There are plenty of reasons to opt for a raised garden bed this season. Maybe you have knee or back problems, or maybe growing a garden on the ground hasn't been working for you. If that sounds like you, hold on. Before you buy a raised garden bed to see if optimal plant growth will be the result, you need to know what goes under it. Here's what to put on the bottom of a raised garden bed for your plants to thrive.
What to Put Under Raised Garden Beds
It all starts somewhere, and the bottom of every raised garden bed should have a barrier. We love burlap, but you could use stainless steel mesh, wise-mesh cloth, or landscaping fabric. That's your starter. Once you have your bed lined, next is picking the filler item for your garden.
The Go-To To Fill a Raised Garden Bed Is Soil
Nature's first choice works the best. Filling in the raised bed with nutritious, pure soil is the most popular way. If you were growing a garden right in the ground, you wouldn't think about using anything other than soil.
We know buying organic or special soil from a garden store gets expensive. If you can't budget to fill the entire bed with fresh soil, you could do a mix of things to bring down the cost.
Add Other Materials To A Raised Garden Bed
If you can't afford to buy bags of clean soil from the store, create another layer at the bottom of the bed. And this time, you can look around your yard for it. Look no further than the trees, as leaves make a great layer and addition to the ecosystem for plants to thrive.
Not having to leave your yard or spend money to get them is a nice bonus. We love using nature to nurture nature. The only leaves you want to try to avoid using are oak, beech, sweet chestnut, and holly, as these are low in calcium and nitrogen and high in lignin.
Try a Layer of Cardboard
We want to leave the weeds out of it. You may have seen expert gardeners covering areas with cardboard boxes at the start of the season. It's a great trick to keep weeds out of your garden. You want to put the cardboard down before adding the soil and know the cardboard will decompose in about four to six months.
You want to make sure the cardboard isn't heavily printed on, take off all tape pieces, is unwaxed, is the standard brown color, and doesn't have that shiny finish. So, start checking those boxes (especially during Christmas time) to find the right ones for the next gardening season.
What Not To Put Under Raised Garden Beds
We want to remind everyone to stay away from plastics when lining your garden bed. That means no plastic bags, cut-up plastic bottles, or any other plastic you could find around your house. Say no to those chemicals.
Raised garden beds offer more diversity for the gardener to create any bed shape or size. Before planning out your plant lineup, know what to put under a raised garden bed to get the most out of your plants this season.