Four Essential Tips to Build Up the Soil in Your Raised Garden Beds
Raised garden beds are a great way to grow a wide range of plants. In Perth, these structures are especially popular for growing fruits and vegetables. That said, expert gardeners agree that building up the soil is the single most important thing you can do to achieve a fruitful yield. Lush, organically rich soil promotes healthy and extensive roots with better ability to access nutrients and water. The result: abundant and flourishing above-ground growth. Take note of these simple steps for ensuring healthier soil in your raised garden bed.
Compost is the best amendment that planting soil can receive, which is why many gardeners keep compost piles to hand in their gardens. Compost contains the organic nutrients that plants need, thereby improving yield. Add compost to your soil during the beginning of spring and autumn.
Use only organic fertilisers
The product claims printed on the packaging of chemical-based fertilisers may sound enticing, but don’t be deceived. Apart from the short-lived benefits, these products don’t contribute much to overall soil condition compared to natural fertilisers. Some of the best organic fertilisers you can use for your beds include vermiculite, grass clippings, alfalfa meal, crushed lava rock granules, kelp meal, and straw.
Plant a cover crop
Planting cover crops isn’t just for large-scale farming, as even backyard gardening can benefit from this technique. Cover crops aerate the soil and draw nutrients embedded deep in the soil to the surface. These allow your plants to “breathe” better and access nutrients in the soil more easily. Advisable cover crops to use include alfalfa, broad beans, and crimson clover.
To ensure soil health, you’ll need to add phosphorous at some point. Crops that receive adequate amounts of phosphorous mature early and undergo steady, vigorous growth. Buy a sack of rock phosphate and sprinkle some onto your beds every two years.
Quality garden beds
It’s easy to create a raised bed from any construction material in abundance around the house—wood, bricks, rocks, and even Lucerne or straw. If quality and durability are what you are after, you would do well to purchase beautiful and long-lasting garden beds made of corrugated iron from established manufacturers such as Rainfill Tanks and Curved Roofing Supplies.
6 expert tips to prepare a perfect garden bed for vegetables, Realestate.com.au
5 TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR RAISED BED GARDEN SOIL, Clean Air Gardening