Raised beds are very popular as they offer the opportunity for carefree gardening, even if you have physical disabilities or lack garden space. They come in countless shapes and variations, although they sometimes take up a lot of space. But what if there isn't enough space for a classic raised bed?
What is a raised bed shelf and what materials are available for it?
A raised bed shelf enables space-saving gardening on a balcony or terrace by stacking plants high up. Plant shelves are available in wood, metal or plastic, with the material being chosen based on individual taste, location and weather conditions.
Convenient gardening in a small space
If the balcony or terrace is very small, you should not garden horizontally - instead let your plants stack up on top of each other and grow upwards! This way you only need a very small footprint, but can still accommodate the flowers, vegetables or herbs you want. Convenient gardening in a small space is made possible by so-called plant shelves (sometimes also referred to as flower shelves), which are simply placed in the desired location and, at best, well secured. This can be done, for example, by positioning it and screwing it onto a balcony wall.
Plant shelves made of wood, metal or plastic – which is better?
Plant shelves come in many shapes (€49.00 on Amazon), sizes and made from different materials. Basically, they are normal shelves, but they were designed specifically for plant cultivation - and for this reason they have wider shelves or more space between the individual shelves. They are available in wood, metal or plastic. Which material you personally prefer depends entirely on your taste. And where the plant shelf should be located and what weather influences it will be exposed to. Wood, for example, weathers quite quickly if it is constantly exposed to moisture. However, wooden shelves made from hardwood (e.g. larch or Douglas fir) are much more robust and therefore more durable than soft wood such as spruce. Plastic shelves, on the other hand, are particularly suitable for small balconies due to their low weight - after all, you always have to keep an eye on the load capacity and statics.
The correct planting of a plant shelf
To plant such a plant shelf, you must place suitable planters on the shelf. These can be individual pots, but also entire plant boxes (or flower boxes, fruit boxes). To prevent the next gust of wind from blowing them off the shelf, you should secure them. A crosswise strip made of wood or metal, for example, is suitable for this. Fill the planters with suitable potting soil. If you want to use the shelf to grow young plants, you can turn it into a greenhouse in no time with the help of foil strips.
Tip
In general, shelves in the immediate vicinity of conventional raised beds are extremely practical, as they serve as storage space for baskets and other containers, work utensils or fertilizers. This way you have everything you need to work on the raised bed at hand.