A compost raised bed can be used on average for about seven to ten years before it has to be completely refilled. However, the first refilling is already necessary in the second year, since the bed contents have already sunk by up to 30 centimeters due to the planting in the first year and the rotting process.
In the second year, heavy to medium-draining plants can be grown in raised beds
Fill up the compost raised bed in autumn
It is best to start filling up the raised bed after the autumn harvest in the first year: Remove the top layer of soil together with all plant remains and rootstocks and fill the space that has now been freed up with compostable garden and kitchen waste that has been chopped up as small as possible. Spread only a thin layer at a time, which you in turn cover with an equally thin layer of coarse compost. You can do this again and again throughout autumn until you cover the raised bed with mulch material, spruce and fir branches and/or garden fleece from around November / December - i.e. before the first frost. This ensures that the bed does not dry out over the winter and its contents can be composted all the better.
Plant the raised bed in the second year
From around the beginning to mid-March of the second year, cover the raised bed again and fill in a fresh layer of potting soil mixed with horn shavings (€32.93). You can also use fine, mature compost from your own production for this purpose, but in this case it is better to carry out a germination test. You can then sow or plant out the first hardy vegetable plants. Spinach, early radishes or early carrots are suitable for this. Otherwise, in the second year, the raised bed is mainly occupied by plants that consume a lot, since the available nutrients are still very high. The following are particularly suitable for this:
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- cucumbers
- paprika
- eggplants
- potatoes
- pumpkin
- celery root
You should not put lettuce in the bed at this point, because although they grow excellently due to the overabundance of nutrients, they also accumulate a lot of harmful nitrate in the leaves. These should only be planted in the raised bed from the fourth year.
tips
You don't have to create a compost raised bed for pure raised beds for lettuce. Instead, such a bed box can also be easily filled with commercially available potting soil, which is very suitable for salads.