A compost raised bed can be used for an average of seven to ten years before it needs to be completely refilled. However, the first refilling is necessary in the second year, as the bed contents have already dropped by up to 30 centimeters due to the planting in the first year and the rotting process.
What should you plant in raised beds in the second year?
In the second year of a compost raised bed, the nutrient supply is still high, so heavy-consuming plants such as tomatoes, zucchini or potatoes grow well. Lettuces should only be planted from the fourth year onwards to avoid nitrate accumulation.
Fill up the compost raised bed in the fall
It's best to start filling the raised bed after the autumn harvest in the first year: Remove the top layer of soil, including all plant residues and rhizomes, and fill the space now freed up with compostable garden and kitchen waste that has been chopped as small as possible. Only spread a thin layer at a time, which you then cover with a thin layer of coarse compost. You can do this again and again throughout the fall until you cover the raised bed with mulching material, spruce and fir branches and/or a garden fleece from around November / December - i.e. before the first frost. This ensures that the bed does not dry out over the winter and that its contents can be composted even better.
Planting raised beds in the second year
Around the beginning to mid-March of the second year, cover the raised bed again and fill in a fresh layer of potting soil mixed with horn shavings (€52.00 at Amazon). You can also use fine, mature compost from your own production for this purpose, but in this case it is better to carry out a germination test. You can then sow or plant out the first winter-hardy vegetable plants. Spinach, early radishes or early carrots are suitable for this. Otherwise, the raised bed will be occupied primarily by heavy-feeding plants in the second year, as the available nutrient supply is still very high. The following are particularly suitable for this:
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Aubergines
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Celeriac
You should not put lettuces in the bed at this point, as they grow excellently due to the abundance of nutrients, but they also accumulate a lot of harmful nitrate in the leaves. These should only be planted in the raised bed from the fourth year onwards.
Tip
You don't have to create a compost raised bed straight away for raised beds dedicated to lettuce. Instead, such a bed box can simply be filled with commercially available potting soil, which is very suitable for salads.
