A raised garden bed is a great gardening option that has many advantages to offer including the ability for you to farm on infertile grounds. There are key basics involved in raised garden beds maintenance that help promote high productivity. Below is an outline of gardening basics that will help you get the most from your raised garden bed.
Proper Drainage
You should make sure that the drainage of your raised garden bed is good at all times. Poor drainage in a raised garden bed may lead to water logging and your crops are likely to get damaged because of excess moisture.
Use of trenches is one way you can sustain good drainage in your raised garden. Dig a trench slanting downwards to an outlet or sink at the end of the bed. It's also advisable to add pebbles in the trench so as to prevent or regulate silting or accumulation of soil and debris that are likely to block your trenches. Otherwise, you may want to hire a professional to build the trenches for you.
Soil Testing
You should test the soil in your raised garden so that you get to know the nutrients it has and the ones it lacks. Identifying soil deficiencies that may be present in your raised garden will help you to buy the right fertilisers or soil mix for your garden.
However, it is advisable to not only use a soil mix or fertiliser, but also use compost. Compost boosts the ability of soil to retain added nutrients, otherwise the nutrients can get washed down easily if your soil lacks sufficient compost. You can hire a professional to test the soil for you and advice you on what nutrients to add, and also let you know the amount of compost your raised garden needs.
Raised Garden Barriers
It's advisable to have barriers around your raised garden. Barriers are used to keep off roots of other plants from the raised bed. Also, the barrier will prevent spread of weeds from the surrounding areas into your raised garden. Remember to consult a professional on how to erect your weed barrier appropriately.
The presence of roots from surrounding plants and weeds in your raised garden will lead to competition for nutrients, and plants in your raised garden might starve. You can get a weed barrier from your plant supplies provider. Otherwise, About Home advises that you can also opt to use a homemade weed barrier, such as a corrugated cardboard or an old carpet.
Sustaining your raised garden bed in a good condition will promote high yields, and the garden will also serve you longer without one too many problems. For more information, contact Din San Nursery or a similar company.
