After much considerartion, I’ve decided to use raised beds to grow my own vegetables. I’ve decided of using plants from a nursery instead of using seeds.
I have an idea on how to build them, what I’m confused about is what to exactley fill them with. Some articles I’ve read say to line the bottom with cardboard and wet newspapers followed by topsoil and straw. Others say to mix up the ground then fill with topsoil.
What do I use to get the best results?
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Anything that absorbs moisture but also lets water through would be great. I use lots of things for the bottom of my raised beds, from shreded newspapers to dead grasses. Some even use hay! The idea is to keep the soil from compacting, which could kill off young seedlings that have a hard time growing through hard soil. Most garden beds need at least a foot of depth, six inches minimum (but I always build them deeper to allow for mulch on top in the winter.
depends on how much you want to spend and how fast you want the beds ready. on the bottom you can put cardboard and wet newspaper to help keep out the weeds. its will break down into soil by the time the first season is over.
topsoil isn’t all that good for garden but kinda cheap. is there a landfill somewhere by you where you can just get dirt. also some old horse stables manure would be good to mix in. take the regular dirt and add something to fertilize. buy cow manure, or cotton hulls they sell some places to be more organic.
i put straw on top to hold in the water but you have to be careful it may have lots of seeds and you will be fighting weeds alot.
Hi, I have boxes up off the ground ! with cardboard- that will keep the plants moist. I use potting soil with miracle-grow ! soak the planter boxes with the dirt in them 1 st. Then plant ! Spring time I use plastic with wood stacks over the tops of the boxes ! Have Fun
When I use a raised bed, it has 3 purposes that are great for vegetables or other plants.
1. The soil is allowed to dry faster in the spring so it can have seeds in the ground earlier.
2. The soil will warm faster and the seeds will sprout sooner.
3. It is easier to work the raised beds without stooping so much.
I have raised some beds by digging and piling in areas about 1 M x 5M and about 1/3M high. This is wide enough to give a good planting area for most plants and still can be reached across. It is short enough to fit most yards but can be easily expanded. I allow the natural soil drainage to percolate the area so no special treatments of the soil are needed like cardboard or newspapers. I do use a liquid fertilizer every 10 days through some 20mm tubes to the plant roots and add water the same way every 3-4 days. I add about 1 L in each tube at a time.
I raised some tomatoes that way that were 3 M tall and the best I have ever eaten.
Any way that you raise the bed and plant the seeds or the plants will work. After the plants get some leaves, the weeds will die from lack of sunlight until then, you should weed about once a week to keep them down. The beds need something to hold the roots and the moisture and fertilizer, what it is is not critical to anyone except the outfit trying to sell it to you. Raise the beds, plant the beds and enjoy the harvest.
I’ve used a mixture of equal parts topsoil, compost, and vermiculite with good results. The soil is nice and light and fluffy and retains water well thanks to the vermiculite. Cardboard and newspaper on the bottom will work to smother weeds that might come up through the bed, or you could double-dig the ground under the bed first to get a really deep fluffy soil (this is good if you’re trying to do root crops or something that has extensive root systems like tomatoes).