A How To Guide: Creating A Raised Garden Bed
There are plenty of reasons to choose a raised garden bed over a traditional garden. They maximize space, minimize weeds and prevent pests such as slugs and snails from infesting your crops. If you have limited mobility, having a raised bed also helps prevent unnecessary bending and stretching.
If you’re a beginner gardener or have simply never created a raised planter before, a 4 X 4 bed is a great size to start with. Planning ahead will give you an excellent idea of what you’ll be able to fit into your space. Kasian House offers a simple and free Raised Garden Planner to help your garden reach its fullest potential.
First, you’ll want to decide which plants you’d like to grow. Mapping your bed into square feet and knowing how many plants will fit into each square is an excellent way to get started. Here is a guide showing how many of a certain plant will fit into a square foot:
When deciding on a location for your raised garden, keep in mind that it should be near a water source with plenty of sunlight. Next, you’ll want to mix your soil. A mixture of compost, vermiculite, and peat is ideal and can be easily obtained at your local hardware store. If you decide to mix your own soil a great tip is to pour all of the components onto a tarp and have a friend help you by raising the opposite corner as you and shaking until all of the soil is mixed well.
Once you begin planting, note that taller plants should be on one side of the garden and shorter plants on the other in order to maximize sunlight exposure. Don’t forget to label your plants so you know what’s growing where, popsicle sticks are a cheap and easy way to do this.
As your vegetables begin to grow, don't forget to mulch your raised garden with straw, leaves, grass clippings or bark to help keep moisture from evaporating. Also, water you garden as close to the soil as possible. This will help avoid getting the leaves wet as wet leaves can cause blight and fungus.
The most tedious part of having a raised garden bed is getting it started. Once everything is in place all you have to do is maintain what you’ve created. Water properly and regularly, watch for insects or other inconsistencies and enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) or your labor when the time comes.
If you're looking for the perfect tools for your Raised Garden or any other gardening project check out Kasian House Garden Shop for accessories and tools to make the job easier.