10 Tips For Creating Beautiful Garden Raised Beds

It has become fashionable to sow and grow your own flowers, berries and vegetables in raised beds, and there are many reasons for this. Firstly, raised beds are easy and straightforward to make, even if you are a beginner, and unlike ordinary garden, raised beds do not require as much care.

Raised beds are easy and cheap to set up, they are less time consuming than creating a whole garden – and they provide many opportunities to easily and clearly grow your own crops. In addition, you only need a few square meters for your first small garden – and then there are almost no limits to what you can grow from edible fruits and vegetables in raised beds. In fact, it is only the imagination that sets the limits.

How to get started

Setup

Raised beds are available in all possible materials and designs, and since the construction is quite simple, many choose to build the raised beds themselves from wood or stone. Avoid pressure-impregnated wood if you want to grow edible crops, as the wood may contain toxins that can penetrate into the soil and thus into the plants.

If you are not the do-it-yourself type, the market of raised beds abounds in many different types of wood as well as galvanized steel and iron, with or without auger edge.

If you want a mobile raised bed, there are also special plant boxes on wheels, and if you are looking for a cheap and slightly raised bed, you can build the bed from pallet frames, which can be bought easily in DIY stores.




The size

Raised beds can have all shapes and sizes. A good tip is to build the raised bed so narrow that you can easily reach the middle of the bed from both sides. The height can vary, usually from 25 cm to 75 cm.

Avoid building the bed too high, as this can make it difficult to weed and pick crops. And remember that the higher the hayloft you have, the more soil and water it will require.

The location

The location of the raised bed depends on what you want to sow and plant. For example, some vegetables and herbs do not tolerate too much sunlight, and others require too much light. Therefore, it is important that you check the conditions of herbs and vegetables you want to grow.

Also avoid placing the beds too close to fences or hedges as it can steal sunlight. A small bonus tip is to create height near a possible kitchen entrance. That way, you are always close to the fresh ingredients and herbs when cooking.

Good soil and mud

The soil is important for the well-being of the plant. Therefore, make sure that you have a good and nutritious soil in your raised beds. You can buy ready-mixed hay beds in most garden stores. From time to time you will find that the soil in the beds sinks a little. Therefore, you can advantageously add a new layer of soil or compost soil and possibly a little fertilizer or similar every spring – it gives new nutrition to the plants.

Choice of plants for your raised beds

Many people associate vegetable growing with raised beds, but in fact you can grow almost anything in your beds. In principle, virtually all types of vegetables, herbs, summer flowers and perennials can grow in raised beds, but not large trees and shrubs. On the other hand, very slowly growing fruit trees and stemmed berry bushes can thrive in a raised bed. In many cases it can be an advantage to put plants in front of seeds, as it shortens the period from sowing to harvest.

Planting time

Raised bed gets warmer and drier faster after the winter’s humidity and cold, so the planting and sowing season starts earlier than in a normal garden. The time of planting depends on the type of plant.

Potatoes and radishes are some of the first things that can get into the soil, while corn and cucumber should not be sown until late May or early June. Recommendations for sowing time can usually be read on the back of the bag.

Plant and row spacing

When sowing and planting, first make sure that the soil is moist. To get the most out of your efforts, it is also important that you place seeds and plants at the right distance. Often one tends to sow too closely in hopes of maximizing yields, but in fact the opposite is the case. If in doubt, look at the bag or ask at the store where you bought your plants and seeds.

Irrigation is important

Raised beds will often require more water than when growing directly in the garden. Therefore, make sure that the crop gets enough water and do not dry out. The plants thrive best if the soil does not dry out completely. You best consider whether the beds need water by noticing if the soil is slightly moist.

Fertilizer of the soil

In addition to water, your plants must also be nourished. Fertilizer nourishes the plants and reduces the risk of pests and diseases. Therefore, be sure to fertilize the soil in the beds in the fall or spring. It can be composted from the garden if you have access to it, but you can also buy organic fertilizer, for example in nurseries or in DIY stores.

Protect against killer snails

Unfortunately, killer snails can easily slime up in the raised beds. If you want to prevent the snails from eating your crops, you can possibly choose a raised bed with a built-in snail edge. You can also put a special snail fence around the beds that helps keep the snails out.

 

 

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Article Source : https://www.alt.dk/bolig/hoejbede-i-haven

Written By : Pernille Lewinsky Kofoed