How to Create Raised Garden Beds The elevation of raised garden beds will vary according to each individual garden site.
You can create the height to suit your own taste and preference.
Just be sure to make the dimensions fit your gardening needs.
These beds should be of a height that makes maintenance and harvesting easy to do and the width should accommodate your reach.
While you can certainly make them from a number of different materials many individuals choose stones, wood or steel when they are constructing these new gardening sites.
The major challenge is making sure that these materials can be joined together in such a way that they will reliably hold the garden soil in place.
Steel Garden Beds Steel is one choice that you will discover provides a sturdy and safe perimeter for your raised garden beds.
These are designed to maintain their shape and the steel material will resist rusting when exposed to inclement weather conditions.
Gardeners are also happy to discover that steel garden beds are economical, easy to install and add a unique look to any outdoor setting.
Wood Construction If you should choose wooden timbers remember to avoid pressure treated varieties and railroad timbers.
Both of these types of wood have chemicals and toxins that can leach into your garden soil.
Arranging your Raised Garden Beds Most people will lay them out to created rectangles that are 2-3 feet in width.
The largest width of these types of beds should measure no more than 4 feet across.
A 2-4 foot distance means that you can have full access to any area of the bed whenever you are standing at the perimeter.
You will be able to handle all chores including removing any of the weeds no matter if they sprout at the edges or the center of these plant beds.
Measurement Considerations A depth of at least 12-18 inches of topsoil is the minimum amount of garden dirt that these raised garden beds should contain.
They can be designed to be deeper than this but should not be any shallower.
This depth will contain enough soil for the plants to develop strong root systems.
If you keep the pathways between the beds at a width of about 3 feet they provide ample walkway.
You will discover that this width will also allow you to comfortably move wheelbarrows and gardening carts from one bed to the next.
These paths can be covered with concrete, mulch or pebbles.
You can even create walking paths with a series of flat stones that are set into the ground.
Site Choice Choose the site for your raised garden beds very carefully.
You need to place them where they will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day.
Placing them in a north to south direction will enable the plants to get the full advantage of the sun's rays during the course of a day.
Weed Wisdom Always take steps to keep weeds from establishing a foothold from the very beginning when you are constructing these outdoor plant beds.
Placing a porous, fabric barrier along the interior base of each bed will help prevent weeds from sprouting through the new topsoil that fill the raised garden beds.
You also should use a barrier cloth or heavy mulch along the outer perimeter to prevent weeds and add more visual appeal to the bed sites.
Proper Watering Watering of your raised garden beds should be done on a very regular basis because the soil will dry out very quickly.
You can use soaker hoses for this chore.
Just place these hoses directly on the top of each bed and allow ample time for the watering to take place during each session.
Proper use of mulch as bed cover will also help conserve the water.
You can create the height to suit your own taste and preference.
Just be sure to make the dimensions fit your gardening needs.
These beds should be of a height that makes maintenance and harvesting easy to do and the width should accommodate your reach.
While you can certainly make them from a number of different materials many individuals choose stones, wood or steel when they are constructing these new gardening sites.
The major challenge is making sure that these materials can be joined together in such a way that they will reliably hold the garden soil in place.
Steel Garden Beds Steel is one choice that you will discover provides a sturdy and safe perimeter for your raised garden beds.
These are designed to maintain their shape and the steel material will resist rusting when exposed to inclement weather conditions.
Gardeners are also happy to discover that steel garden beds are economical, easy to install and add a unique look to any outdoor setting.
Wood Construction If you should choose wooden timbers remember to avoid pressure treated varieties and railroad timbers.
Both of these types of wood have chemicals and toxins that can leach into your garden soil.
Arranging your Raised Garden Beds Most people will lay them out to created rectangles that are 2-3 feet in width.
The largest width of these types of beds should measure no more than 4 feet across.
A 2-4 foot distance means that you can have full access to any area of the bed whenever you are standing at the perimeter.
You will be able to handle all chores including removing any of the weeds no matter if they sprout at the edges or the center of these plant beds.
Measurement Considerations A depth of at least 12-18 inches of topsoil is the minimum amount of garden dirt that these raised garden beds should contain.
They can be designed to be deeper than this but should not be any shallower.
This depth will contain enough soil for the plants to develop strong root systems.
If you keep the pathways between the beds at a width of about 3 feet they provide ample walkway.
You will discover that this width will also allow you to comfortably move wheelbarrows and gardening carts from one bed to the next.
These paths can be covered with concrete, mulch or pebbles.
You can even create walking paths with a series of flat stones that are set into the ground.
Site Choice Choose the site for your raised garden beds very carefully.
You need to place them where they will receive at least 6 hours of full sun each day.
Placing them in a north to south direction will enable the plants to get the full advantage of the sun's rays during the course of a day.
Weed Wisdom Always take steps to keep weeds from establishing a foothold from the very beginning when you are constructing these outdoor plant beds.
Placing a porous, fabric barrier along the interior base of each bed will help prevent weeds from sprouting through the new topsoil that fill the raised garden beds.
You also should use a barrier cloth or heavy mulch along the outer perimeter to prevent weeds and add more visual appeal to the bed sites.
Proper Watering Watering of your raised garden beds should be done on a very regular basis because the soil will dry out very quickly.
You can use soaker hoses for this chore.
Just place these hoses directly on the top of each bed and allow ample time for the watering to take place during each session.
Proper use of mulch as bed cover will also help conserve the water.
SHARE
