Creating a raised bed: where, when, how?

Find out everything you need to know about creating your raised bed. Where and when should I set up my raised bed? How big should my raised bed be?

Your cultivation plan for an Alpine garden Reading Creating a raised bed: where, when, how? 5 minutes Next Season 2023: Fill your raised bed correctly

Creating a raised bed: where, when, how?

A raised bed makes gardening easier for young and old. Before you actually create a raised bed, there are a number of questions you should ask yourself. With a few simple tricks, you will not only enjoy bountiful harvests. Targeted considerations regarding location and filling can also make the management of the raised bed particularly efficient. Get the most important tips for the start of the 2023 season now!

What is the optimal location for my raised bed?

Ideally, the raised bed is in a place where the plants can get enough sunlight. However, it is not necessary that the location is illuminated directly by the sun from morning to night - even if that is the case raised bed If you spend a third of the day in the shade, you will be able to enjoy bountiful harvests. But the focus of the perfect location is not just on the plants, as a gardener you also want it to be as practical as possible. Be careful when creating the Raised beds therefore make sure it is easily accessible. It is also recommended if there is a water source nearby. This makes manual watering easier for you thanks to short distances. Even if you want to use irrigation systems, such as spray irrigation or drip irrigation, you will save yourself the trouble of laying a long hose if you plan well in advance where you will place your raised beds.

What are the appropriate dimensions for my raised bed?

When creating one Raised beds Of course, the right height and size are also crucial. The raised bed is approximately at the right height when the top edge is at the height of your pool. If several people with very different heights want to take part in the management, it may make sense to have two different ones Raised beds of different heights. This means that working is equally back-friendly for everyone. The size of the cultivated area should depend on the number of people who will be provided with the crops.

When should I create my raised bed?

Optimally, one will be raised bed laid out in autumn for use from the following spring. The filling of the Raised beds But in principle it can also happen just before planting. What speaks for filling in autumn?

Stuffing can settle over the winter
Sufficient garden waste available
Longer composting of the contents

If there is only a short time gap between planting and planting small seedlings, it can happen that young roots are damaged and the growth of the plants cannot proceed undisturbed.

The raised bed Planting in the fall also has the advantage that you can usually find more than enough suitable garden waste in your own garden, which can be used as filling material for the layers of the Raised beds are suitable. In this way, you continue to utilize the natural nutrients in your garden.

The natural rotting processes inside the raised bed can begin over the winter. This means that a particularly nutrient-rich environment is already available for the plants at the time of planting.

How do I create a raised bed?

It is important to first ensure that raised bed placed in a flat place. The surface should have as little slope as possible so that the filling does not only settle on one side over time. However, a slight angle of inclination of the floor is not a problem.

Whether you do that raised bed Place it directly on the ground (for example in an existing bed) or on a stone surface, such as a terrace, is up to your taste and the possibilities of your garden. Both are possible without any problems. Raised beds also work well on a gravel bed.

When creating the Raised beds on soil, you should pay special attention to protection against pests. First of all, it is therefore advisable to install a vole screen and/or a mole cricket screen at the bottom of the raised bed. If you prefer a stone base or terrace, the stone forms a natural barrier against intruders from below and there is no need to install a protective grille. The raised bed can also be placed on exposed concrete slabs. These offer gardeners a firm foothold around the raised bed, but do not completely isolate the interior from the soil. In this case, we again recommend installing a protective grille.

After assembling and setting up the Raised beds it's time for proper filling. You can read exactly how this works in our article on the right raised bed