- Cover the harvested raised bed with compost
- Winter protection for perennial plants in raised beds
- Raised bed gardening in winter: what grows in the cold season?
Winter is a quiet time for nature - and in the garden. The raised bed can also be covered over the cold season - or planted with winter vegetables such as leeks, broccoli sprouts and parsnips. This is made possible by the heat generated within a classic layered raised bed.
Covering with a layer of compost or brushwood is usually sufficient protection
Cover the harvested raised bed with compost
If you only grow annual vegetable crops on your raised bed, no special winter protection is necessary. Once the last plants have been harvested, apply a light mulch cover of semi-mature compost and then release the bed into hibernation. Open ground areas between fruit trees also receive such protection. Alternatively, you can also cover the bed with a dark film. This measure makes sense, as otherwise valuable nutrients will be washed out of the bed by the winter rainfall.
Winter protection for perennial plants in raised beds
Perennial plants that are sensitive to cold, such as herbs, ornamental plants or fruit trees, are completely covered with light-colored fleece or brushwood. Plants that are not absolutely winter-hardy, such as rosemary or artichokes, should be dug up and overwintered in a frost-free place in the house, basement or greenhouse.
Raised bed gardening in winter: what grows in the cold season?
But you don't have to do without gardening in the raised bed in winter either: almost winter-hardy crops such as winter spinach can be cultivated under the foil tunnel (€11.46). Sprouted broccoli, leeks and parsnips are also insensitive to cold and frost. However, with a winter crop, be sure to fully harvest the bed by February - then you need to gradually prepare it for the new season.
How to integrate a foil tunnel in the raised bed
Cold frames or greenhouse attachments for raised beds have proven their worth for growing vegetables during the cold season. The simplest variant, however, is a simple foil tunnel. To do this, insert several bent metal, wooden or plastic rods into the ground about 40 centimeters apart so that they span the narrow side. In a wooden raised bed, you can also attach eyelets to the inner sides and insert the rods for attachment there. Simply pull the white film over the bars and attach them to the side with stones, for example.
tips
If you also order the raised bed in winter, cover it with white fleece if snow is imminent. This makes harvesting easier for you later, because you can simply lift off the fleece together with the snow - and don't have to dig for your vegetables first.