With a raised bed, back pain after plant care is finally a thing of the past. To make gardening at table height a successful project, the right filling is important. Compost soil plays a key role here. Read here how to fill a raised bed in an exemplary manner.
How do I fill a raised bed with compost soil?
Filling a raised bed should be done in the following layers: 1. Layer (20 cm): coarse materials such as branches and rhizomes; 2nd layer (10-15 cm): chopped wood cuttings, leaves and plant residues; 3rd layer (20 cm): semi-ripe compost in the early rotting stage; 4th layer (30 cm): sifted, fine-crumb compost soil. Treading each layer is important.
Prepare the raised bed systematically – this is how it works
Ready-made or self-made compost soil develops its full potential in raised beds when important conditions prevail. It is important to protect the valuable humus from moisture and rot. Furthermore, voracious voles should be denied access to the raised bed. Last but not least, it is helpful for later filling if markings indicate the top edge of a layer. How to properly prepare your raised bed:
- Line the base with close-meshed vole wire
- Line the walls of the raised bed with studded or pond liner
- Make a mark on the foil for each layer of filling
To protect against the effects of the weather and for a visual touch, you can glaze the outside of the raised bed walls in color. Please choose a product with the 'Blue Angel' environmental seal, especially if you grow vegetables and herbs.
Filling layer by layer – instructions for beginners
The filling in the raised bed does not follow a firmly cemented plan, but rather gives the gardener plenty of scope for his own variations. The following composition has proven itself well in garden practice:
- 1. Layer (20 cm): coarse materials, such as twigs, branches, rhizomes
- 2. Layer (10-15 cm): chopped wood cuttings, leaves and plant residues
- 3. Layer (20 cm): semi-ripe compost in the early rotting stage
- 4. Layer (30 cm): sifted, fine-crumb compost soil
Please climb into the raised bed after each layer to tamp down the filling. The more compacted the lower layers, the less the compost soil will sag later.
In the following three to five years, the organic material in the lower area rots and turns into humus. Parallel to this process, the bed surface sinks and requires regular topping up with sifted compost soil.
Tip
Compost soil dries out more quickly in raised beds than with other uses. Regularly check the moisture content in the substrate using a thumb test, especially in summer. If the surface is dry, water the top layer of soil evenly with a fine spray.
