can choose wood chips, gravel, sawdust, leaves, or straw for filling up your paths. If you had faced a lot of weed problems in the past, you should consider an extra layer of filling just to block out the weeds from sprouting. Before adding mulch, spread at least five sheets of thick newspaper, or even cold carpet.
As an alternative to mulch, you can also plant dwarf white clover in your garden path. The clover is an excellent choice for perfecting your path as it will fix nitrogen, add organic matter to the soil, and helo in attracting beneficial insects.
Take Away!
So, if you’re looking to enhance your gardening experience and cultivate a thriving garden, building a raised garden bed is undoubtedly the way to go.
Now you know,how to build a raised garden bed. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a raised garden bed that not only adds an aesthetic touch to your outdoor space but also offers numerous practical benefits.
So, gather your materials, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for the exciting and rewarding journey.
