How to Prepare Raised Garden Beds
There are many advantages to growing your garden in a raised garden bed. A raised bed can provide your garden with better drainage. It can even extend the life of your garden, as the soil in a raised bed will remain warmer than the soil in the ground. Raised garden beds take a bit of preparation.
Things You Will Need:
- Shovel
- Rake
- High-quality potting soil
- Compost
- Flower bed assembly kit
- Choose the location for your new raised flower bed. The location that you choose should be level and spacious. It should receive adequate amounts of sunlight each day.
- Purchase a flower bed assembly kit. These kits can be found at garden supply centers and nurseries. Flower beds can be created from wood, metal or plastic. Follow the building instructions that come with the kit to ensure proper assembly.
- Fill the raised flower bed with soil. Use a high-quality potting soil that is best suited for the types of plants that you intend to grow in the raised flower bed. It is a good idea to create a mixture of half potting soil and half compost in order to fertilize your soil and help your plants to grow. Allow a 1-inch gap between the soil and the top of the flower bed.
- Use a rake to smooth out the soil in the raised flower bed. Ensure that the compost and soil are well mixed prior to planting your flowers or vegetables.
- Plan your raised flower bed garden. Know the growing space requirements for the plants that you intend to grow and space the seeds or seedlings accordingly. If you are creating a mixed garden, arrange your plants thoughtfully so as to allow the plants to obtain optimal sunlight.