Quick Tips for Making a Raised Bed Garden

If you have plans for plants that need ample drainage, it can be very frustrating to have a yard that doesn't drain. Some plants don't mind the extra moisture from being in an area with poor drainage. They could even thrive and have fuller blooms. However, some plants are not so lucky, and will die a gruesome death. Always check your plants before you buy and make sure of their drainage requirements.

It's easy to do a quick test and see how much water your soil will retain. First dig a hole about ten inches deep. Then fill it with water and let it sit for a day until the water disappears. Now refill the hole. If this time the water doesn't disappear within ten hours, then your soil is retaining to much water. Simply put, this means the water will stay around to long after watering. Almost all plants will not survive with this situation.

The easiest way for better drainage is to create a raised bed garden. To do this, make a border for a small bed, then add enough compost and soil to raise it about five inches above the rest of the yard. The difference this will make in your water drainage will amaze you. Typically you have two areas for your raised bed, either on grass or dirt. There is a slightly different technique for each of these locations.

If you want to start a raised bed garden in a dirt area, it is fairly simple. Just get some material to retain the dirt you will be adding. The simplest thing I have found that works, is a few two by fours. After you've made your wall, just add the right amount of steer manure and dirt. You may have to adjust the ratio depending on how long it will be before you plant, to allow for deterioration.

If you are planning your raised bed where you have grass or sod, it will be a little more difficult. You need to draw out where you want the garden then cut out the sod. This is a little trickier than it sounds, because you need something with a very sharp edge, a sod cutter works great and is fairly inexpensive to rent. Add a layer of straw to the ground once the sod is cut, so the grass will not grow back.Once the straw is added, then simply fill with manure and soil.

To plant your plants in the new area, just use the same process you normally use to plant. One thing to make sure of is that the roots do not go into the original soil more than a few inches. One of the main reasons you are making a raised bed garden is to keep the roots out of soil that gets to saturated, therefore having roots extending into the original soil undermines the raised bed theory.

Once you get your plants in the ground you will notice better root development almost immediately. You also will not have evaporation, which will stop the plants from decomposing. This provides the perfect environment for plants to grow and flourish. So don't be scared to change your yards lay out, because the results are well worth it.