Step 1:
Before you start filling, we recommend attaching a vole screen to the bottom of the Raised beds. The first layer of filling is then placed directly on the vole grid: tree cuttings, shrub cuttings and/or hedge cuttings - the so-called “wood core layer”. This loose layer creates a loose structure, keeping the raised bed accessible to beneficial soil creatures. The combination with the mouse protection grille is ideal for keeping unwanted visitors away at the same time. At the end of the first layer, approximately 5cm thick turned sod is used.
Step 2:
The bottom layer is followed by a second layer, about 20 cm thick, consisting of light compost, leaf cuttings and lawn clippings. When making compost from your own garden, it is advisable to ensure that you only use vegetable waste for composting and not leftover meat or fish in order not to attract vermin and avoid a strong smell. With a quick composter you can produce the highest quality compost in your garden, which is ideal for use anywhere in the garden.
Step 3:
The top layer of a properly filled raised bed is a layer of high quality soil. Either you take soil from your garden (e.g. the soil that you removed so that you could set up the raised bed) or you get organic black soil, for example. There is no need to add extra compost to the soil layer. The plants are then inserted into this top layer of soil. If you follow this procedure when filling your raised bed, you can expect bountiful, high-quality harvests for around 5 years.
What to fill the raised bed with?
Ambitious gardeners follow when filling the
Raised beds
the philosophy that your own garden already offers almost all the nutrients needed by subsequent plant generations. But even for less experienced gardeners, composting and soil improvement is very easy to do. In principle, you can use most natural garden waste in large quantities for filling. Only stubborn weed roots, such as those of dandelions or field bindweed, should not be mixed in. By recycling garden waste, you need less or no fertilizer and still have high yields. Garden waste that can be used well is:
- Tree and hedge trimmings
- shredded material
- Lawn clippings
- Plant care waste
- Cleaning up the beds after the harvest
- leaves
As the fill material sinks and compacts over time, it will eventually become necessary
raised bed
to refill. The most important reasons for a refill are:
- New material for the natural rotting processes
- Fresh supply of nutrients
- Re-layer as the layers will mix over time
- Use of the entire space in the raised bed
About that
raised bed Refilling is usually done using a rake to move the top layer of one half to the side. Then add light grass clippings, compost or animal manure. The earth is then pulled back onto its side and the same is done with the other side. This means that the filling is back to full height in the spring, new nutrients become available and the new material from the lower part of the
Raised beds
brings new heat from decomposition, which stimulates growth even better next year. So you can continue to look forward to a rich harvest.
If you do not have enough garden waste available or would like to purchase the individual components of the raised bed filling, then there is another option to fill the raised bed in 3 layers.
- Use various wood chips as the bottom layer. Fill a third of the Raised beds on with it.
- The second layer should ideally consist of naturally composted material. Alternatively, horse or cow dung can also be used.
- The third layer is to fill the raised bed with high-quality soil.
Disadvantages
- Due to the lack of protection at the bottom, the risk of voles and other pests entering the raised bed increases significantly
- The material used is not of the same high quality as organic material from your own garden.
Part of the filling can also be replaced with straw bales or similar filling material.
- Begin again to create the bottom layer of wood chips.
- Now place a layer of straw or straw bales on top of the first layer
- As in alternative 1, cow dung or horse manure is used as the penultimate layer.
- Top this with a layer of soil into which the plants are then placed.
Disadvantages
- Since the straw rots comparatively quickly, with this filling method it will probably be necessary to refill the raised bed every year.
This method is long-term and therefore requires a lot more time than previously mentioned alternatives. If you are in a hurry, you should opt for one of the above approaches.
- In this variant, the bottom layer of wood chips is created first.
- Now it will raised bed used as a composter for a year. Finally, before plants or seeds are planted, a layer of topsoil and a layer of potting soil should be added on top of the composting material.
Disadvantages
- This variant takes a relatively long time and is therefore not suitable for spontaneous filling.
As the fill material sinks and compacts over time, it will eventually become necessary
raised bed
to refill. The most important reasons for a refill are:
- New material for the natural rotting processes
- Fresh supply of nutrients
- Re-layer as the layers will mix over time
- Use of the entire space in the raised bed
About that raised bed Refilling is usually done using a rake to move the top layer of one half to the side. Then add light grass clippings, compost or animal manure. The earth is then pulled back onto its side and the same is done with the other side. This means that the filling is back to full height in the spring, new nutrients become available and the new material from the lower part of the Raised beds brings new heat from decomposition, which stimulates growth even better next year. So you can continue to look forward to a rich harvest.
