Great Soil Recipe And Raised Bed Gardening Advice
When you've finished building your raised bed either from a kit or from scratch, you'll be ready to start raised bed gardening. Though your chosen spot might be looking a little empty right now, there are plenty of things you can do to populate your garden with beautiful plants and make sure that those plants stay alive for a long time.
Using proper soil, watering carefully and maintaining your garden to prevent disease and weeds will do a lot to keep your garden looking fresh and clean.
Watch The pH Levels Of Your Soil
Many soil mixtures exist for the budget conscious consumer, but the one I've had the best success with follows this simple recipe: one quarter yard soil mixed with a combination of compost and sand. This will kickstart growth in the bed and provide plenty of sustenance. Monitor your pH levels. If they're too high, nothing will grow.
Minimize Weeds
The configuration of your raised bed garden on a physical level should be enough to ward off weeds, but if some start to get in, don't take it too hard. Simply drop some organic mulch over the top and use weed guarding items. If, after this step, weeds still insist on coming back, you can remove them by hand. It's not overly difficult. Put some more mulch on top to block them from sunlight. This is an ongoing battle, so you're going to see good and bad days.
Water The Appropriate Amounts
If you're unsure of what to do for water, it's best to go manually. This way, you can direct the water exactly where you want it: at the base of the plants themselves rather than the surrounding dirt. Irrigation systems can come in handy if you've got the money, as their drip technology will keep your plants at a more optimum water level than you could hope for doing it by hand. Overhead watering is the only real no-no, as it will leave too much moisture and leave plants susceptible to disease.
Simple To Maintain
Raised bed gardening is particularly attractive to busy people because they require precious little in the way of real maintenance. If yours is made of brick and mortar, go out and kick it every now and then to make sure it won't fall over, and that's about it. Make sure to water your plants and turn the soil over periodically. Add in a little organic material here and there.
If the garden starts to pick up disease, empty your garden immediately and put in brand new soil for your plants. On a physical level, if your bed is built from bricks, make sure you check to make sure it's still steady to prevent anything falling.
The low maintenance may be a strong factor in choosing raised bed gardening over other options, but let's face it: raised bed gardens look beautiful and can add a set piece to your yard that will start the neighbors talking. For such a small investment, how can it not be worth it?
Building raised garden beds isn't as difficult as you'd think, and there's very little maintenance once you're finished. Having proper tips for soil and plants will help. Keep in mind all the veggies you can produce and the pure delight of having reaised garden beds, no reason not to start today! buy your kits from reliable sellers for quality products.
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