Have you ever wondered how to get the most out of your raised beds?
Raised beds are the method of choice for many gardeners thanks to their clean look and ergonomic design. Here’s an at-a-glance guide for the tasks that will keep your beds beautiful and productive all year round.
Spring
Set up new beds
As the weather warms and the ground thaws, your garden is ready for installing new raised garden beds. Find a flat location with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Set up according to manufacturer’s instructions or make your own using these DIY tips. Most beds will come with corner posts or anchor joints. If yours don’t, consider adding some for stability and longevity.
Add or top up soil
Every bed will need a different amount of soil depending on its size and shape. If you are starting from scratch with new beds, consider what soil mixes might work best for your garden. Then use our soil volume formulas to figure out how much you need. If you are topping up older beds, use finished organic compost to boost nutrients and improve soil structure. Soil conditioners like coir or pumice help retain moisture and are best added in springtime.
Set up irrigation or watering system
Irrigating raised garden beds can be as simple as hand watering with a water-saving hose nozzle or sprinkler if you have a handful of beds. If your garden is on the larger side, you can install drip irrigation or soaker hoses to ensure water conservation is top of mind. Drip irrigation feeds water to your garden slowly—one drip at a time—to prevent evaporation. Using a mechanical water timer or water meter is another way to maximize your time while saving you work.
Plant out starts and seeds
Once your bed is in place and your watering is set up, it’s time to plant seeds and starter plants. Choose a variety of easy-to-grow vegetables well suited to your area. Sourcing organic seed close to home will help make sure your chosen cultivars grow well in your area. Add compost or organic, all-purpose fertilizer to plant holes and rows to give your seedlings a boost. Raised beds often warm more quickly than in-ground gardens. Use this to your advantage to get a jump on the season.
Choose easy-to-grow vegetables well suited to your area.
Mulch around plants and between rows
If you’re working with new beds that didn’t have a cover crop in the fall, be sure to mulch around your plants after seedlings emerge. Chopped leaves, lawn clippings, straw and other organic toppings will help stop weeds and conserve moisture. Top dressing with compost is another excellent way to control weeds and feed your plants. Mulch around starter plants as soon as you put them in the ground.
Use cloches or cold frames
If you live in a zone where spring takes some time to get going, consider adding a cold frame or garden cloche to your raised bed to get a jump on the season. Hoops and polytunnels work equally well and seem to be made for the structure that raised beds provide. Tender crops like lettuces will benefit from the warmth. You’ll benefit from an earlier harvest.
Top up paths with gravel or other material
One of the best things about raised beds is the permanent walking rows. Since you’re not moving around your beds every year, you can virtually eliminate weeds on paths by using a non-invasive ground cover or a thick layer of gravel. If this material gets thin over the years, spring is a great time to top it up.
Summer
Keep water levels optimal
The biggest stress for plants right now is moisture. As the soil warms throughout the day, evaporation can wreak havoc on your plants. Planters and raised beds may dry out more quickly than in-ground beds if not filled with soil rich in organic matter. If you’re concerned, use a soil moisture meter to check. Watering deeply three times a week will give most plants what they need to thrive.
Continue daily checks, removing any weeds
If you follow a low-maintenance gardening system such as no-till or raised row gardening, you won’t need to spend more than a few minutes a day keeping on top of weeds. Now that your season is underway, your mulch and compost are doing most of the work. Pull any weeds that do appear and cover those spots with more mulch.
Following a low-maintenance gardening system means spending less than a few minutes a day pulling weeds.
Replant emptied beds
Planting a bed that you’ve recently harvested with a short or late season crop is known as succession planting. During the summer, crops like lettuces, spinach, early potatoes, and garlicall get harvested with ample time left in the season. To make the most of these spaces, consider having new seedlings ready to plant. You can also seed quick-growing crops like kale or arugula, or late season favorites like beets, carrots, and bush beans.
Fall
Plant cover crops in empty beds
In beds that you’ve emptied out for the season, a thick cover crop will help prevent weeds and add nutrients back to the soil. Fall rye is one of the most popular cover crops for a reason: in the spring, you can mow this cereal grain down with a small lawn mower or pruning shears. Replant into the stubble without tilling.
Top-up mulch in active or overwintering beds
If you live in an area where vegetables will continue to produce in the fall, top up mulch around your plants to prevent weeds from sprouting come springtime. The same goes for crops that you’re holding through the winter. The beauty of mulching at this time of year is the availability of autumn leaves.
Mulch around crops that will hold through the winter to insulate the soil and prevent spring weeds from sprouting.
Inspect and repair beds
Fall and winter can often stress raised bed borders thanks to the soil’s repeated freezing and thawing. To prevent cracked boards, consider reinforcing the corners of your beds with trim or posts fastened to its horizontal boards. Pre-made anchor joints or brackets purchased from the hardware store are another way to tackle the problem of corners coming loose.
Order new beds
After the rush of the harvest it’s time to take stock of your garden. Did your beds produce as much food as you’d hoped they would? Were they too crowded or did you have enough space to grow what you need? If you want to add new beds to your garden, fall is a great time. Fewer people are buying gardening supplies at this time of year, so you’ll find shipments often come faster and more products are in stock.
Winter
Sharpen tools
Keeping tools sharp and well-oiled is tricky when you’re using them daily. Winter is a great time to sharpen hoes, shovels, and pruners. Start by washing to remove soil and sanding lightly if rust is present. To sharpen hoes and shovels, use a mill file. For pruners and loppers, use a whetstone, taking care to tighten any loose parts. Once sharpened, rub with an oiled rag or treat with spray-on lubricant.
Plan next year’s crop
Pondering all those seed catalogues while the weather rages outdoors is a great way to inspire any gardener. Order from your local seed supplier or try one of the many online sources for organic seed. When you’ve decided what to grow, consider which cultivars might make good bedfellows using our Companion Planting Guide.
Start seeds indoors
If you hope to grow long-season crops from seed and you live in a colder climate, start your seeds indoors. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, and more all benefit from indoor planting while the weather is still cool. Before you know it you’ll be back outside, tending lush raised beds that are even better than last year.
Giving seeds a head start indoors can help you harvest sooner come springtime.
Raised beds all year-round
Raised beds offer many benefits, not the least of which is simplifying your routine. Use this list to keep on top of your garden all year round.
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