How to Install Raised Beds: Beginner Instructions

MADE OF CIRCULARS

Beds made with different materials have their advantages and disadvantages, says Živilė Juknevičienė from Leia.lt.

Raised wooden beds – Classic, suitable for almost any style of garden. A great solution if you want to stick together and change the layout of the garden every few years – add more beds, shorten them, change the location of the beds. Untreated natural wood will eventually rot when it comes in contact with the ground, requiring several planks to be renewed or replaced every 3 to 7 years.

Protected wooden beds. It is possible to impregnate, paint, but be sure to read the composition, because all materials come into direct contact with the soil, so it can get into the cultivated vegetables. A special film can be placed between the ground and the curb to avoid direct contact with the ground. Thermal wood can be used; It is much more expensive, but it will last longer than usual when it dries.

Plastic or wood – plastic composite beds – easy to assemble, as it is a specially designed product (unlike ordinary boards, which must be thought of as a fastener). Cheap beds quickly warp from the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter, so they are definitely not worth it. Expensive beds can be comfortable and durable, but ask yourself if expensive garden plastic is worth buying.

Brick or concrete beds – They are ideal for those looking for a long-lasting, “immovable” garden solution. But such installation is much more complicated – it will be necessary to lay the foundation and use special waterproofing materials.

Hardened metal beds – An excellent choice for those looking for a solid construction and simple installation, especially if the hardened metal suits your environmental style. Beds like the ones shown in Živilė are also convenient because they don’t need to be picked up and their location in the garden can be changed.

WHAT TO PLACE BORDERS

Placing curbs on loose soil will cause raised beds to come off quickly. This is especially important for long beds. To do? Compact primer before applying curbs.

If you have chosen wooden beds to extend the life of the curbs, you can place them not on the ground but on the shavings. It is not an eternal decision, but it remains this.

If you choose a brick bed, then the foundation should be as serious as any building (fence, retaining wall, etc.) so that the cold does not increase.

If you choose hardened metal beds, then simpler – they have special edges that prevent the bed from sinking deep into the ground. All you have to do is build such a bed in your chosen location and voila: you don’t have to bury it, mount it or reinforce it in any way.

HEIGHT OF BEDS AND WIDTH OF TRAILS

When planning how to install raised beds, decide how long, wide, and high they will be. The higher the beds, the more comfortable it will be to take care of them, your back will thank you. But it is very important to understand that the higher the beds, the wider the paths must be between them to be able to turn around comfortably.

For example, if the height of the bed is 25 cm, a 50-60 cm wide path is sufficient. But if the bed is 1m high, such a path will be too narrow, as it will make you feel uncomfortable when accessing the beds, bending over, etc.

Another criterion: when choosing a lawn between beds, check the cutting width of your lawn mower. There are situations where the hosts install lawn paths in the garden but they have to buy a new mower specifically because the old one cannot get through.

HOW TO INSTALL RAISED BEDS: WHAT TO FILL THEM

The curbs are already standing, now the next step:

• If you are preparing the bed where the grass is now, you can remove the grass and return it to the bed with your feet up as a first layer. If the bed is higher, you can not bother and continue to lay everything directly on the grass; in the long run, it will break;
• Lay out a layer of cardboard sheets or disassembled reusable boxes, if you have one. It is important that the cardboard is not covered in plastic;
• You can pour a layer of plant debris, such as cut grass, seedless weeds onto the cardboard. Over time, the decaying grass will compost and improve the quality of the soil;
• Fill the remaining volume with compost soil or topsoil. Once watered, the primer will roll slightly and leave a gap at the top of the curb. This is how it should be: the garden will not fall out of bed on the way during gardening.

In the bed filled in this way, it is possible to immediately sow the seeds of selected plants or plant seedlings.

RAISED BED OR LARGE POT

Sometimes people think that a raised bed and a large-capacity planter are the same thing. But not quite. The main difference is that the pot, no matter how large, has a bottom. And the raised beds do not have it, so the plants grow in direct contact with the ground.

Properly prepared large pots are an excellent solution for those without a garden, as they allow you to grow not only annual flowers, but also perennials, vegetables, fruit shrubs and even fruit trees on the balcony or terrace. You can see how to make a smart pot with a water tank here.

But if you have a patio and can allocate space for raised beds, go for them. Because it is even more fun for plants to root deep in the ground: they are better established, grow longer and live longer. In other words, raised beds allow you to create a sustainable, perennial, and orderly garden.

Also, don’t limit yourself to vegetables. After all, both herbs and flowers can grow well in raised beds.

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