Advice For Getting The Most Out Of Your Raised Bed Gardening

Posted by | Posted on 2:39 AM

By Brian Arroyo

Once your raised bed is installed from scratch or from a kit, it'll be time to finally start the fun part of this ongoing home project: the actual raised bed gardening. It might be a little sparse where your bed is at the moment, there are a few things you can do to turn it into a living and breathing thing of beauty.

By watering carefully, using the right kind of soil, and watching out for disease and stopping weeds, you can keep your garden clean and fresh the entire season.

Levels Of pH And Good Soil

There are various soil mixtures out there, but the one that I've found has worked the best is one quarter yard soil, with the rest being a combination of sand and compost. This unique mixture will give your flowers a great base from which to start growing. Check the pH levels in your soil too. If it's high in alkaline, nothing is going to grow.

Minimize Weeds

Raised bed gardens typically get the better of weeds, but that's not to say that no one ever experiences the occasional weed here and there. Put in some organic mulch and use whatever weed guarding stuff you have in the house. If this doesn't get rid of your weed infestation, remove them by hand. It's simple and not really time consuming. Throw some more mulch over the top and see what happens overnight. Keep in mind this is an ongoing fight, so there will be victories and there will be losses.

Keep Watering

If you're unsure of what to do for water, it's best to go manually. This way, you can direct the water exactly where you want it: at the base of the plants themselves rather than the surrounding dirt. Irrigation systems can come in handy if you've got the money, as their drip technology will keep your plants at a more optimum water level than you could hope for doing it by hand. Overhead watering is the only real no-no, as it will leave too much moisture and leave plants susceptible to disease.

Easy Maintenance

One of the most appealing aspects of raised bed gardening is the simple fact that it really doesn't take much in the way of maintenance to keep them going. Simply watering properly, introducing organic material periodically and turning over the soil every now and then should be perfectly fine.

If the garden starts to pick up disease, empty your garden immediately and put in brand new soil for your plants. On a physical level, if your bed is built from bricks, make sure you check to make sure it's still steady to prevent anything falling.

The low maintenance may be a strong factor in choosing raised bed gardening over other options, but let's face it: raised bed gardens look beautiful and can add a set piece to your yard that will start the neighbors talking. For such a small investment, how can it not be worth it?

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