Raised beds are booming because they ensure high yields in the smallest of spaces. The sophisticated models are even suitable for balconies. There are a few things to consider when building. Filling and planting should also be well thought out so that the effort pays off later.

A raised bed makes work easier - even on the balcony

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. building instructions
  3. material
  4. Pay attention to what?
  5. Buying Tips
  6. Fill and plant
  7. Maintain a raised bed
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • A raised bed should be about 90cm high
    • You can easily build the balcony raised bed yourself from an old table, wooden boxes or a shelf
    • The correct crop rotation must also be observed on the balcony
    • Mulching protects the soil from drying out and weeds

    Instructions for building

    The construction of a raised bed for a balcony differs from constructions for the garden by legs. They raise the bed and ensure that the plants are not shaded by balcony railings. You can add castors to the feet for better mobility.

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    Wooden box on trestles

    Plant boxes made of cedar wood are ideal as raised beds. The wood is visually appealing and contains natural cedar oil, which protects against rot, mold and harmful insects. It is also light and sustainable. Choose boxes that are 30 centimeters deep. You can simply attach such planters to two wooden trestles to get a comfortable working height.

    Repurpose an old table

    If you have an old desk with a tabletop resting on a high frame, you can convert it into a raised bed. To ensure that varnished or treated wood does not release any toxic substances into the plant substrate, you should line the plant box with harmless foil to be on the safe side.

    What you need:

    • Tape measure, hammer, drill, (97.00€) wire cutter and jigsaw
    • short nails, close-meshed wire, drainage fleece
    • possibly foil to lay out
    • thin slats of cedar wood (about four centimeters wide and one centimeter thick)

    Disused table that is suitable for planting

    building instructions

    Remove the table top so that only the wooden frame including the feet remains. Turn the table over and cut the wire mesh to the dimensions of the wooden frame. The wire is attached to the table from below with small nails.

    Cut the slats to fit over the wire mesh as a frame and attach to the table. For better stability, crossbars are attached to the entire surface. Alternatively, you can cover the entire floor with slats. Turn the table over and cut the drainage mat to the size of the planter.

    Shelf with mini raised beds

    A plant shelf saves space and is practical

    If you already have an old bookshelf that is suitable for outdoor use, you can easily convert it into a vertical raised bed. The shelves are provided with surrounding side boards, so that a low planter is created on each level. Alternatively, you can build a suitable shelf out of Euro pallets and add shelves to it.

    Many disused pieces of furniture can be converted into a raised bed with a little creativity and craftsmanship.

    Small raised bed with cover

    You can build your own cover for each raised bed and convert the construction into a cold frame. For this you need old wooden planks, which you saw into two wedges. These wedges are mounted on the two shorter sides of the planter and serve as spacers for the roof.

    A wooden board is attached to the rear long side of the raised bed so that the sloping roof construction is closed to the rear. Place a double wall sheet on the resulting incline. This can easily be cut to the appropriate size with a cutter knife.

    To assemble the roof:

    1. Lay the tailored double-wall sheet between two frames made of wooden planks
    2. connect both frames with nails or screws
    3. Attach hinges to inner frame
    4. Attach the hinges to the back of the roof pad

    material

    The material used determines the longevity of the raised bed. Since weight plays a decisive role on the balcony, you should give preference to light materials.

    plastic

    These variants are particularly light and easy to clean. They are weatherproof and not expensive to buy. Assembly is easy and requires no tools. Many models have a look reminiscent of terracotta or wood. There are also space-saving and simple designs that can be covered with a thermal hood. This means that plastic raised beds can be used for cultivation.

    However, plastic models have ecological disadvantages compared to natural building materials because recycling is difficult. To avoid health risks, the plastic should be colourfast.

    metal

    Such designs have a long service life and an unusual design. Metal raised beds are reminiscent of futuristic scenarios. They require less maintenance than wooden models. Depending on the material used, rust protection is recommended. Metal conducts heat better than wood. This brings advantages for the cultivation and dangers for adult plants. In summer, you need to take care of optimal water supply and ventilation.

    • stainless steel: stainless, robust and aesthetic
    • corten steel: forms rust which protects the material from further corrosion.
    • aluminum: light, often with a zinc-aluminum coating

    wood

    Wooden beds are already ready to buy

    The natural raw material is renewable and does not pose any health risks if the wood is used untreated. It radiates naturalness and provides a rustic character. A raised bed made of solid wood is very heavy, which is why only thin wood models are suitable for the balcony. They are easier to switch over. In general, softwoods are better suited for the balcony than hardwoods because of their light weight.

    Soft wood is more susceptible to moisture and will weather more quickly without proper protection. Despite all protective measures, wood has the shortest longevity because it is susceptible to pests. You can also build a raised bed from old pallets, provided the wood does not contain any toxic substances.

    price category properties and special features
    jaw Cheap susceptible to moisture
    Spruce Cheap light, rots quickly
    larch expensive very weatherproof and durable
    douglas fir expensive Avoid ground contact
    Oak expensive heavy, very durable

    Other materials

    Bed constructions can be built from different materials. If the load-bearing capacity of the balcony allows, you can use disused concrete slabs, grass pavers or gabions. If you have to line the raised bed with foil, you should avoid using PVC. The material often contains toxic plasticizers that can be absorbed by the plants. EPDM foils made of natural rubber are more suitable.

    What to look out for with the DIY raised bed?

    The raised bed on the balcony is a self-contained living space that needs to be well prepared. Such constructions are used for several years without replacing the earth. It is therefore important that you take appropriate precautions and estimate the size correctly.

    size

    90 cm is a good height for a raised bed

    Raised beds are commercially available in standard sizes, with dimensions varying between 70 and 140 centimeters in width and between 70 and 90 centimeters in height. A height of 90 centimeters corresponds approximately to hip height. Such models ensure a back-friendly working posture. The width of the bed construction should not exceed your arm's length so that you can work comfortably and effortlessly. You are relatively flexible in length. You can adapt this to the available space on your balcony.

    How deep should the plant liner be?

    The depth of the plant insert should be between 30 and 50 centimeters. Shallow-rooted varieties develop their roots down to a depth of 20 centimeters. Since their roots grow in the upper soil layers, these plants need to be watered more frequently. Central roots need a depth of 50 centimeters.

    • Shallow roots: lettuce, onion, radish, spinach, celery, radish
    • Central roots: carrots, beans, kohlrabi, peas, peppers, cucumbers

    ideas and design options

    Raised beds with their own floor are suitable for the balcony. Such models can be designed flexibly. Raised beds on wheels are easy to move and offer storage space on the floor. A narrow raised bed that stands directly on the ground can be covered with wooden planks. Small gaps between the boards provide space for rakes and hanging pots.

    drainage

    Table raised beds have limited space to fill, so bulky stone drainage is suboptimal. In deeper constructions you can cover the floor with expanded clay (19.73€). The beads absorb excess water and release it back into the substrate when needed. If you equip the model with a water drain in the form of small holes on the bottom, rainwater can simply drain away. To avoid unsightly stains on the balcony, you should put a tub under it.

    geotextile

    Raised beds without drainage holes can be laid out with a special geotextile garden fleece (€107.71). The dense fiber structure stores the water and releases it slowly. If the substrate is too moist, the water can slowly diffuse through the wooden floor and evaporate on the outside.

    Buying Tips

    Stable, sufficiently high, weather-resistant and beautiful - all of this should be combined in a raised bed

    There is a wide range of raised beds for the balcony. Both Obi, Bauhaus, Dehner and Hornbach as well as Amazon and Ikea offer different models. Inexpensive raised beds are available from Aldi and Tchibo at the start of the season. If you are not yet familiar with this type of gardening, you can find out more about used products on Ebay and test the possibilities.

    Product selection:

    • Jewel: balcony and patio raised beds made from recycled plastic
    • Kubi: design raised bed made of stainless steel with vertical plants
    • Jumbo: raised beds made of wood, metal or plastic with plug-in systems
    • Landi: mobile raised beds and plant tables

    What should I pay attention to?

    A good raised bed should be stable and have some distance to the ground so that cold and frost cannot penetrate from the ground into the plant container. Size and material play an important role and determine the price. If you also want to use the raised bed as a cold frame, you should compare models with a special attachment.

    Since the substrate should be completely replaced after a few years, the model design is an important decision point. Plastic tubs are easy to clean. Raised beds, which are made up of a plug-in system, are also practical. With these models, individual elements can be removed, which makes soil replacement easier.

    Fill and plant

    In order to exploit the greatest possible potential of a raised bed, you should fill it properly. The soil you use is just as important as the choice of plants. If the raised bed has different layers of soil, a natural habitat is automatically created.

    digression

    Why it is warmer in the raised bed

    The temperature in a raised bed is up to eight degrees higher than in a flat bed. However, the natural decomposition processes cause a drastic increase in temperature in the substrate only for a short time. As soon as the material settles and the air is used up, no new oxygen can follow. Numerous microorganisms cannot continue to work under anaerobic conditions in the soil and slowly die off. However, a raised bed heats up faster from the outside in spring, since the large outer walls conduct the heat of the sun's rays into the interior.

    Conventional layering

    In a 50 centimeter high raised bed, the ground is covered with the remains of wood and shrub cuttings. The first layer is about ten centimeters high and is covered with a five centimeter thick layer of grass clippings. Then fill a ten centimeter thick layer with biodegradable green waste that has not yet decomposed. Another 25 centimeter layer of mature compost provides the plants with enough nutrients to grow. In higher raised beds, you can adjust the layer thickness accordingly.

    Experimental Stratification

    There are different ways to fill the raised bed. If you ensure a sufficient supply of nutrients, stratification plays a subordinate role. You can also experiment and cover the bottom of the raised bed with bark mulch. The plant liner is filled with structurally stable soil, which has been loosened up with lava split, coarse-grained sand or gravel. Also, mix some compost into the soil to meet the nutrient needs of the plants.

    What the filling has to do:

    • high water holding capacity
    • low settlement and compaction of the material
    • functioning habitat for microorganisms

    planting

    It is important that you plant the raised bed properly. In this way you fully utilize the resources and achieve high yields over several years. The filled raised bed is very nutritious and should be stocked with heavy-duty plants in the first few years. Medium eaters are planted in the following years. Weak feeders still thrive in raised beds in later years. A mixed culture is also ideal so that the plants are not attacked by pests.

    group main plant Good neighbors
    first and second year heavy feeder cauliflower Cucumber, Beetroot, Celery
    third to fourth year medium eater carrots Tomatoes, lettuce, onions
    fifth to seventh year weak feeder peas Herbs such as dill, fennel, radishes

    The correct crop rotation must also be observed on the balcony

    use heat generation

    You can also plant the raised bed according to the natural heat development, so that you benefit from high yields throughout the gardening season. The bed gets fuller as the year goes on, so you can harvest fresh vegetables or fruit throughout the season.

    Planting plan by month:

    • March to April: Spring plants such as arugula, parsley and radish
    • End of April: Add spring onions, leeks and onions
    • from May: plant out preferred vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and peppers
    • in August: autumn salads, kale, endives
    • September to October: Plant frost-resistant vegetables such as rocket, broccoli sprouts or celery

    tips

    If you have harvested everything before winter, you can introduce fresh nutrients into the soil through horn shavings.

    Maintain a raised bed

    Raised beds must be watered sufficiently, especially in summer, so that the substrate does not dry out. You can do without additional fertilizers, because the annual addition of compost and mulch supplies the substrate with nutrients.

    fill up the substrate

    Over the years, the substrate settles because the microorganisms consume the organic components and convert them into soil. You should therefore refill the raised bed with fresh compost as soon as the soil level has dropped. The entire substrate should be renewed after six to seven years.

    tips

    The used soil is ideal for the garden. Spread the substrate on vegetable and flower beds.

    mulching

    Mulching reduces watering and weeds

    This measure is particularly important in the raised bed, as the substrate dries out faster than in the flat bed. The cover also ensures that no unwanted herbs grow. Applied just before winter, the material protects the soil during the frosty season. In spring, the plants benefit from additional nutrients. Lawn clippings, wood fibers or finely cut plants such as nettles or comfrey are suitable as a mulch layer.

    digging up

    Raised beds are not dug over so that the stratification does not get messed up. In this way, a separate cosmos can develop in which natural processes run undisturbed. Before you plant the bed again in the following years, the top layer of soil should be slightly loosened.

    frequently asked Questions

    When should I create my raised bed?

    The ideal time is spring, as you can fill the raised bed with plants immediately after filling it. In autumn, a lot of material accumulates due to wood and lawn cutting measures, which can be filled into the raised bed.You can also grow this over the course of a year and refill whenever biodegradable material is available.

    Why is the substrate in the raised bed warmer?

    In the first few weeks after filling, microorganisms work and decompose the biological material. After about four weeks, the temperature drops rapidly. Then the oxygen is used up and the microorganisms can no longer live under anaerobic conditions. The fact that a raised bed is still warmer on the inside than the substrate in a flat bed is due to the external heating. The sun shines on the walls, which means that the substrate warms up faster.

    Which plants are suitable for the raised bed?

    In principle, both flowering plants and herbs as well as vegetables and fruit bushes are suitable for cultivation in raised beds. The choice of plants is limited by the climatic conditions in their region. You should also equip the plant liner with plants whose root length does not reach the ground.

    How important is layering in a raised bed?

    In the raised bed, different materials are layered on top of each other, as it is difficult to regulate the water balance and the plants should benefit from the nutrients in the decomposable organic waste. A temperature increase due to decomposition processes occurs only in the first few weeks. Therefore, the conventional stratification does not necessarily have to be retained.

Category:

Indoor plants