Here's how to prepare it for winter

This is how you set up the raised bed again in autumn

When setting up the raised bed, it is best to proceed as follows:

• Remove any remaining substrate residues or stamp it firmly on the bed base.
• Fill in as Drainage layer Shredded wood cuttings: The branches and twigs should be roughly chopped.
• Instead, thick tree stumps or inorganic material such as pebbles are also suitable.
• This is followed by a layer of turf turf with the roots facing up.
• Alternatively, a thin layer of cut grass and hedge or straw is also suitable.
• This is followed by an approximately 30 centimeter thick layer of damp autumn leaves.
• Do not use sick leaves (risk of infection!) Or leaves that are difficult to decompose.
• Finally there is an approx. 15 cm thick layer of semi-mature compost and / or manure.
• Horse manure is particularly suitable for raised beds planted with heavy consumers such as tomatoes, courgettes or pumpkins.
• At the end there is an approximately 10 centimeter thick layer of plant or planting material. Garden soil or fine compost.

So that the rotting process gets going faster, you can still between the individual layers Rock flour(€ 12.33 at Amazon *) or Compost accelerator sprinkle. Earthworms that are also used work through the compost well and accelerate the process again.

Cover the raised bed over the cold season

You should then use the freshly filled raised bed stock up for the winter. A thick layer of mulch is suitable for this (for example leaves, straw, brushwood ...), but also Mulch film is very suitable. This measure is important to ensure that the content of the raised bed through winter Rainfall is not silted up and thus compacted. In addition, valuable nutrients can be flushed out. Over the next few months, the volume of compost in the raised bed will decrease significantly - the compost will decompose too finely Humus soil and therefore sags. Therefore, the raised bed often has to be filled up again in spring, preferably with one layer Horse manure or semi-ripe compost and topped with fine potting soil.