- What size is ideal for a raised bed?
- What is the best way to fill the raised bed?
- How can I best extend the gardening season with a raised bed?
- Can I also use a raised bed on the balcony?
A raised bed offers many advantages: you can garden comfortably standing up on the raised bed without any back pain, you save on fertilizing thanks to a compostable filling, and the heat generated in such a compost raised bed extends the gardening season all by itself.
Raised beds make harvesting much easier
What size is ideal for a raised bed?
In order for you to be able to work comfortably on the raised bed, it should be between 85 and 100 centimeters high, depending on your height - ideally the upper edge of the finished raised bed should be at about the level of the iliac crest. In terms of width, a raised bed that is accessible from both sides should not be wider than 120 meters. An arm's length to work on a bed area is estimated at about 60 to 70 centimeters.
What is the best way to fill the raised bed?
It all depends on what you want to plant in the raised bed. For vegetables, a classic compost raised bed is best, as it provides plenty of nutrients. However, since this sags quickly due to the rotting process, you should fill it in the fall, top up in the spring and keep it from sagging by constant mulching during the summer months. If the planting is perennial (e.g. fruit trees or shrubs), you should only fill in soil - and by no means do without good drainage!
How can I best extend the gardening season with a raised bed?
If you have set up a compost raised bed, you can cultivate it at least two to three weeks earlier or longer anyway thanks to the heat generated in both spring and autumn. If you also use a cold frame or greenhouse attachment, nothing stands in the way of unlimited gardening - even in winter there are still vegetables that you can cultivate without worrying.
Can I also use a raised bed on the balcony?
There are special balcony raised beds for the balcony, which are precisely tailored to the statics of the building - a normal compost raised bed cannot be set up here because it is simply too heavy. But raised table beds or boxes that have been used for other purposes (such as fruit and wine boxes) are also very suitable.
tips
No matter what material you use to build your raised bed, where it is and how you fill it: drainage and a functioning water drain are immensely important for successful gardening.