Creating a raised bed requires precise planning of the individual layers. First there is the basic filling with twigs and other coarse material, then the layer of green compost and finally a high-quality soil in which vegetables or flowers can thrive. But can normal potting soil be used for this?
Is potting soil suitable for a raised bed?
Potting soil can be used for a raised bed, but for vegetable plants it should be enriched with additional compost to provide sufficient nutrients. Potting soil is more suitable for growing vegetables from seeds because it is less fertilized.
Which soil goes into the raised bed?
It always depends on which plants should grow in the raised bed. If flowers are cultivated, potting soil is of course the right choice. The soil for flowers contains organic and mineral components such as:
- Humus
- Peat
- Sand
- Sound
- Fibres made from wood or coconut
- Fertilizers
The soil is loose and ideally coarse-pored so that air and water can be stored. The structure of the potting soil is designed so that the plants have a good grip and do not fall over.
Vegetables in raised beds
Growing vegetables in raised beds is a particularly practical thing, as you can garden while standing, eliminating the need for annoying bending over and taking the strain off your back. Pre-grown vegetable plants require well-fertilized, loose and nutrient-rich soil. It should store water well and allow enough air into the soil.
Potting soil could contain too few nutrients here, for some types of vegetables there is also a lack of sand (for example carrots).
If you know the needs of your vegetables, you can easily improve the potting soil with a little compost. Potting soil is free of toxins, the vegetables grown in it are tasty and edible.
Growing vegetables from seeds in raised beds
Vegetables can of course also be grown from seeds. Here, however, the normal raised bed soil or potting soil will be too heavily fertilized. The special potting soil is much better suited for sowing.
This special soil is finely crumbly and contains almost no fertilizer. Once the seeds have sprouted, they need nutrients and water. To get all this, they develop powerful roots. This happens better in a nutrient-poor soil than in a fertilized one.
So if you want to sow, add a layer of potting soil to the raised bed and then fertilize as soon as the seedlings develop their second or third leaf. It can also be grown in separate pots and then the young plant can be transplanted into the raised bed.
