Raised beds are on the rise. After setting up, it's time to fill up. But putting on the different layers correctly is not easy.
Raised beds offer a number of other advantages besides being convenient and rear-friendly for gardening: they are difficult for snails to reach, they can also allow us to grow vegetables in places with less fertile soil, and they make it easier for us to keep weeds at bay. Due to the heat that is generated when the filling material rots and due to the side exposure to the sun, harvesting in raised beds can be earlier and more productive. Success and yield are closely related to the contents of the raised bed and are therefore in your hands. We will show you what you need to consider when filling and refilling your raised bed and how you can avoid mistakes.
Filling the raised bed: the layers at a glance
Regardless of whether the raised bed is made of wood, stone or any other material, it should be made of certain materials after filling with different layers of raised beds. In this way, optimal growth conditions are created for the plants. The bottom layer (about 30 cm) serves as drainage so that water does not accumulate in the bed. Coarse materials such as branches and twigs, stones and wood chips are well suited for this. Existing cavities allow water to drain off better and provide soil organisms with enough oxygen.
Another 20 to 30 cm of slightly finer material such as leaves, grass clippings, sods, green kitchen waste or, if necessary, topsoil are then layered on top of this drainage layer. For example, if you want to fill a balcony raised bed and do not have the materials described yourself, you can either ask the garden owner about it or simply buy ready-made “filling material” for raised beds online.
There is almost no way to prevent the organic fill material in a raised bed from shrinking over time. The warm, humid environment of the raised bed leads to rapid rotting and very fertile soil. But rotting is always associated with a loss of organic material, which is why the bed surface settles naturally over time. Especially if you only fill the bed in spring, you should consider the following measures to avoid a crop failure due to a shrinking raised bed:
Tip: Before you fill the raised bed, you should first determine the right raised bed location. We'll help you choose the right location.
You want a raised bed in your gardeninvest? In our article, we will show you how to create a raised bed in 10 minutes.
For more raised bed inspiration, visit our Pinterest page: