Create a raised bed in 10 minutes: Instructions & Video

• Setting up and preparing the raised bed
• Filling the raised bed: How and with what?

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Building your own raised bed is too much work for you? We show how you can easily create your own raised bed in no time.

The raised bed is and will remain the trend of recent years. No wonder, after all, the raised bed has a number of advantages: Above all, the back and knee-friendly work is a great relief. At the same time, it offers the perfect conditions for growing vegetables. In addition, the raised bed can even be used in autumn or winter - this is possible with the help of a cold frame attachment. However, many shy away from setting up a raised bed because the construction and preparation is often tedious. But that doesn't have to be the case - we'll show you how to set up your raised bed quickly and easily.

The magic word for quick and easy construction is prefabricated raised beds. In the meantime, you can find the prefabricated raised beds in any well-stocked gardening store and buy them at a reasonable price. The selection of different models has also become huge. You can not only choose between different heights and sizes, but also between different materials and shapes: Round or square, wood, metal or plastic - here is the right raised bed solution for every garden.

Setting up and preparing the raised bed

Once you have decided on a raised bed, it only takes a few minutes to set it up and prepare it in the garden. In principle, you can set up the raised bed anywhere. However, if you want to cultivate certain plants, it makes sense to include their needs in the planning for the raised bed location. A place in full sun is recommended for Mediterranean herbs, while shade plants do not tolerate full sun. Once the bed has finally found its place, you should use a spirit level to check that it is level and correct any sloping position - once the bed has been filled, these blemishes can only be repaired with difficulty.

Now you can line your raised bed with foil. This makes particular sense with a raised bed made of wood, as the film prevents the wood from absorbing moisture from the bed and becoming rotten. Pond liner is best suited for this, because it is not only impermeable to water, but also extremely robust and tear-resistant. Lay out the foil in the raised bed and make sure that it reaches into the corners. Now you can staple the foil to the edge of the raised bed. You can carefully remove the excess foil with a carpet knife. Don't forget to cut holes in the foil at the bottom - this is the only way for excess rainwater to run off and there is no waterlogging.

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Now the raised bed is protected from moisture from the inside - but what about the outside? You should treat them generously with a wood stain. This protects the raised bed against the weather and keeps you loyal to it for longer. So that you can enjoy your raised bed for as long as possible, we recommend refreshing the glaze once a year (preferably in autumn).

Tip: An alternative to the raised bed - and similar to this one - is a no-dig bed. This is a bed in which no digging is necessary. You can find out exactly what this is all about and how you can create a no-dig bed in our special article.

Filling the raised bed: How and with what?

Selecting the right soil is particularly important for a raised bed to have a rich harvest. If you simply fill your raised bed with normal garden soil, you will quickly notice that your plants do not grow as splendidly as is usually the case in raised beds. In fact, different layers are created when filling the raised bed.

The bottom layer consists of coarse prunings that serve as drainage. This is followed by a layer of compost and a layer of garden soil, followed by the plant substrate. Of course, prunings and compost can come from your own garden. However, it is quicker and easier to buy special raised bed soil: This is available as a basic filling for good drainage, as raised bed compost and as raised bed soil and can be easily filled from sacks into the raised bed. You can then use high-quality garden or vegetable soil as a top layer, which gives the plants the best possible start in life.

Planting raised beds: procedure and suitable plants

Now you're spoiled for choice,which plants are allowed to move into the new raised bed. In order to use your bed optimally, it is advisable to create a plan beforehand. After the harvest in summer, the bed does not have to remain empty, because many plants can still thrive in the raised bed in autumn. In addition, a certain crop rotation of vegetables in the raised bed makes sense: While the nutrient concentration is very high in the first few years, it dwindles more and more over time. Heavy consumers like cabbage (Brassica), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) or leeks (Allium ampeloprasum) feel therefore particularly well in the first year. In the second year, on the other hand, medium feeders such as radishes (Raphanus sativus subsp. sativus), carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) or onions (Allium cepa) provide perfect conditions. In the third year, the weak eaters are finally content with the leftover nutrients - beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), peas (Pisum sativum) and herbs are here now home.

Even if you don't want to use your raised bed for vegetables but for beautiful flowers, it is advisable to proceed according to this scheme: In the first year, heavy consumers feel like chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum ) and geraniums (Pelargonium), followed by dahlias (Dahlia) and gloxinias (Sinningia) and begonias (Begonia) and primroses (Primula) are happy about the nutrient-poor soil in the third year.

You can find out which plants should definitely not be missing in your raised bed in our top 10 list.

Raised Bed in 10 Minutes: Summary

1. There is a wide range of prefabricated raised beds that can be set up quickly and easily
2. Find the right location for your raised bed
3. Check your raised bed is level
4. Pond liner protects the raised bed from weathering and can be easily attached with a stapler
5. Hole holes in the bottom of the film are a must: this is the only way for the water to drain off
6. A wood stain also protects the outside of the raised bed from the weather
7. Different layers of soil are important for the raised bed: drainage layer made of rough plant cuttings, compost, garden soil and plant substrate
8. You can also buy the different types of soil simply and easily in sacks
9. Create a planting plan for your garden: The first oneyear heavy feeder, then medium feeder and finally weak feeder

For more raised bed inspiration, visit our Pinterest page:

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