These layers have a raised bed

When is the best time for filling the raised bed?

Raised beds can be filled in both spring and autumn, although both times have their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Beds set up in spring benefit from the heat that is generated by the decomposition processes The soil temperature can rise by a few degrees - with the result that these beds are planted two to three weeks earlier can be. At the same time, the problem arises with beds that are only filled shortly before the gardening season that this occurs after a few weeks collapse. If, on the other hand, the raised bed was built in autumn, you can fill it with filling material throughout the winter: vegetable waste from the kitchen, fallen leaves, clippings, Shredded cuttings from wood, litter from pet cages, hay and straw... the raised bed functions as a kind of composter that stores the materials during the winter months decomposed.

The different layers of a raised bed

Raised beds consist of different layers, with coarse and then finer material being used from bottom to top. The individual layers should never be too thick. Grass clippings, for example, are always scattered thinly and loosely into the bed so that nothing sticks together and consequently no mold can form. Sprinkle thin layers between the individual layers semi-mature or mature composts, which inoculates the contents with microorganisms and thus promotes faster decomposition of the material. In addition, the filling with fine layers of earth prevents the formation of cavities inside the bed - this can prevent the raised bed from sinking suddenly and sharply.

Structure of a raised bed in the overview

When filling, make sure that the material used is not too dry. A certain amount of moisture - not wetness! - Already when pouring would be ideal, but if necessary it can also be achieved by lightly showering freshly sprinkled layers.

The first layer

The bottom layer of the raised bed consists of coarse materials such as branches, twigs and even inorganic materials such as stones, rubble or gravel. This first layer is used for drainage and should ensure that excess water can drain off quickly. If the raised bed is constructed accordingly, you can design this layer with flat stones and larger stone slabs so that smaller animals such as lizards, slow worms or Bumblebees find a home here.

The second layer

The next layer basically consists of all green waste from the kitchen and garden: vegetable waste, leaves, grass clippings, turf and weed weeds (but no root weeds like groundweed, Couch grass, Beet or bindweed!). Do you want the raised bed as early as spring Cold frame use, there is also an approximately 40 centimeter thick layer in this layer Horse manure. This needs to be tamped down well before you put more layers on top. Horse manure is important for cold frames because it generates a lot of heat.

The third layer

This is then followed by several thin layers, depending on which filler material you have at hand have: grass clippings, semi-ripe compost, animal litter, leaves, chopped wood, garden waste and similar. Between the individual layers there are always thin layers of ripe compost as well Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) and Rock flour.(€ 12.33 at Amazon *) These cause a particularly valuable and nutrient-rich soil to be created from the material filled in.

The top layer

A layer of good potting soil or very ripe compost is always at least 15 centimeters thick. This layer of soil must by no means be too thin, as there are plants cultivated on the bed Otherwise there is not enough space for their roots and it will be difficult to grow designed. When asked which soil to use, the answer is basically very simple: make up your mind for a high-quality and humus-rich potting soil, which you mix with ripe compost if necessary can. By the way: you can later plant the plants in the raised bed with bark mulch mulch and so mitigate the shooting of weeds.

Fill the raised bed with inorganic materials

Instead of using coarse vegetable material, you can also use non-rotting inorganic fillers such as stones and stone residues, crushed stone, grit, sand, gravel, for the bottom layer. Expanded clay(€ 16.36 at Amazon *) or granules (e.g. B. Lava). These have the advantage that the bed will not sink so much as a result. However, at the same time the proportion of organic green matter is reduced and thus also the proportion of newly formed soil. This means that the plants have fewer nutrients overall.