When starting a new raised bed, it can be difficult to determine what to fill it with without breaking the bank. With the right combination of materials, however, it is possible to create a nutrient-rich environment for plants to thrive in. In a recent experiment, the speaker tested various raised bed soil combinations and found a cost-effective solution that has worked well for them.
To begin, the speaker recommends using a landscape fabric to prevent weeds from growing in the walkways between raised beds. However, they advise against lining the bottom of the raised bed with the fabric, as it can prevent plant roots from accessing the soil underneath. Instead, the speaker suggests using cardboard boxes to line the bed, which will break down over time and serve as a temporary barrier against weeds. From there, the speaker recommends utilizing organic material, such as pine cones, sticks, and dead garden matter, to add bulk to the raised bed and provide nourishment for plants throughout the season.
Key Takeaways
- Use landscape fabric to prevent weeds in walkways, but not in raised beds
- Line the bottom of raised beds with cardboard boxes to prevent weeds and allow plant roots to access soil
- Incorporate organic material, such as pine cones and dead garden matter, to add bulk and nourishment to the soil.
Setting Up Raised Beds
When setting up a raised bed, it is important to consider the type of soil that will be used. Raised beds allow for more control over the soil content, which can lead to better harvests. However, filling the beds with soil can be expensive.
To save on costs, it is recommended to use a combination of organic matter and soil. The organic matter can come from a variety of sources, such as cardboard boxes, pine cones, sticks, and dead plant material. These materials serve as a barrier against weeds and grass, and also break down over time to provide nourishment for the plants.
It is important to note that if planting perennial crops, caution should be taken when using organic matter on the bottom of the bed. As the material breaks down, the soil level can drop, making it difficult to maintain the proper soil level for perennial crops.
When setting up the bed, it is recommended to use landscape fabric around the walkways to prevent weeds, but to avoid lining the bottom of the bed with it. Instead, use cardboard boxes or other organic matter to serve as a temporary barrier against weeds and grass.
Another cost-saving tip is to use the hugelkultur method, which involves filling the bottom half of the bed with organic matter and using soil only on the top half. This method can also help to improve soil quality and reduce water usage.
Overall, setting up a raised bed requires careful consideration of the soil content and materials used. By using a combination of organic matter and soil, it is possible to create a cost-effective and productive raised bed garden.
Choosing the Right Landscape Fabric
When filling a raised bed, it is important to choose the right landscape fabric. The speaker in the video recommends using a thicker landscape fabric for walkways between beds to control weeds. However, inside the beds, the speaker did not line the bottom with landscape fabric to allow plant roots to access the soil underneath. Instead, the speaker used repurposed cardboard boxes to serve as a barrier against bermuda grass and other weeds.
The speaker also suggests using organic matter to fill the bottom half of the raised bed to cut down on soil costs. This method is borrowed from hugelkultur, where the organic matter will eventually break down into the soil. The speaker used a variety of organic matter such as blueberry bush trimmings, pine cones, and sticks to add bulk to the raised bed.
It is important to note that using too much organic material may cause the soil level to drop too much, making it difficult to top off the bed when planting perennial crops like asparagus or herbs. Therefore, the speaker recommends caution when using organic material for perennial crops.
In summary, when choosing landscape fabric for raised beds, use thicker fabric for walkways and avoid lining the bottom of the bed to allow plant roots to access the soil. To cut down on soil costs, use organic matter to fill the bottom half of the bed, but be cautious when planting perennial crops.
Using Cardboard Boxes for Lining
When starting a new raised bed, one may wonder what to fill it with. It can get pretty expensive quickly, but there are ways to fill it economically. One way is to use cardboard boxes for lining. The speaker in the video repurposes the containers of Birdies raised bed boxes, but any cardboard boxes can be used.
Cardboard boxes serve as a barrier against weeds and grass, and they will eventually break down into the soil, making it a temporary barrier. The speaker did not line the bottom of the raised bed with landscape fabric because they want the plant’s roots to access the soil underneath.
The speaker lines the bottom of the raised bed with cardboard boxes to cut down on weeds and grass creeping through. This method is particularly useful when dealing with Bermuda grass. The speaker focuses on two beds, which are 18 inches tall, and they borrow from the hugelkultur method to fill them economically.
The speaker lines the top or the bottom nine inches of the bed with organic matter, such as trimmings from blueberry bushes, pine cones, sticks, and anything they can find on their property. They caution against using too much organic material if planting any perennial herbs or crops in the raised bed because the soil level will drop too much.
The speaker recommends using whatever organic matter is available on the property to fill the bottom of the raised bed because the bottom is just filler. Most of the crops’ roots will be in the top six to eight inches of soil, so the bottom only serves as nourishment for the crops during the season.
Filling the Raised Beds
When starting a new raised bed, it is important to consider what to fill it with. The speaker in the video has found that using a combination of organic matter has worked well for her and has been the least expensive option.
To begin filling the raised bed, the speaker first lays down landscape fabric around the walkways in between the beds to help keep weeds down. However, inside the beds, she does not line the bottom with landscape fabric to allow plant roots to access the soil underneath. Instead, she lines it with cardboard boxes, such as the containers of the raised bed boxes she is using, to serve as a barrier against weeds and grasses.
Next, the speaker borrows from the hugelkultur method and lines the top or bottom nine inches of the raised bed with organic matter, such as trimmings from blueberry bushes, pine cones, sticks, and dead cover crops. This provides bulk to the raised bed and serves as nourishment for the crops during the season.
The speaker cautions against using too much organic material if planting perennial crops, as it will cause the soil level to drop too much over time. For annual crops, it is easy to replace and top off the soil as needed.
Overall, the speaker recommends using what is available on the property for organic matter to fill the raised bed, as most crop roots will be in the top six to eight inches of soil. This method can be an economical way to fill a raised bed and provide a better harvest by starting with great soil.
Utilizing Organic Material
When starting a new raised bed, it’s important to consider what to fill it with. While natural in-ground soil can be used, it may not provide the best harvest due to its clay content and acidity. Raised beds offer the advantage of being able to control what is used to fill them. However, the cost of filling a raised bed with soil can quickly become expensive.
To address this issue, organic material can be utilized to fill the bottom half of the bed, while the top half can be filled with soil. This method is known as hugelkultur and allows for a more economical way of filling a raised bed.
The speaker in the video uses a combination of organic materials to fill the bottom half of the raised bed. They start by lining the bed with cardboard boxes to serve as a barrier against weeds and grass. The boxes will eventually break down and become part of the soil.
The speaker then adds organic matter such as trimmings from blueberry bushes, pine cones, sticks, and dead cover crops from the fall garden. These materials provide bulk to the raised bed and will break down over time, providing nourishment for the crops.
It’s important to note that when using this method, it’s best to avoid planting perennial crops such as asparagus or rosemary, as the organic material will continue to break down and cause the soil level to drop.
Overall, utilizing organic material in raised beds can provide an economical and effective way to fill the bed while also improving the quality of the soil and harvest.
Incorporating Pine Cones and Sticks
When filling a raised bed, organic matter is an essential component to consider. One way to incorporate organic matter is by using pine cones and sticks. These materials are readily available in most gardens and can be used to create bulk at the bottom of the raised bed.
To start, the speaker recommends lining the bed with cardboard boxes to serve as a temporary barrier against weeds and grasses. The boxes will eventually break down into the soil and allow plant roots to access the soil underneath.
The speaker then borrows from the hugelkultur method and lines the top or bottom nine inches of the bed with organic matter, such as trimmings from blueberry bushes, dead cover crops, and broccoli stalks. These materials provide bulk to the raised bed and serve as nourishment for crops throughout the season.
Pine cones and sticks are also added to the bottom of the raised bed to create additional bulk. These materials can be found on most properties and can be used to supplement the organic matter already added to the bed.
The speaker cautions against using too much organic material when planting perennial crops, as the soil level may drop too much over time. However, for annual crops, adding organic matter to the bottom of the raised bed can spread out the expense of filling the bed with soil and improve the harvest.
Overall, incorporating pine cones and sticks into a raised bed can be a cost-effective and sustainable way to add organic matter and create bulk at the bottom of the bed.
Adding Bulk with Dead Garden Matter
When starting a new raised bed, it can be costly to fill it with soil. However, there are ways to fill it in an economical manner while still achieving a better harvest. One way is to use dead garden matter to add bulk to the bottom of the bed.
The first step is to line the bed with cardboard boxes to serve as a barrier against weeds and grass. This is especially important if there is bermuda grass in the area. However, it is important to avoid lining the bottom of the bed with landscape fabric, as it can prevent plant roots from accessing the soil underneath.
To add bulk to the bed, the speaker recommends using a combination of organic matter, such as trimmings from blueberry bushes, pine cones, sticks, and dead cover crops. This method is similar to hugelkultur, which involves burying organic matter to improve soil fertility.
The organic matter should be placed in the bottom half of the bed, and the top six to eight inches should be filled with soil. This is because most plant roots only grow in the top few inches of soil. The organic matter will eventually break down and serve as nourishment for the plants throughout the season.
It is important to note that this method may not be suitable for planting perennial crops, as the organic matter will continue to sink and cause the soil level to drop over time. For annual crops, however, this method can help spread out the expense of filling the bed with soil and improve the harvest.
Final Touches Before Adding Soil
To prepare for filling the raised beds, the gardener first placed a landscape fabric around the walkways in between the beds to keep weeds down. However, the bottom of the beds were not lined with the fabric as the plants’ roots need to be able to access the soil underneath. Instead, the gardener used cardboard boxes from repurposed containers to line the bottom of the beds. This serves as a temporary barrier against weeds and grasses, especially bermuda grass, which is present in the garden.
To add more organic matter to the beds, the gardener followed the hugelkultur method and lined the top or bottom nine inches of the bed with organic matter. The gardener used trimmings from blueberry bushes, pine cones, sticks, and dead cover crops from the fall garden as organic matter. The gardener cautioned against using too much organic material if planting perennial crops like asparagus or herbs as the soil level will drop too much over time.
The gardener also used broccoli stalks from the previous season’s garden to add bulk to the raised beds. The gardener pressed the organic matter down as much as possible to create a solid base for the soil. Finally, any remaining weeds from the winter were removed from the planting area and added to the bottom of the beds as organic matter.
By using repurposed cardboard boxes, organic matter from the garden, and other materials on hand, the gardener was able to fill the raised beds with great soil in an economical manner. This will help ensure a better harvest and healthier plants.