Raised beds not only make the usual gardening work easier because of their practical and back-friendly height, but they also hardly require any other complex measures.

Spring is planting time

Spring: Time to plant and sow

The gardening year usually begins as soon as the ground is no longer frozen. In a raised bed, however, you can start the growing season much earlier, since the plants receive enough heat from below, at least in a classic compost raised bed. A cold frame attachment also protects against the unearthly cold.

hoeing and weeding

Regular hoeing and weeding as well as loosening the potting soil between planted crops are just as necessary and important on a raised bed as on a conventional soil bed.

mulching

Open ground areas between the plants should be mulched, i. H. cover the soil about one to three centimeters high with dried grass clippings, straw or chopped hay. In this way you suppress unwanted weeds on the one hand, and on the other hand you get a loose soil structure and protect the soil from drying out. In the case of a raised compost bed, continuous mulching also prevents the bed from suddenly sagging. Only mulch in thin layers and never with damp material - this promotes the colonization of fungi on the one hand and attracts snails on the other. Instead, refill the mulching material regularly.

Fertilize

The fertilization of vegetable crops is not necessary, at least on a conventionally layered raised bed. If you regularly renew the inner workings every six years at the latest, it will stay that way. If, on the other hand, you just fill up garden soil at the top as soon as the bed sinks or the raised bed is only filled with soil anyway, you have to fertilize it like normal soil beds.

Summer: watering and harvesting

In addition to the usual care measures, watering is the main focus of raised beds in summer. Because of the elevated position, the higher temperatures and the drainage layer inside, they usually have a higher water requirement than flat beds. Water raised beds plentifully and regularly in summer, this is especially true for crops that need a lot of water, such as tomatoes or pumpkins.

Autumn: Create and renew raised beds

Autumn is the perfect time to create or set up a raised bed. Only the digging, which is often common on soil beds with heavy soil, is not necessary.

Winter: Frost protection and cultivation of winter vegetables

In winter, an unplanted raised bed should also be covered with mulch material (e.g. compost and manure) to prevent drying out and the loss of nutrients. Winter-hardy vegetables such as winter spinach can be cultivated and harvested under a foil tunnel (€11.46).

tips

In the case of wooden raised beds in very sun-exposed locations, a white or light coat of paint or an appropriate covering of the outer walls of the bed helps to prevent excessive drying out. A simple watering system (€32.95) is also quick to install: fill PET bottles with water and place them upside down in the bed. They can be refilled again and again, so that the bed can be left to itself for a day or two.

Category:

Vegetable garden