Understanding How to Work in a Raised Garden Bed When you decide that you want to start doing your gardening in a raised garden bed, you should be sure that you understand how you are going to be successful. Raised garden beds can be a great way to garden and ensure that you have gardens that are accessible and easy to work with.
Location is Key First, you are going to want to make sure that you know where you are going to put your garden beds. Where you put your raised garden beds will influence what you are able to grow in the bed and you should be prepared for that effect and know how you are going to deal with it. You want to make sure that your raised bed with vegetables in it will get at least eight to ten hours of sunlight each day. If it is necessary, you may be able to get your bed by with only having six hours of sunlight shining on it throughout the day.
Size Things Up Second, you will want to consider the size of the plants that you are going to be putting in the beds. You want to ensure that each bed has enough space for the plants to fully mature and grow, this way you can be sure that you are not overcrowding the box. Planting a large tree in your raised garden bed is not going to be a good idea because there are a lot of people that do not realize that the roots will break through the walls of the bed. Taking time to find plants that are size appropriate will ensure that your bed is not too crowded. The plants should have enough room to spread out as far as they need to. This can be difficult to judge and, unfortunately, you may find that you are stuck dealing with plants that have grown more than you thought that they would when you were planting them in the box.
Plan Out the Future As you are maintaining your raised garden beds, you should be sure that you are watering them on a regular basis. Because the plants are not in the ground, the soil around them will dry up quicker than the plants that are in the ground, and require watering more consistently. Finding a way to install an irrigation system or even install a soaker hose will ensure that you are not spending too much time watering by hand. If you do not know how to make these installations, talk with other gardeners to see if there is anyone that is willing to help you. Being stuck watering that much can be difficult and you will want to find the best way that you can to avoid this process. If you end up watering by hand, you should make watering part of your daily routine so you can be sure that your plants do not dry out in the box. Take the time that you need to set your raised garden bed up for success. This way, you can reap the benefits of cultivating a successful garden. Photo Credit: Kuzeytac, Parvin