How to Prepare Raised Beds for Planting

Raised beds are convenient and popular with gardeners for many reasons. From a plant's perspective, raised garden beds improve soil drainage and reduce soil compaction. In traditional garden beds, placing your hands or feet on the soil while weeding or harvesting compresses the soil around the plant's roots, adding stress. Raised gardens also allow easier management of the garden, since you can access the raised bed from all sides. Raised beds make it easier for elderly or wheelchair gardeners to maintain a garden. When preparing your raised bed for planting, you'll need to amend the soil.

Shovel
Garden gloves
Potting soil
Sand
Compost

Instructions

- 1
  Position the raised bed in a level spot that receives the light required for your plants. An uneven bed will provide some plants with too much water and leave others dry. Since most plants need lots of sun, your raised bed will probably command a sunny spot.
- 2
  Prepare the soil mix for the raised bed. Use potting soil from a garden supply shop or amend your home soil. If you're using home soil, conduct a pH test to determine what types of nutrients the soil needs. A good guideline is 1 part home soil combined with 1 1/2 parts of both sand and compost. This provides a well-draining, yet rich, soil.
- 3
  Fill the garden bed with the soil mix. If any soil remains in the bed from the prior year, turn it over with a shovel or pitchfork to aerate it. Remove any weeds, rocks or sticks that you find in the soil. If using old soil, plant different crops this year. Crop rotation prevents pests and disease from attacking your garden.
- 4
  Determine the proper planting time for the garden. If you are planting from seed, your seed packet will have a chart containing planting information for your growing region. Wait for an overcast day and sow the seeds directly into the bed at the appropriate planting depth.

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