Only fill the raised bed with soil: is it advisable?

Conventional raised beds are filled with layers of different materials. But can you only fill the raised bed with soil? If so, for which types of raised beds and with which plants?

Advantages and disadvantages

Depending on what kind of raised bed is to be planted with what, it can also be filled exclusively with soil. opposite one conventional layering it has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

• similar filling as flower boxes and planters
• less time and effort
• significantly less filling quantity required
• no complex layering
• Soil only sags shortly after filling
• regular refilling is not necessary
• especially with small and flat raised beds

Disadvantages

• not suitable for all types of raised bed
• not recommended for growing vegetables
• Content of natural nutrients significantly lower
• no rotting process therefore no heat development
• regular fertilization required

Raised Bed Types

In principle, raised beds of different sizes can only be filled with soil.

This form of filling is particularly suitable for smaller raised beds that are not suitable for layering. These can be table raised beds or plant tubs or troughs. Due to the lower weight, they are ideal for balconies and terraces. The filling is done in two layers, namely a drainage layer and soil. The latter usually only has to be as high as the later planting grows in depth. Depending on the size of the raised bed, it is filled with good potting soil or different soils.

Example of filling:

• below drainage of expanded clay, gravel or crushed stone
• then a structurally stable, peat-free soil
• depending on the size, a second layer of earth
• from special raised bed soil
• tailored to raised bed cultures
• has a balancing effect in dry and wet weather

Depending on what you want to plant with, you can also use high-quality vegetable or compost soil. In the best case, you mix something beforehand mature compost below, if any. Or you spread a layer of garden or compost soil on the drainage and then a layer of ripe compost of the same thickness or a special raised bed soil suitable for vegetables and herbs. A fleece between the drainage and the soil prevents both layers from mixing.

Tip: The higher the soil in the raised bed, the lower the risk of it drying out in the heat.

Appropriate planting

Actually, a raised bed created with soil can be equipped with almost all plants that are also grown in a conventional raised bed. However, they should not grow too much. The right soil, the size of the bed or the depth of the earth. Depending on the season, different types of vegetables and herbs as well as flowers can be planted. When it comes to herbs, it should be noted that soft-leaved species require more nutrients and moisture than hard-leaved ones. And if done wisely, it can be harvested from spring to autumn.

Small selection of herbs

parsley, basil, chives, lemon balm, coriander, lovage, dill, rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, sage, marjoram, chamomile, lemon balm, savory, oregano

Suitable vegetables

In the spring:

Lettuce and lettuce, broad beans, radishes, leeks, mangetout, beetroot, kohlrabi, Garlic

In summer:

snack and mini cucumbers, paprika, bush tomatoes, bush beans and courgettes

In autumn/winter:

Lamb's lettuce, spinach, palm cabbage, Asian salads, winter purslane, winter onion sets

In addition to herbs and vegetables, always bearing strawberries or edible flowers on how Nasturtium, marigold, begonia, pansies, and chrysanthemums tagetes. Another factor when planting is the orientation of the raised bed. The more hours of sun it gets per day, the greater the choice of plants. A north-south orientation is ideal for vegetables and herbs, for example.

Tip: Since fresh soil is usually pre-fertilized, no additional fertilizer needs to be applied initially. After about half a year, the nutrients have been used up to such an extent that it has to be fertilized again.

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