How to Make Raised Beds for a Garden Without Digging

Most gardening books and experts can tell you how to make a raised garden bed. Start by chopping out your grass or sod and then digging the dirt up. Hard work!

Can you make a raised bed for your vegetable or flower garden without digging? This article will teach you how to create rich, organic raised garden beds quickly and easily.

Planning the Garden - Raised Beds

Why raised beds? Some consider them more attractive. Some say they are easier to work with. One great reason to use raised beds is because they are easier to create without digging.

Select a plot for your garden based on preference, exposure to sunlight, and what you want to grow there. You can mark the edges of your planned garden bed with stakes and string if you wish, but it is not necessary.

Building the Raised Beds in the Garden

Begin making the raised bed for your garden by spreading a layer of black and white newspaper on the ground. This should be about eight to ten sheets thick and not include any glossy or colored pages. Put the newspaper directly over your existing lawn or weeds.

After placing this barrier layer that will help kill the grass, begin layering organic material in layers. Start with a two to three inch layer of organic compost. This can be purchased or from your very own compost pile. Next, put a layer of grass clippings, fall leaves, straw, or other whole organic material. This layer should be about four inches thick. Spray this thoroughly with water.

Continue to layer organic matter with compost or peat moss until your raised bed is about three feet high. Be sure to spray each layer with water as you go along. Once the garden bed is tall enough, stretch a sheet of plastic or a air-tight tarp over the top. Use stones to weight the tarp down, or stake it to the ground on all sides.

This raised bed should be left undisturbed for as long as possible. This is a great project to start in the fall for a planned raised bed garden in the spring. BY that time, the organic material will have broken down into a fabulous, rich dark soil that is perfect for growing many types of plants. Just remove the tarp, mix the raised bed up with a garden fork, and plant.