If your crop doesn't satisfy you, your garden isn't as productive as hoped, or you simply have a small area to dedicate to gardening, creating a raised bed is the answer to all your problems. In this guide, you will find out how to make it:
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Planning
Step 1. Visualize and design the shape of your raised bed
Fortunately, it doesn't require any special skill or commitment - you'll just have to build a box of any size and shape, as long as it's open on the bottom and top base. Imagine a construction where you can easily enter the ground (a bit like with wooden planks for pouring concrete).
Step 2. Draw your flower bed project, measure the space available in your garden and add the collected measurements to your design
Now, you will know how much material you will need for the actual construction.
Step 3. Decide which materials to use
You will be able to choose from anything that can hold the earth; wood, plastic, synthetic wood, brick, rock or whatever you want or have available. Usually, the use of wood is preferable, being the simplest and most efficient method of all. This guide will focus on making flower beds using natural or synthetic wood.
Step 4. Purchase or procure the necessary materials
The complete list is available at the bottom of the page. You will certainly need planks of the desired length, and no less than 60 cm in height. The number of planks will vary in relation to the desired shape of the flower bed.
Method 2 of 3: Implementation
Step 1. Build the sides of your raised bed into the desired shape
If you will be using wood, you may want to try with uprights (100mm thick battens), to be placed in the corners of the bed. This technique will increase the stability of the structure, ensuring that it does not come down when the earth is laid.
Step 2. Cut a piece of mulch sheet (breathable or not) to the size of the bottom base of the bed:
by doing so, you will significantly reduce weed growth. You could also try 7-8 layers of wet newspaper sheets, but also old cardboard pieces from boxes. (be sure to remove any remaining adhesive tape).
Step 3. Place your raised bed on the mulched area
This operation could take 2 people, considering the size and weight of the structure. Make sure you choose a spot in full sun - remember, your raised bed will be nearly permanent, so you'll need to choose the best spot to place it permanently.
Method 3 of 3: Use
Step 1. Once the bed is permanently in place, fill it with soil
Add mature manure to the bottom and then a layer of compost soil. You can lower the cost of the work (up to 50%) by taking some land from other areas of your property. Try to use at least 1/3 of compost, or mature manure (available at specialty stores in bags of different sizes and prices).
Add and mix organic fertilizers (such as wood ash, ox blood, rock meal, etc.). Always follow the instructions for each individual product
Step 2. Start sowing
Some people prefer flowers, others vegetables… the possibilities are almost limitless. If you want to make a vegetable garden, the raised bed is a great solution for growing salads, carrots, onions, radishes, beets and other roots.
Step 3. Protect your raised bed from the elements
To build a miniature structure for biological control of insects, you can use a greenhouse for the warm season: mount a structure, using PVC arches along the short side of the flower bed at a distance of one arch every 1.5 m (on the side long).
- Purchase a piece of non-woven fabric, also called a wedding veil, from a specialty store or on the internet, and secure it to the structure with zip ties. With this cover you will have a wetter, warmer and insect-proof bed.
- When the plants reach such a height that the cover is no longer practical, you can uncover that portion and leave it where it is still needed. It might seem strange, but light, heat and humidity can penetrate in the right proportions, unlike bugs and weed seeds carried by the wind. This method will allow you to reduce watering, hand weeding and the need for pesticides.
- You can use the same structure to position the nylon sheet for the colder seasons, or for a more resistant protection for animals such as birds or wild boars.
Advice
- Try using 30x5 cm strips. By assembling them one on top of the other, for each side of the flower bed, you will have 60 cm high sides.
- You can get the compost from specialty stores, your local farm, or dig it out of your compost pile. Do your math and decide which solution is best for you, bearing in mind that the potting soil purchased is free of weed seeds, but could be expensive if purchased in large quantities. Digging up the soil from your property will reduce costs, but will increase the chances of having weed seeds.
- Unleash your creativity while building. Don't be afraid to experiment, using recycled materials - raised beds are useful and affordable.
- Creating a raised bed in 2 people will be easier and will take much less time.
- Make sure you water your flower beds frequently. Given its raised structure, it will have less water retention capacity than normal land: placing the raised bed in a place close to the water source will greatly reduce future problems.
- Decorate or brighten your flower bed to make it the focal point of your entire garden.
- The ideal size of raised beds should be 60 x 120 cm. This is because they allow comfortable and pain-free access to the back, from all sides to the center of the flower bed (for a person of average build), without setting foot on the internal ground (and without compacting it).
- Keeping the flower beds tight will help improve water retention.
- Raised flower beds allow easier access than plants in the ground. If you have trouble bending over, you may want to raise the height of the beds to that of your hips. Make sure the structure is strong in relation to the size and wet accordingly.
- You could reduce the costs related to buying potting soil (virtually to 0) by adding layers of grass clippings, straw or foliage (hay is not recommended given the amount of seeds it contains). Wet each layer and compact it lightly before adding the next. Once the bed is full, you can transplant by adding a little soil to each hole. As soon as the roots have begun to make their way into organic matter, it will have begun to decompose. If you plan on growing plants from seed, add a thin top layer of potting soil or compost. Be prepared to add some compost every year, as compost gradually loses volume due to decomposition.
Warnings
- Raised beds are an attractive place for cat droppings. If a lot of stray cats live in your area, try planting enough catnip to keep them calm.
- In some areas, having wood in contact with the ground can increase the risk of termite infestation with risks for neighboring wooden structures.
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Some old pieces of treated wood - such as the one painted green, often used for foreign structures - may contain arsenic, a deadly and carcinogenic poison. Fortunately, these types of treatments are no longer carried out, but nonetheless there may be traces of them in ancient pieces. Arsenic is released when wood is sawn or burned, and could also leach into acidic soil or acid rain. Although the use of this type of wood may be inviting, especially for its longevity, it would be better to prefer normal wood, especially for flower beds for the growth of plants intended for food consumption, changing it completely every 5 years.
The new treated wood does not contain arsenic. However, the recycled one may have traces of it
