These are some of the tips I collected while making my first loft bed, and things I wish I had thought of beforehand.
Things to consider when preparing a raised bed garden
1. What is the size?
Loft beds are usually three to four feet wide and about six to eight feet long. This allows you to easily access the raised bed from the side for planting, digging and weeding without going into the garden where the soil may be compacted.
Preparing the Raised Bed Garden Preparing
6 Things to Consider Before Raising Bed Gardens
Comments by TaraNolan (98)
Are you planning to build and/or install a loft bed? I want to emphasize that the loft bed can be placed anywhere that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. They can be any size you like. For the purposes of this article, however, I'll be discussing standard rectangular loft beds, which are usually made from untreated, preserved wood or concrete blocks, and what you might want to consider when preparing a raised bed garden.
These are some of the tips I collected while making my first loft bed, and things I wish I had thought of beforehand.
Things to consider when preparing a raised bed garden
1. What is the size?
Loft beds are usually three to four feet wide and about six to eight feet long. This allows you to easily access the raised bed from the side for planting, digging and weeding without going into the garden where the soil may be compacted.
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Height is also important. If you're placing your raised bed on a hard surface (like a driveway) or hard soil, you'll want to make sure it's deep enough for plants (especially root vegetables like beets and carrots) to take root. If it's too shallow, the roots will dig into the subsoil (or hard surface) and hit a brick wall. I usually recommend at least 10 to 12 inches.
2. How do you choose the perfect location?
Location is everything when it comes to preparing a raised bed garden, but it doesn't have to be your backyard. Your loft bed can be placed in a sunny side yard, front yard or even a driveway.
If you have a slope and assess if the area drains well, then modifications are required. Here are some tips to help you plan where to place your loft bed.
3. How will you weed?
Good question, because this is a common question. If you've ever tried mowing and tending grass, you know it's a lot of work. The simpler method of weeding is to outline the space, cover with a layer of cardboard, and then cover with a layer of soil. The grass will decompose and voila! A new garden site. Doing this in the fall will make everything fall apart in the winter.
4. Want to install irrigation?
If you want to set up a full drip irrigation system with a line running from your faucet or rain barrel, you may want to do this before your raised bed area is finished and filled. That way, you can run the hose under paths or mulch and adjust where the hose connects to the irrigation system.
5. How much soil and what kind of soil is needed?
There are some handy soil calculators that can help you determine how much you need to fill a raised bed, such as this one from Gardener's Supply Company.
As far as soil type, I want to stress that when preparing a raised bed garden, buy the best quality soil you can afford. When I have multiple raised beds to fill, I order a triple mix from a local supplier (after discussing my options with them on the phone) and surface it with organic vegetable compost. I'd like to suggest keeping some stock in hand to replenish the loft bed throughout the seasons. If you would like more details on the best soil for raised beds follow this link.
6. Should you bet both sides?
When I was building my first two loft beds, one of the things I was hoping to do was install a couple of midpoint stakes to keep the beds from moving over time. This is one of my first raised bed tricks!
Not sure how many vegetables to grow per bed? Here are some illustrated 4×8 boss layouts you can use to determine vegetable plant placement and spacing.
