Information on Gardening in Raised Beds

Construction

• Build an elaborate raised garden bed from beautiful, natural stones or build a simple bed with retaining walls made of hay bales. Build the raised bed's retaining walls to a height of at least 6 inches to provide an adequate soil depth for plant roots. Loosen the existing soil another 6 to 18 inches to further aerate soil to encourage plants to root deeply. Fill the expanse between the top of the raised bed's walls and the natural soil level with manure or compost. Use a pitchfork to mix the new top soil into the natural soil below.

Planting

• Unlike planting depth---which remains constant between raised and ground-level gardening---you may change the suggested spacing measurements for garden vegetables. Plant seeds and transplants as close together as you desire or stick to density recommendations. However, if you decide to plant at a high density to enjoy an increased yield, you must hand-water two to three times daily. This increased watering is necessary to satisfy the numerous root systems competing for water.

Garden Maintenance

• Raised bed gardens drain water more quickly to prevent roots from drowning. Unfortunately, this increased drainage is not always a benefit; you need to hand-water raised bed gardens at least once per day to keep the soil's surface moist. Increased watering washes fertilizer from the soil more quickly, so you will have to apply fertilizer more often as well. Apply fertilizer per the packaged, dose recommendations, but apply as frequently as necessary, when plants begin to look wilted or stunted.

Considerations

• Apply mulch over the raised garden to reduce the necessary frequency of watering and fertilizing. Leave a gap around plant stems, measuring approximately 3 inches in diameter, to ensure water reaches plant roots through the mulch layer. The mulch helps the raised bed retain moisture, and nutrients from the compost leach down into the soil below, nourishing plant roots. Install an irrigation system to further reduce the frequency of hand watering.