The time has finally come: the sun sends its first warming rays onto the earth, snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and other early bloomers stick their heads out of the ground and announce the approach of spring. Now it's time to prepare the garden - and thus also the raised bed - for planting.

Raised bed work begins in March

Optimal preparation takes place in autumn

The optimal preparation for the new planting season, especially for raised vegetable beds, begins in the previous autumn. This is especially true when it comes to a compost raised bed. This has to be filled continuously because it sags a lot over the months due to the rotting process. For this reason, it is best to proceed as follows in autumn:

  • Clear the harvested raised bed.
  • Remove about 10 to 15 centimeters of the top layer of soil.
  • Remove plant debris such as rootstock and weeds.
  • Fill the raised bed with garden waste and other compostable material as the fall progresses.
  • Crush this before filling so that it rots faster.
  • Sprinkle thin layers of fine, mature compost between each layer of waste.
  • Cover the raised bed when the first frost begins.
  • Mulch material, for example, but also spruce or fir branches are suitable for this.

Work in the raised bed in the spring

Prepared in this way, let the raised bed rest until March. As soon as it gets warmer, remove the covering layer of twigs and/or mulch (€239.00) and any weeds that have grown back in the raised bed. Now fill in a fresh layer of mature, fine compost or good potting soil. You can mix them with horn shavings (€32.93) to enrich them with nutrients. This layer should be at least 15 to 20 centimeters thick. If the raised bed has sagged significantly more, this layer of plants can also be thicker.

Which vegetables you can put in the bed now

You can then start planting the raised bed: With a cold frame or greenhouse attachment, the first plantings of early, frost-resistant vegetables are possible as early as February. These include, for example, early radishes, carrots, parsnips as well as early leafy vegetables and salads such as spinach and some lettuce. When choosing a variety, pay attention to the time information: The seeds should be ready to be sown outdoors between February and March and should therefore be resistant to frost.

tips

Water the raised bed thoroughly several times in autumn so that the freshly filled waste silts up and composts more quickly. Watering also ensures that any cavities are closed.

Category:

Vegetable garden