Whether you ’re building a fresh raised garden seam or maintaining an old one , avoid these vulgar fault .
Marion Brenner
install araised bed gardencan expand your growing blank and let you to develop veggies , herb , and bloom even if your grunge is badly drain or packed with clay and rocks . But if raised gardens are n’t built decent or managed in the good way , they can beplagued with weeds , pestis , and other problems . Whether you ’re creating a newfangled raised bottom or pull off an existing garden , here are 10 common raised bedgardening mistakesto annul if you want your plants to prosper .
Credit:Marion Brenner
1. Growing in the Wrong Location
One of the best things about raise bed horticulture is that it permit you to garden on top of paved surface and in other areas where you unremarkably would n’t be capable to grow plants . However , if you pose a raised garden in a location that does n’t receive enough Dominicus or that ’s prostrate to flooding and drainage problems , your plants are likely to fail . commend , most edible plants need at least6 to 8 hour of burnished lightper day .
2. Using the Wrong Materials
Raised bed frames can be construct out of untreated wood , startle steel , stones , and other material . But if you desire to keep edible flora in your raised seam , it ’s important to steer decipherable of treated timber and other building supplies that are n’t good for intellectual nourishment gardens . enkindle bed soma made from untreated , pine ledger board can be a great alternative if you want to make a DIY bed on a budget .
3. Making Beds Too Big or Small
Creating massive raised bed that hold lots of plants , or shallow layer that are well-off on your wallet may vocalize like a good musical theme . But oversized bottom can be difficult to maintain and beds that are too lowly can lead to stunted plant growth and other issues . While the recommended length and deepness of raised layer will motley depending on the types of plants you ’d like develop , keep raised beds under 4 feet wide should make weeding well-to-do .
4. Using Poor Quality Soil
Many gardeners are influence to fill up enkindle beds with soil directly from their garden . But unfortunately garden soil is quite dense , and using it in raised bed can extend to land densification and drainage problems . For better resultant role , fill up raised beds with a store - buy stir bed stain mix or make your own DIY raised bed soil with 1 part topsoil and 1 partcompost or other organic matter .
5. Growing the Wrong Plants
Most of our preferent veggie and herb , as well as rough-cut repeated and annual bloom , can be grow in enhance beds . However , big industrial plant with large root systems — likecorn , rhubarb , and artichoke plant — are often too big for raised bottom gardening and they can be particularly problematical if your fire bed is located on a paved aerofoil that inhibit the downward growing of roots . Beds that are at least 12 inches deepare suitable for most edible plants , including origin vegetable , while shallower raised beds are only recommended for shallow - rooted crops likelettuceand some herbs .
6. Letting Weeds Creep In
Although weeds are usually less problematical in raised seam than in - ground gardens , weed can still invade raise garden if you ’re not thrifty . Addingweed roadblock , like composition board or kraft theme , to the bottom of raised beds should keep some weeds down , but you ’ll still necessitate to pass pull weeds regularly throughout the season . you could also do weedy issues by keeping your dirt covered withcover cropsornatural mulches , like straw or wood chip .
7. Overcrowding Plants
8. Not Replenishing Soil
grueling eating plant and harsh weather take their cost on garden soil and can cause raised garden to become alimental deficient over time . If poor soils are n’t replenished , it can lead to plant nourishing deficiencies and increase the need for fertilizers that are prone to leach . The honest news is that you keep rear bedsoil rich and healthyand reduce the need for fertilizers by build your soil , from the top down , with an yearly software of compost or cured manure .
9. Overwatering or Underwatering
call forth beds mostly debilitate quicker than in - ground gardens and you’re able to terminate up with parch soil and droop plants if you do n’t stick around to a regular watering agenda . However , overwatering can also come in raised beds if you irrigate too often or if your beds are put in in apoorly debilitate surface area . To check your plants welcome the right amount of water , only water when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feel teetotal , and practise drainage holes near the base of raised beds if they ’re install on top of a paved or other poorly draining aerofoil .
10. Forgetting About Pests
There ’s a common misconception that growing plants in raised beds keep blighter away . But while it ’s true that pest are often less problematical in raised beds , voles can still tunnel into raised gardens and nibble on plant root , and soil - consist louse can build up in stain and make ongoing issues for nurseryman . Luckily , you canreduce vole issuesby installing ironware fabric across the floor of raised beds and limit the spreadhead of pest worm with organic growing techniques , like harvest rotation andcompanion planting .
Building multiple raised beds take a shit harvest rotation easier , but you’re able to also circumvolve crops between dissimilar zones of your garden if you ’re working with a exclusive elevate bed .
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/safety-materials-used-building-raised-beds/
