6 Steps to Get Started with a Raised Bed Garden

You may not have the space or energy to create a traditional garden. No worries. Raised bed gardens are excellent for a number of reasons.

First of all, they are easier to care for. Those that have joint problems also find that they are more accessible. You can even have a raised bed garden on a porch or patio, if you don’t have a yard.

If you’re excited about gardening, keep reading to find out how to get started with a raised bed garden.

Choose the Right Soil and Fertilizer

You want to choose a potting soil that is good for raised beds. You also want to work in fertilizer in the beginning so that your plants are off to a good start. You can find potting soil that already has fertilizer in it to make things even easier.

Pick the Right Location

You want a location that gets plenty of sun and has easy access to water. The last thing you want to do is place your garden in an area your water hose can’t reach. It will get old really fast if you have to carry a watering can back and forth multiple times.

You need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for your garden to thrive.

Select Plants That Do Well in Raised Beds

You want to choose plants that will thrive in raised beds. Some of the best options are root vegetables, leafy greens, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. Herbs are also a great option.

Do not plant potatoes in your raised bed garden (since it needs more room for its roots) or corn (since its size will make it difficult to harvest).

You also want to pair plants together that need the same amount of water.  If you put two plants together that need completely different amounts of water, one of them will not do well at all.

Wait Until After the Last Frost to Plant

You never want to plant your plants too early. A hard frost can easily kill your plants. The only exception are plants that are hardy enough to handle the cold, such as snow peas. For best results though, wait until the last frost.

Water Properly

You don’t want to over water your plants. Doing so will kill them. The soil should be moist to the touch but not water logged.  You can stick your finger down about 3 inches into the soil (to the root zone), and it should feel lightly damp.

It’s a good idea to allow the soil to dry out in between waters. If you notice the leaves of your plants turning yellow, you’re over watering.

Keep Pests Away

Last, but not least, take the time to pest proof your raised bed garden. Add pinwheels to scare birds away. You can add fake snakes and a decoy owl to scare mice. A shallow dish with beer in the bottom words as a great trap for slugs. You can also put a ring of salt around your garden bed to prevent slugs.

Raised bed gardens can be so much easier than a traditional garden. Even if you have a tiny yard, you can do a multi-level garden bed to grow a variety of plants and herbs.