Simple Advice For Raised Bed Gardening: Plants And Soil

By Steven Newel

After building a bed, from a kit or from scratch, you should be prepared to start raised bed gardening for real. Even though the bed is located in its final destination, it's just an empty space for now, right? What's coming next? Don't worry, because you can officially start having fun with your garden.

When you use the right kind of soil, manage watering and keep your plants healthy and disease free, you can build a great raised bed garden that will beat all your expectations.

The pH Levels Of Your Soil

One of the safer techniques for making a raised bed garden is also a simple one. Use a mixture of one quarter yard soil, three quarters compost and sand. This puts a solid base to start your gardening and should prompt some nice growth. Always keep track of your soil's pH levels, too. If it's overly alkaline, nothing will grow.

Kill All The Weeds

One of the positive things about raised bed gardening is that its very makeup should help prevent weeds, but in case you end up one of the unlucky who somehow pick up a garden full of weeds, you can try putting organic mulch over the top of your bed.

If that doesn't work, try products for weed guarding to make sure those pesky weeds stay away. If this still doesn't stop them, don't worry too much. They're simple to get rid of, and remember gardening is ongoing work. There are going to be setbacks occasionally.

Keep The Water Appropriate

It's just as unhealthy for plants to be watered too much as it is to be ignored. If plants stay wet for long period of time, disease will be more likely to form on the leaves and general bad health will result. To combat this, do your watering by hand and focus on the areas of the garden in which plants are buried and try to avoid watering surrounding areas as well.

Alternatively, you can pick up one of those irrigation systems. These handy contraptions use a dripping technology to water enough but not too much. Whatever you do, don't just hose down your plants.

Taking Care Of Your Raised Bed Garden

There's actually little maintenance required to keep your garden beautiful through the seasons. The only activity you really need to do is water your plants as needed, and mix in more organic matter in your bed. Try turning the soil over periodically, too.

If your plants should come down with disease, empty the bed and change out the soil using that same soil/sand/compost mix I mentioned earlier. Also keep an eye on the physical makeup of your garden, just in case it has started coming apart.

Low maintenance gardeners and lovers of nature enjoy raised bed gardening the most, but it's a great hobby for anyone. It's simple to pretty up your yard and grow some delicious vegetables all at once.

By following the tips above, you'll keep your garden beautiful and secure -- for the plants and you, as the owner. - 30228

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here