Tips for Improving Your Raised Beds

 

Add Compost to Your Raised Bed

Compost just isn’t for spring bed preparation! Add compost to your raised beds in the fall. In raised beds, compost is a great way to end the gardening season. Since this compost will sit on the bed all winter, it does not have to be completely broken down. The composting process can actually occur on the raised bed. Spread a couple of inches of compost on the bed, and then cover with mulch. The mulch will protect the soil from harsh winter weather, keeping the nutrients in the raised bed.

 

Use Soil Amendments in Raised Beds

Soil amendments are mixed with soil to improve soil quality in raised beds. As to specifically what soil amendments do to the soil will depend on what kind of soil amendment you are using.

You can correct the soil by adding a soil amendment, like compost, rich in organic matter. The organic matter will retain moisture in the soil.

Here’s a list of organic soil amendments you might want to look into to improve your raised bed soil quality: vermiculite, worm castings, compost, grass clippings, cornmeal, sand, or straw.

 

Plant a Cover Crop

When thinking about replenishing nutrients in raised beds, don’t forget about cover crops. Cover crops aren’t just for large scale farmers looking for weed suppression. They will benefit raised beds for the backyard gardener, too.

A cover crop is a crop specifically planted to:

• protect the soil from erosion
• suppress weeds
• maintain soil moisture
• increase organic matter in the soil
• recycle soil nutrients

If you want to add nitrogen to the soil, consider planting legumes as a cover crop. Examples of legume cover crops are alfalfa, fava beans, and crimson clover. After you’ve closed the raised bed after the growing season, try winter cover crops to protect and aerate your raised bed soil, as well as, add nutrients. 

 Things to consider when choosing a cover crop:

• Growing season
• Nitrogen fixation for the following crop
• Reduction of synthetic fertilizer costs
• Addition of organic matter
• Improvement of soil health resulting in increased yield
• Weed control
• Reduction of herbicide use
• Prevention of soil erosion
• Conservation of soil moisture
• Water quality protection
• Pollution reduction
• Habitat for beneficial organisms
• Sustainability
  

 

Lasagna Gardening

Lasagna gardening is sometimes called "No Till Gardening, or sheet composting, is another great tip for improving soil conditions, and it’s also a fantastic way to create a raised bed. So, whether you’re looking to start from scratch or work on an existing raised bed garden, you can improve your soil conditions from the get go. As your soil is gets depleted in your raised bed over time, you keep adding layers like you would in a lasagna garden, by sheet composting, and completely renovate your soil from the top down.

 

Prepare Raised Beds for the Winter

Don’t forget the end of the garden season is a great time for a just a few simple steps for soil maintenance. It’s kind of like closing up shop for the winter. That is, if you aren’t in an area of the country where you can grow year round.

Here are two great tips to prepare your raised beds for the winter:  

• Leave the roots. Don’t pull out the plant! Just cut the plant at the soil surface. The roots will decompose and aerate the soil.  
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• Spread a few inches of compost over the bed, and cover with mulch. The mulch protects the soil over the winter conditions, while the compost adds nutrients over the winter.