How To Fill Your Raised Garden Box
How to fill your raised garden box? This is a question that frequently gets asked. The truth is, it depends. Obviously the benefit of raised beds is that you get to start fresh with high quality, clean soil that will maximize your plants overall health and growing potential. There are a few questions you want to consider before you start. What do you want to grow in your raised bed? What is the planting depth of the roots for those plants? How deep is your garden box already?
Step 1:
First we recommend using a hardware cloth or some landscape fabric to line the bottom of your beds, this will help to keep critters and weeds out of your raised beds. Unless you want your plants to be able to root into the native soil below your beds.
Step 2:
You want to select the right soil for your garden box. Pre-made raised bed mixes can be found at most major garden centers. However if you want to know more about your soil and what goes into it, or how to mix your own, follow the link above.
If you’re curious about how much soil you need, you can use this garden soil calculator.
Step 3:
You should know what it is you want to grow and the needed planting depth. You also want to know how deep your boxes are. If you have boxes that are only 10 inches deep and you want to grow produce like lettuce or beets, plants that will utilize the most if not all of the depth in your garden box, then you probably want to spend the money and fill the entire box with high quality soil.
Step 4:
If your boxes are deeper like our 16 inch or 23 inch boxes and you know your crops root depth is only 12 inches or so, then you can take up some of that space by filling the bottom of the box with old branches and logs, (the older the better). You can also start by putting down a layer of cardboard if you would like. You can also add a layer of mulched up leaves and organic matter like compost, grass clippings etc. Make sure to step it all down and water it a bit when you do. You want to reduce any unnecessary air pockets.
We recommend using this method for the extra space. Fill the rest of the bed with high quality soil for the anticipated root depth.
Over time those branches and organic matter will break down and turn into wonderful soil. And If your plants need to root a little deeper than your layer of soil they will still be able to do so in that organic matter.
This will save you space and money when filling your raised beds.