FLOWERS WORLD

Raised Beds
Raised beds help improve water drainage in heavy clay soils
or low-lying areas. Raised beds also bring the garden to a
height that is more workable for physically disabled or elderly
gardeners who cannot stoop or bend over to a flat garden bed.
Other advantages of raised beds include that they tend to warm
up earlier in the spring, which allows earlier planting. And once
the bed is constructed, foot traffic should not be necessary
in the bed, so the soil does not become compacted, and soil
preparation in the coming years is minimized.
Raising the soil just a few inches may be enough for some
gardens. No side support is needed for shallow beds less than
6 inches tall. For these smaller beds, prevent soil erosion from
water and wind by gently sloping the sides, making the top of
the bed slightly narrower than the base.
Deeper beds need wall supports to keep the bed intact.
Rot-resistant lumber, cinder blocks, bricks, or rock layers can
be used to support the sides of the bed. Beds deeper than 18
inches, particularly those built on poorly drained sites, may
require layers of drainage material at the bottom to ensure good
water drainage and to avoid compaction. Use crushed rock, pea
gravel, sand, or drainage tile if needed.
There is no standard size for a raised bed, but keep in
mind that you will want to reach everything in the bed without
stepping into it. A bed that will only be accessible from one side
should be no more than 2 feet wide, while a bed that can be
reached from both sides could be up to 4 feet wide.
As with container gardens, raised beds must have light, welldrained
growing media to provide proper aeration. Raised beds
can be improved by incorporating manure, compost, or other
organic materials as well as vermiculite or perlite. Commercial
potting soils or homemade mixes are ideal