Install raised beds

Install raised beds

Install raised beds in the garden now and they’ll be primed and ready to plant once the season gets under way next month. Raised beds are great for vegetables but are also ideal for herbs and cut flowers.

Rasied Bed Gardening

They’re good for your plants, too. They hold all the nutrients in place, making the soil so rich you can really pack them to overflowing. And you’ll easily be able to reach into the centre without treading on the soil – so you’ll never have problems with compaction again. Raised beds are an ideal solution for poor drainage.

The easiest way to install a raised bed is by purchasing 2 lengths of planed timber, I would suggest 9" by 2". Cut 4' off the end of each 16' length which should leave you with 2 12' lengths and 2 4' lengths which can be screwed together to give you a good sized rectangular bed.

Install Raised Beds

Start by forking over an area of level ground, breaking up the existing soil. There’s no need to weed out annual weeds or grass, though remove perennial weeds by the roots. Assemble your raised bed and place it in position. Then fill with a mix of one part topsoil and one part soil improver or garden compost to about 2cm below the top. Your raised bed is now ready to plant!