Bottom to top, here’s how to fill your raised garden beds efficiently.
Starting at the bottom of your raised garden bed, choose large materials like small hardwood logs and branches.
These materials disintegrate slowly, adding nitrogen and other nutrients over time.
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Consider lining the bottom of the bed with cardboard or newspaper to suppress weeds.
These materials compost rapidly and also support good water retention.
A mix of leaves, straw, aged animal manure, and partially decomposed compost are all good choices.
Dry material is better than wet, soggy, or compacted fillers.
Organically rich loam is the goal for the top layer.
Here’s where you might want to invest in commercial soils formulated specifically for raised garden beds.
Combinations might include aged compost, coconut coir, bat guano, green sand, or leaf mold.
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Root crops and plants with extensive root systems need a depth of 8 inches or more.
You’ll need this amount of quality potting soil on top.
Then subtract this number from the overall depth of your raised bed and divide by two.
For a 12-inch deep raised bed, mix materials for a bottom layer of 6 inches.
It’s okay to combine leaves, straw, and smaller leaves with a few larger logs and branches.
Use any of the materials listed above.
Top this with 6 inches of rich, loamy soil.
Use a rich, loamy soil mix for the top 6 to 10 inches.
Choose hardwood instead of rock.
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