Rise Up: Giving Plants The Chance To Thrive With Raised Beds
Posted on: 20 March 2016
If you are planting a garden this spring, it is important that you use a graded, level surface for your beds. This ensures seedlings the best chance to thrive in questionable soil. When the terrain is too rocky, or the soil is clay-like as is often the case in southern US regions, you may find that raised beds are the best environment for your plants to thrive.
Some things to know about raised garden beds include:
You can plant anything in a raised bed. Any plant will thrive and grow in a raised-garden bed, but it is important to ensure that your bed is deep enough. This is especially important when growing deep-rooted vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, or beets.
Give raised beds plenty of water. Raised garden beds are typically drier than a traditional garden, and they will require more frequent watering. You may find that using sprinklers set on timers reduces the time that you spend outside watering your beds with the garden hose.
Build your bed out of a number of materials. You probably have some materials lying around that would be fine for making a raised bed. The sides can be made out of wood, stone, or brick, but be wary of using plastic or pressure-treated wood. The jury is still out as to whether these materials pose a risk of putting toxic chemicals into your soil and the environment overall.
Deal with drainage first. Be sure to line your graded surface with a weed barrier cloth, and then weigh it down with aggregates to provide ample drainage. This could be gravel, sand, or some sort of drainage material that you find at a home improvement store.
Change the soil each year. The soil doesn't stay nourished and healthy year after year, so you may want to replace and re-fertilize it before planting next season. This is far easier in a raised bed than what this entails when planting in the ground. Dismantle your beds and begin the process from scratch for the best results and a most bountiful harvest.
Creating a level, graded surface is an integral part of preparing the soil for plants in the spring, and you may find that raised beds make this process a bit easier and more productive. Talk with landscapers or garden retailers, like those at JK Landscaping & Grading Inc, about the proper components for your raised garden beds, which will give your seedlings the chance to thrive and prosper.
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