With a raised bed, back pain after plant care is finally a thing of the past. In order for gardening at table height to become a successful project, it depends on the right filling. Compost soil plays a key role in this. Read here how to fill a raised bed in an exemplary manner.

Compost is an important part of the raised bed

Prepare the raised bed in a planned manner - this is how it works

Ready-made or self-made compost unfolds its full potential in the raised bed if important basic conditions prevail. It is important to protect the valuable humus from moisture and rot. Furthermore, voracious voles should be denied access to the raised bed. Last but not least, it is helpful for later filling if markings indicate the top edge of a layer. How to properly prepare your raised bed:

  • Line the bottom with close-meshed vole wire
  • Line the walls of the raised bed with bubble wrap or pond liner
  • Make a mark on the foil for each layer of filling

To protect against the effects of the weather and for a visual touch, you can glaze the outside of the raised bed walls in color. Please use a product with the 'Blue Angel' eco-label, especially if you grow vegetables and herbs.

Fill layer by layer - instructions for beginners

The filling in the raised bed does not follow a fixed plan, but gives the gardener plenty of scope for his own variations. The following composition has proven itself in gardening practice:

  • 1st layer (20 cm): coarse materials such as twigs, branches, rootstocks
  • 2nd layer (10-15 cm): chopped prunings, leaves and plant remains
  • 3rd layer (20 cm): half-ripe compost in the early rotting stage
  • 4th layer (30 cm): sieved, fine-grained compost soil

Please climb into the raised bed after each layer to tamp down the filling. The more compacted the lower layers, the less the compost will sag later.

Over the next three to five years, the organic matter at the bottom rots and turns into humus. Parallel to this process, the bed surface sinks and requires regular refilling with sifted compost.

tips

Compost soil dries out faster in a raised bed than with other types of use. Check the moisture content of the substrate regularly with a thumb test, especially in summer. When the surface has dried, water the top layer of soil evenly with a fine spray.

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Care tips