Congrats on your new Raised Bed!
We are certain you will love it as much as we do.
In preparation for its arrival, we wanted to share some tips & tricks that we have learned over the years.
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As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Raised Bed Site Preparation
The first step is deciding where you would like your bed to be. There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding:
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- Water proximity - Your bed will need water, making sure you can easily get a hose there or are comfortable hauling water is essential (especially with Ohio summers).
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- Sun location/timing - Certain crops will refuse to grow in full sun, do your due diligence and look into what will work best for the garden you are planning.
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- Level ground - As can be seen in photos of our older beds, it IS possible to place a bed on uneven land, it jut takes preparation. You want your bed to be as level with the ground as possible. this will ensure that your crops get adequate nutrients and you don't have any soggy or dry areas.
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After you decide on a placement, you will want to remove the top layer of grass from the area and level if needed. The grass you dig up can be used to back fill the beds- so no need to get rid of it.
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We suggest a barrier under the bed- this can be weed barrier cloth, burlap or cardboard. Everything will break down over the life of the bed, but for the first few years it will help in keeping burrowing creatures from making a home in your garden. The beds all have metal strapping in several places along the bottom to keep them stable when being filled. The barrier can go in before or after bed placement.
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We will call/email/text with you to determine the delivery date. The bed will arrive on a large trailer and we will assist with getting it into place if you are prepared for it. If you would rather move it later on your own, that is also fine, we would just ask that you have a flat and easily accessible space for us to unload the bed safely. These beds are VERY sturdy and thus very heavy, it is ideal to not move it more than is necessary.
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What to do after your bed is placed
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We suggest using what you have first- leaves, old sticks or logs- all that stuff that gets cleaned up with each season change is perfect as a base layer for your raised bed. This should be about 12" high and is meant not only to decompose and leave nutrients behind but it helps to aerate. Be mindful of any plant debris (they may eventually start to grow in your bed) or any fire ash (that it is only wood ash and not any other non-organic materials that could contaminate your garden). Then get a quality topsoil and compost mixture(60/40 is typical). Again, your crops will determine just what type and how much you will need. Finally, be sure to water!
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