How to Fill Raised Garden Beds Properly

[@DaveDefran]

I just watched one of your playlists and was thinking that you need to be awarded something for being the best! Congrats! You are what I consider to be the Godfather of gardening. Thank you for your great vids!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Thankyou very much.

[@DaveDefran]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 if you need a hand at some point, reach out! I’m not too far and sure my lady would enjoy a tour. Will work for seeds!

[@marthakenny2491]

Oh WOW!!!!! My mind is blown right now. First time gardener here, due to having to heal from feet surgery, gardening has been a healer to me. Your video should have been the first one I looked at. So many mistakes that I have made, but are able to be corrected. Thank you so much, Sir for educating this first time gardener.

[@johnnobon]

I kind of wonder if you add in some nitrogen rich stuff like grass clippings on top of old wood as a a bottom layer, and then soil on top. Then the bottom layer will basically turn into compost over time, and it would reduce the issue of the wood leaching nitrogen from the soil.

[@peace4peaceful]

That's how a good raised bed works

[@cindyinpcola]

So glad you posted this information. So many people that follow these You Tubers that give incorrect information to so many gardeners! Congratulations on the award. Your book is my favorite in my library.

[@davewitty3307]

Your comment made my day. Thank you!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Thank you.

[@robertawestbrooks9531]

Great video, I love all these great suggestions. Thanks 🎉🎉🎉

[@ThePositron2]

I dig down 6-12" in to my native soil, put down logs, and then toss the native soil (heavy clay) back in on top. I know this is not a permanent solution, but as the video says it will take decades to totally break down, but that's what I want because I want to be slowly filling it with more compost as I produce it in my compost bins.

[@elizabethjames213]

Good morning from Jamaica 🇯🇲. I have been watching your videos and I feel so comfortable watching and listening to you edifying us daily. Thanks for everything ❤

[@lori9423]

Congratulations Robert, I just noticed you are over 100k subscribers, and congrats on the award, well deserved. I have learned so much from you, and especially now I don’t believe dumb hype information. I trust you as you always have to science back up.

[@bakeone4406]

The best channel I've seen for trying to prevent people from making mistakes w/ filling beds and using "landscape fabric". This channel comes close to fixing stupid.

[@aljacobson9525]

Congrats on Award!😊

[@PaulA-vc6sn]

What about using commercial fertilizer,like 10-10-10 . I’ve had excellent results by side dressing my crops. How about sprinkling it in raised beds. This is by far the most knowledgeable gardening info I have watched. I have been very successful gardening, and this man’s info is unquestionably expanding my gardening knowledge, TY

[@backwoodscountryboy1600]

This is hands down the best video I've ever watched on gardening and by the way I purchased your book that you won the silver award with.

[@GARDENER42]

I'm over in the UK but everything Mr Pavlis says is relevant here too. I've operated using ground level 'no dig' beds for 7 or 8 years now but recognise my ability to work them is decreasing. In order to raise my beds, I'll remove 4-6" of topsoil from the interbed paths to place in the beds & as I'm having a new house built, I'll get the rest of the topsoil from what's removed from where the house area itself.

[@cbak1819]

Logs filler helps to offset cost at start up. No matter what weather raised beds of all kinds will need top dressing.

[@GardenDocSC]

Exactly!

[@Chelarue]

Without question. We're in the Ozarks, and 2-3" down is solid stone, so I've had to use raised bed gardens the 9 years we've lived here. I just use mixture of top soil and Fox Farm soils, occasionally tossing in some compost or feeding with watered down Sourdough bread starter. I've had some excellent gardens but do have to top them off every year.

[@jw4879]

I agree. The slow shrinkage allows me to add horse manure and compost to the top offsetting the initial need for boatloads of soil. My compost is generated at the perfect rate to supply my raised beds.

[@jimdee1646]

Long time gardener, here, advising my adult child on constructing a raised bed. She lives in an area of Houston that has sticky clay soil (virtually gum). Totally worthless! Nice to finally see advice and guidance that I know to be correct. I'll be sending her a link to this video. Thanks!

[@Craig-777]

I use lava rock to the bottom of my raised beds, only about 3 inches or so, though. Works great, also mineralizes soil as well

[@JeffreySCarnley]

Robert, Thanks for your knowledge and strait forward speaking and teaching process...

[@Admiral.Buttercup]

I'm so delighted to discover that you've got a channel - this is bloody awesome. Thank you for all of your excellent work Professor!

[@Nocare89]

I liked that you mentioned regular soil. Last year I just tilled a patch of grass into a garden. Mixed in a little home-made compost and fertilizer. Did quite well and all I spent was like $20 for seeds and fertilizer. I got some radishes and enough kale to fill several trash bags out of a 3x3' plot. I mulched it with compost in summer and let the weeds take over for winter. It looks fantastic now and it started as hard hydrophobic ground filled with moss and grass roots :) I think, as a younger guy, raised beds only make sense if I want to grow on a slope and don't want to commit/maintain a full terraced landscape. The perched water stuff is very good information to have. I always learn stuff from your content and sometimes find myself being wrong too :P

[@ChuckNicholsonTRM]

If you live in an area with Bermuda grass don't expect two inches of soil to hold it down. Don't even expect two feet of soil to work. That stuff is almost impossible to hold at bay. Another problem I had at my old house was a lot next door that had Wisteria. I was constantly battling Wisteria vines coming up in my raised beds. That's just life in the Southeastern US though.

[@tealkerberus748]

I wonder if your Bermuda grass is related to our Couch grass? I never tried raised beds while I was living with that stuff, but the distance I saw its runners travel under other objects I'm sure it would be straight up there. Ordinary bark mulch 4" thick didn't bother it at all.

[@ChuckNicholsonTRM]

@@tealkerberus748Bermuda grass (the common name in the US) is called couch grass in Australia and New Zealand. I’ve seen it climb up a pipe over 8 feet off the ground.

[@LisaSeer]

Bermuda is the bane of my garden life.

[@jason4261]

Yes... I agree. However, I believe this video covered most issues. Bermuda is a great grass, but HORRIBLE around gardens. You need at least six inches below the bed, (at least) and then a 2" line to compete against it growing into garden imo.

[@ninabalekic1431]

Couch grass in Australia? It sounds more like the Kikuyu grass to me, unless it's also called Couch...will check it out on google.. Whatever grass it is called, it is a monster plant to get rid of, especially if your next door neighbours have it.

[@C3Voyage]

Good stuff. I would quibble with the 2" "is all you need to kill grass". My experience says otherwise especially with the runner grass we have--crab or bermuda, not sure. It's a pia and should be cut out with a higher bed to prevent it's climbing and entering the bed. Thoughts on the newer metal beds?

[@jtmarshall]

I just got 4 metal beds a month ago. I haven't assembled them yet, but they seem like they'll work great and last a long time.. But I would recommend either getting a light color or painting them.. The darker the container the more your soil life will get heated by the sun.. Plants might like the extra warmth come spring and fall but aren't gonna like it in August..

[@teebob21]

Bermuda grass is the devil's grass, and it will literally grow through bricks and concrete blocks. It's one of the few plants on which I will happily use glyphosate....one application isn't enough to kill it. If you have Bermuda, it will easily grow up through even a 36" tall metal bed. That said, I have 3 of the large tall corrugated metal beds from Vego Garden (similar to Birdies beds) and I love them.

[@C3Voyage]

@@teebob21 I have 17" Vegega on top of good fabric. Giving them a go this year which is why I asked his thoughts on them. They seem popular or faddish right now.

[@teebob21]

@@C3Voyage I've been gardening in bare soil for 5 years now after a decade of growing in raised beds, in a patch that used to be a grassland hayfield. We simply can't keep up with the weeding. Buffalo burr, Russian thistle, bindweed, and pigweed are the bane of my existence spring, summer, and fall. Even growing on top of plastic wasn't keeping them under control. We're going back to a smaller scale this year and focusing on containers and raised beds. I'll grow and terminate several rounds of cover crops in our dirt gardens this year to hopefully mitigate the weed problem and germinate most of them out of the soil seed bank.

[@DebRoo11]

​@@C3VoyageI'm not sure it's a fad per sey. Wood is extremely expensive now and replacing rotted beds every few years is very frustrating. They're very convenient for someone who isn't a do it yourselfer, look nice and last a very long time. I personally just made 8 raised beds with galvanized roofing panels and frames of pressure treated. These are replacing my older wood beds that have rotted. Best of both worlds and looks nice

[@stepheningram6415]

I did a 1’ 1/2’ bed. Filled it with about 5” fire wood/grass clippings, about 10” of top soil, about 2” compost (mixed in), and about 2” leaf mulch. Worked good.

[@OldManandtheSuperC]

My raised beds have 20” aluminum sheet metal wrapping the outside. Our local deer mouse population can’t climb it and they have trouble jumping higher than 18”. Not foolproof but definately helps.

[@nachig4754]

Congratulations, Robert for your award, looks good on you :). thank you for sharing your knowledge, time and energy. Cheers

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Thank you very much.

[@robwasnj]

Wow, this video is so spot on and I learned a lot of this the hard way. When I first built my "square foot garden" I did exactly what the book said and filled with vermiculite compost and peat moss. Well, it was somewhat successful but the soil dried out fast, i t shrunk and one thing I don't think you mentioned, in the wind things like peppers, just fell over, even the cages fell over because there was nothing solid in the beds. The next time I built more beds I did almost exactly what you suggested, I purchased topsoil in bulk but I did add vermiculite thinking that'd be a wise amendment, doesn't seem to have hurt anything but likely it was just a waste. The part about putting plastic against wood, 100%! I have a cistern where a piece of granite was up against it, the rest is fine but that part, not being able to dry out rotted through. I truly hope more people watch this video, thank you for making it. Just purchasing soil from the get-go makes so much more sense. Incidentally my beds are only 10" high, I'm headed into my 60's and if you stay in motion I don't think bending over is difficult, plus if you need to till the soil at some point it's much easier to get a machine or shovel into the beds. I don't typically till mine but I needed to adjust my soil ph and add some amendments after not doing it for 3 years so I believe it was worth it.

[@LJ-he9qn]

Dollar weed is meanest cat in our back yard, the stuff will come back like emperor palpatine with a sliver of healthy white root, and snake its way along for a half dozen feet before it surfaces. Truly diabolical. We had no choice but to put a semipermeable fabric beneath new raised beds. We did go to local place for several yards of topsoil for bottom, and integrated a bunch of good stuff into that for top. Strawberry roots arriving this week. Your videos are extremely informative, thank you. Zone 8 coastal NC.

[@Kathysart]

CONGRATULATIONS! Yes, I bought your book today. How could I not? The info you share is like none other! And I’ve watched a LOT of KZbins on gardening. My biggest problem with 4 of my raised beds is the Italian Cypress’ next to them. They say you can raise them right next to your house. Not true. I had to have 3 taken down (expensive cause they are huge) because their roots invaded the plumbing. The raised beds recently had to be dug up because the cypress roots had invaded the beds so bad they were rock hard. UG! Hopefully the roots won’t grow back fast. We are in zone 9b so it gets hotter than blazes and the cypress are hunting for water. They are on a drip but not satisfied I guess. 🍃🌸🍃

[@robbiebaker2412]

I have 5 homemade planters. I made 4 of them out of old garbage cans I cut in half. The other one is a bigger one I made from the plastic bedliner from an old pickup truck. I cut a piece of thick plexiglass to close up the open end of the bedliner where the tailgate of the truck would have been. I put a few inches of sand in the bottom of them (free from a sandy area close to my house), then filled the rest with potting soil. I have them raised up high enough I can work in them without bending over, because I have a physical handicap which makes bending over to do things very difficult for me. They work great for me. The only issue I had to deal with was keeping the cats out of them once the plants were planted. I solved this issue by filling the open spaces around the plants with pine cones. I have been using the planters for several years now with success. I am planning to build more planters over the winter to have for next year.

[@johnsmith9330]

I always enjoyed your teaching. Congratulations on your award. Well deserved

[@BramleyStafford]

Thank you for this, perfect timing. I have some new beds going in and everything I have watched say to fill the base with old logs etc. Since I dont want to fill it again when the wood has decomposed I'm going all soil. I have has the area covered with black plastic for a while to kill of the grass and weeds a little, now I just have to dig out the dandelions. I've used fabric in the past but the horsetail and dandelions seem to grow around it: waste of time and money for me.

[@davidmccluskey6908]

Congrats on your award. As too filling the raised bed , it is as with most things. Cheap, Quality, Fast. Pick two. I filled my bed with additional soil each year to spread the cost of doing so over a few years. Only need 8 inches or so to grow vegies, so filling it a third of the way each year spread that cost out over three years.

[@RandyFelts2121]

Congratulations for your reward.

[@dawnbaldi2389]

Thank you for this great explanation of what works and what doesn't really work. I ordered your book and can't wait to read it!

[@ninabalekic1431]

You are the only person that I can trust on utube to get the information on anything about gardening. Thank you.

[@noorjehankhan2347]

Always,somewhere in the world is a wise soul,thank you.

[@mojcabizjan6709]

It's a real blessing that I discovered you, but I'm not exactly a beginner

[@LoriSavingWild]

excellent. One question. is top soil the same as the soil in my garden. Like what my grass is growing in?

[@kenweston7604]

Useful material - thank you for sharing. There's one subject you discuss that I am hoping you can clarify for me. At 10:59 you say soil depth should be at least 2 feet, but toward the end (20:53) you recommend using a raised bed that's no more than 8" tall. I'm trying to decide right now the dimensions of beds I will build and got the mixed messages from this video.

[@Chelarue]

That's the part that confused me too. I've been using 10" and 12" raised beds for 9 years and when he said no less than 2' soil, I thought, uh-oh. Then, when he said 8", although it was contradictory, I decided what I've been doing is fine since it's worked well for me.

[@RA-rf4nz]

Congrats on your well deserved award and thanks for the information on filling raised beds. For people who are unable to install raised beds or get permission from their landlords, would you still advise filling 7, 10, and/or 15 gallon containers with 75% top soil and 25% compost?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Yes. My containers are mostly top soil. The clay means I need to water a lot less.

[@davidlillie4332]

Thanks for saving me time and money and for dispelling so many myths.

[@KarenCampbell-qh1xt]

Congrats on the award! Well deserved! I enjoy your content!

[@Tattersnail]

Regarding filling beds with logs or branches. I couldn’t find any scientific literature that suggests that you deplete your soil of nitrogen by using logs or branches. Contrary I found one that suggest that there is plenty of nitrogen when using logs or branches ie. Hugel Culture

[@jeanniewright2554]

Very nice explanations! Thank you!!

[@SheilaDawdy]

Fabulous video. Thanks for sharing all of that knowledge!!

[@GardenDocSC]

Great video, and thank you. I disagree about your opposition to the "hugelkultur" approach. I make all my raised beds 30" high. I have nutrient rich but drainage poor red clay here. Put down a layer of logs, add clay soil. Another layer of logs, add clay soil. Also I throw in bags of shredded paper from my office in each layer. Watering and stomping/shaking as I go. Then I'll add a layer of just shredded paper, water it down well, and add a generous dose of high N fertilizer (I usually use Milorganite, but blood meal will work). Final 12" is local "top blend" (a menagerie of compost and top soil), with peat moss mixed in by hand. Once the roots hit the wood layer...BAM! No more watering, as the wood acts like a water control system, absorbing and releasing water. Great way to incorporate my extra tree material, extra shredded paper, and clay soil. Yes it shrinks every year. How I fix that is another post!

[@shaolinfist8323]

After doing a lot of research I also settled on the hugelkulture method for my raised beds and filled the bottom half with old rotting logs. I compensated for the nitrogen that will take from the soil by adding grass cuttings and organic compost to the topsoil that I filled it with along with chopped leaves. As these things break down they are going to release nutrients into the ground including nitrogen. I specifically used old rotting logs to avoid nitrogen deficiency which mostly comes from fresh wood.

[@GardenDocSC]

@@shaolinfist8323 Agree. But I find it works fine with my clay soil. PLUS at the start and end of every growing season, I take a trowel and make a 9" hole, about every 2 feet, and put in a generous handful of wasted coffee grounds and filters. (shhhh, that's my secret to never having a nitrogen deficiency). It all leaches to Mother Earth at the base eventually.

[@shaolinfist8323]

I scatter a thin layer of grass clippings around my plants as a mulch, and the coffee grounds go into the compost bin 😁

[@austin2842]

I agree with the 75:25 soil to compost mix, but I'm an advocate of using logs in the bottom. Old logs, then a good layer of composted manure, then topped with soil and compost. I get minimal shrinkage, just an inch or so, which is the perfect amount for top-dressing each spring.

[@n2organic]

How tall are your beds?

[@austin2842]

@@n2organic My beds are table height, so about 28 inches.

[@jason4261]

Simply stated... THE BEST video I've watched regarding beds and soil. Immediately subscribe. Looking forward to more, realistic gardening and not spending money/waste of time/ gardening.

[@sallyazzato3481]

Thank you. Very informative. Would love to hear about covering the soil over winter, or not, as well as what mulches are suggested for weed suppression, and if they get removed at some point

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

If you mulch, the soil is already covered for winter. I do nothing special. In cold climates, it is a good idea to remove it in early spring to allow the soil to warm up. Then plant, and put it back.

[@thereseboogades8498]

Great lesson! Congratulations on reaching your subscribers milestone! 100,000, YAY!!! I installed hardware cloth to keep the moles out; works like a champ! Big rocks - perfect! I like to mix in clay - it helps with mineral content, fine particulate matter for stability & moisture retention. A raised bed with mostly organic matter will dry out way too fast - constant watering. I love clay everywhere with plenty of organic matter; can't beat it for results! No compaction in a raised bed; elsewhere I have to aerate occasionally. All the Best you! 😊

[@neiledwards8352]

one thing that you are forgetting , is if you are using logs or leaves organic matter , it will draw nitrogen out of the soil to decompose it , but eventually that nitrogen will be given back to the soil when the logs or whatever decompose. So you do get it back , and some raised beds like the metal ones are quite high , above knee level, which most plants roots arent going to get anywhere near, so a lot of the reason logs are used are to bulk out the soil level , and filling the whole bed with soil at the outlay maybe too expensive and topping it up every year or two is a more manageable way of doing it . Great video buy the way very helpful.

[@gloriamcphail4589]

Lots of common sense and great science. I agree about using top soil,,,, but buyer be ware...it can come with some terrible weed seeds.

[@blackbirdpie217]

I have cinder block concrete beds, I used coarse gravel in the bottom not for drainage, but for bulk. Then I put a weed mat on top not for weeds, just to keep the topsoil from falling into the gravel. It's worked okay but my bagged topsoil is I think the problem I have. It just doesn't retain water well, and I'm in zone 3 California with very hot summers. My tomatoes and the plants get cooked in the sun. So the water falls through as it seems to be mostly un-composted forest products. I think it needs some denser matter in it. Your videos should help me through this.

[@bungalobill7941]

When I was a child we had a garden on our farm. We didn't know anything about compost or amendments and rarely even used fertilizer. We just had heavy clay soil and it grew a ton of vegetables.

[@gfutube1]

Congratulations! I look to you for plant science.

[@ChristineKing-i5c]

I really like the idea of making the raised garden beds into wicking beds it cuts down on watering heaps

[@maesimmons9374]

I didn't know about the bath tub effect. Thanks. Getting ready to make another raised bed. Your ideas are great!

[@Auguur]

Hardware cloth is a must at the base of my raised beds. The voles, moles, chipmunks have tunnels all over the place and it definitely keeps them out. They don't like being exposed on top of the mulch so the stay away for the most part... except the chipmunks get my strawberries! They even climb up my lilac to get onto my deck and eat my container berries.

[@JoCat05]

This was the first video I’ve watched of yours after watching many, many others. I must say it was the most comprehensive and informative I’ve seen so far. I am in the design stage of my raised be garden. I love and appreciate all your suggestions and knowledge. I love the look and feel of raised bed gardening. However as you point out the cost of the materials and the filling of the beds are daunting. You may have convinced me that i don’t necessarily need a 32” high bed. I’m now thinking about an 8-10” deep bed would be all I need this would considerably cut the overall cost. I do have two questions. What are thoughts on wood types for building the beds? Is pressure treated a no no? What if the bed is only 8-10” would it matter much? Also, I currently grow my tomatoes, peppers and flowers in 5 gal grow bags and they seem to do fairly well. My thought is what if I were to up-pot to 10 gallon bags, build 17-21’ high raised beds with a “false bottom” and insert the bags on that base to give the illusion and look of a raised bed without the expense of filling the entire bed with soil? Or for that matter, just thinking out loud here…what if I were to build the 17-21” raised bed and build a false bottom 12” below, made of hardware cloth and weed barrier supported with wood or metal cross members every so many inches? Your thoughts and input would be greatly appreciated. I cannot wait to watch more of your videos and to purchase your books. If they are as easy to read and understand as your videos are they are a no brainer. Thank you for your time and consideration. True Fan!

[@cristinalattuada5322]

Congratulations! Thank you for passing on your knowledge.

[@GlenaGarrett]

Thank you for this, it helps a lot. I watch numerous garden channels and the amount of info about filling them is just enormous. Your explanations of the pros and cons really help with understanding how to most efficiently fill them. I have two small properties. The one I currently live on is very small and will have only a few beds, so I will use just soil here. The other is a long term property where I will be renovating a liny house to move into when I leave this one. On that one, I already have a rough layout plan for the beds there so I will begin staging rocks and logs where I will have larger beds because I really need to get those things out of the way of future projects.

[@alexcarr8503]

Caution, Caution Caution!!! Please read this. When buying manure buy the bag. !!! Read the bag before buying. Read the bag. Manure should be close to 100% organic. The bags for sale here has a tag claiming at least 15% organic matter. So , what is the remaining 85%. Well it is sand?, just feel a sample between your fingers. Yep it is mostly sand, I might add, very expensive sand. Buyer beware!!!

[@alanrosof7487]

I spent years making the mistake mentioned here. Mels mix is 1/3 each vermiculite, peat moss, and compost, but the compost is supposed to be 5 different kinds together equaling 1/3.

[@brendagreen9312]

Thank you!

[@joniboulware1436]

Well I have 32 inch tall beds and I can attest to the cost of having to fill them and top them off. I think I would go with 17 inch tall ones if doing it over again. Also, if they are metal beds with cross bracing rods, the settlement of soil causes rods to drop down and pull the sides of the planters inward. I had to dig down and pull up those rods on three bins. That was a bit of work. I did find however that huge tomato roots from the last season had extended well below the depth of those rods. I didn't follow the roots to the bottom but I would bet they went all the way to native soil.

[@9realitycheck9]

My raised beds are 30" high have 1/4" hardware mesh.. (we have gophers..) I put cardboard and old phone books, then I put a bit of staeer manure 4"-6" diameter rotting logs with some leaf litter & steer manure between and then ontop along with a few shovels of native top soil mixed in. upto about 12".. then I put Triple Mix with a few handfuls of perlite (oops) & a 1/2 bag of chicken manure in the last 16- 18".. water it in... I

[@michaelboom7704]

Doing my beds over last year I did dig a trench which was filled with waste wood from around the yard then mixed the clay soil with the soil I had been using then layered with compost.

[@bungalobill7941]

I use cotton gin trash as a mulch layer on top. When the level drops over time I just add more. Plants love it.

[@ChrisButcher-ic6cm]

When using a combination of top soil and compost do you recommend mixing it together in all levels of the box or concentrating the compost near the surface? Thank you and great video!

[@judithmoore6564]

I’m in north east Michigan and I am going to make some raised garden beds this year using cedar boards and concrete planter wall blocks. I have a rather nice area with sun to place them but, currently wild fringed loosestrife, lily of the valley and ferns have taken over the space. I do also have some cedar trees in the vicinity. The roots will gravitate to these beds so I don’t think I have no other choice but some sort of barrier. The lily of the valley are a tuber as are the loosestrife so riding the ground of them will be painstakingly impossible. Before I get started I was wondering what advice would you offer. Thank you in advance I love your channel.

[@joydavis4087]

I’m concerned about chemicals in the soil. I’m trying to grow veg as organic as possible. We have a bulk supplier. I can purchase topsoil and compost, which actually comes from the land fill from leaves and yard debris. My concern is, are there chemicals in that topsoil and compost? It is not Omni certified and they offer no assurances that their product is chem free. I’m doing my best to eliminate as much as I can away from my family both inside and outside of our house. Please, if you would, address the best way to fill raised beds for those of us who wish to grow as organic as possible. I’m not a fanatical purest, but this is an important topic. TY ❤ New sub.

[@alfredcochrane8596]

I have an important observation to share about weed barrier. I think what you said makes sense in your climate. However, in New Mexico (and likely any arid environment) tree roots will search out the beds because they are the only source of water. Within just a year or two I've seen beds become completely un-tillable because they are choked with thick tree roots. Water sticking around isn't a problem here, if only it would! I lay out weed barrier over the entire area, like you do with a xeriscaped yard, and then place the beds on top. This method has worked well for me, happy plants and no tree roots :)

[@lelandsmith2320]

in the desert I have found weed cloth to be a nuisance. fine sand blows into the garden and the weeds root ON TOP of the weed cloth. It is especially noticable on gravel ground cover which often is much of the landscaping of desert yards.

[@bootangy]

just adding a few inches of compost every year should be ok?

[@mz.amazing]

I appreciate this information on filling my raised beds. I know containers are different than a raised bed. Do you put anything in the bottom of containers? Would you use the top soil + compost mix in a containers as well? Thanks

[@lizxxx631]

I mulch the plants once they get growing with lawn clippings and in the fall with leaves. It adds to the soil a little every year and provides organic matter. It also provides food for worms which improves the soil and slows evaporation during hot dry spells.

[@Quarantain]

I was going to build sub-irrigated planters (SIP) 45 cm / 1.5 feet high and fill it with 2/3 potting mix, 1/3 pine bark mulch and 2 gallons of perlite for good measure. What would your recommendation be for such a scenario?

[@eyeonart6865]

Are pine needles chopped up good mulch?

[@DJBrown-nl8ls]

Really enjoy your videos. I have a serious back issue from a car accident and am unable to bend down too long. I want to have some elvated beds made or order online. Do you recommend elevated beds with legs or the ones that sat on the ground? I was thinking maybe waist high?

[@cartoon80s90s]

Congrats on the award and on the very helpful video. I am looking to build a raised bed for my parents who are getting older. What is your opinion on using galvanized metal sheets on the sides of a raised bed, supported by a wooden frame, instead of making it all out of wood, as the cost of wood where I live is too high. What problems, if any, should I expect by making the raised bed this way. Theoretically, it is better for the wood, as it keeps the moisture away from the wood, and there are premade metal raised beds that seem to be a great solution.

[@DebRoo11]

I just made 8 of these beds with the panels. 8x4' x20" deep.

[@anntaft7808]

My husband filled 5 stock tanks with top soil 15 years ago. It worked great! They were abandoned until 3 years ago. I added Promix and commercial compost. It seems to be slightly less productive and requires more water. Am I imagining this? I now also grow in Sterlite 18 gal. Totes for their ease. They are filled with Pro mix and compost . Of course they shrink. Should I have used top soil instead? Would adding bagged topsoil work or cause problems!

[@mikehart2332]

I have a lot of trees on my property… starting new gardens. How do I keep the tree roots from overwhelming the garden beds?? Thx

[@Leonardqh5kp]

Fantastic advice without the ideology - just science and facts

[@buckaroobonzai2909]

I'm not saying this is ideal for a raised bed, but for potting soil, a good idea is to buy the pearlite, compost matter, and dirt separately. The pearlite is for drainage. The Composted material like manure, or broken down leaves is for soaking up water and for nutrients. The dirt is probably mostly for filler and to provide a soil-like structure to it. If you buy three big bags of each, that is cheaper in the long run than buying 1 big bag of it already mixed. It's kind of pricy up front, but most gardeners won't have to worry about potting soil again for possibly years and the stuff never goes bad. they say a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio of mixing and you should be fine, but I like to go slightly less on the pearlite.

[@douglasm1075]

Enjoyed your video. First time reader. Had a question regarding weeds/ weed seeds..you probably have answered this elsewhere.... so top soil is full of weed seeds, if I mix that with compost, (75/25 ratio) won't I still be dealing with weeds?

[@PaulZeeX]

3:28 I suspect this idea may have "migrated" from vermiculture where some (most?) worm farms designs include bedding material in a layer (often the bottom layer). Over time in my own worm farms, I've shifted from purchasing Coconut Coir and Jute sacking as a base layer to recycling plain waste cardboard after removing tape, labels and other plastics. Worms certainly seem to like all these materials generally, and favor them as a refuge when the addition of new waste changes the pH unfavorably. Noting that composting worms are different from garden worms and have different roles, it does raise the question for me whether adding a layer of card encourages, discourages or does nothing for garden worm activity in a raised bed.

[@walsterdoomit]

Is that why they use wood chips for mulch? It kills / discourages plant growth because nitrogen? Great stuff THANKS 👍

[@aok2727]

As I see all the you tube videos and see the landscape fabric and logs in the beds, I simply laugh. I do mix some of my native soil (not typically topsoil) to my purchased garden mix. I don’t know if it helps but I like the idea I have some native microorganisms. I always use my own compost and worm castings. I do have to continue to add soil every couple years. I have used all compost and it simply didn’t work well. I do grow my flowers and other plants in my sticky, nasty clay soil and have done well enough if I add compost regularly and monitor water levels.

[@jeanninemcwhorter919]

Question. I have very heavy clay soil here in east Texas. I’m conflicted about putting raised bed directly over lawn versus braking up the natural clay before adding soils such as mushroom, compost ect directly on top of lawn. What’s your advice please?

[@1stgardenpharm]

What about using weed cloth under the bed and surrounding area to keep invasive tree roots from invading the bed?

[@kevinmills7067]

I am thinking about starting a small garden. The floor print is 12x14. Inside of this area I plan to put two 8x4 beds (with a 2' permitter around them). If I pull the sod up this fall, store it upside down through the winter to kill the grass, would this be good to put in the bottom of my beds as a filler? Or could this cause problems?

[@bungalobill7941]

Allura fiber board is one of the best things to use for a raised bed. Inexpensive and it lasts forever 12inch x 5 x 15 foot bed is about $60.

[@oliverbrown6088]

Yeah, nah, on some of that. Logs or even (free) arborist's chips for a lot of the bottom of a high raised bed works great for many people. It becomes a sponge over time, before it disappears (and on sand like I have, that's an alternative to having the dune suck moisture out from below instead). Nitrogen not a problem with natural fertilising with chook manure, worm farm juice (and in my case, and I admit not for everyone, aged urine). And high raised beds are definitely more pleasant to work with - weeding most particularly. And the top up shouldn't be a problem - a compost top up (for no-dig) or dig in keeps raising the height with each successive planting.

[@chefe2152]

Would 8 or 12 inch high raised bed still grow good tomatoes and cucumbers?

[@kolbblycheezes]

Awesome video. A true OG of gardening

[@joecornely7309]

what can i mulch with that wil block weeds and can be tilled into the soil at the end of the season?

[@libbyholt3863]

What you said about cardboard in the bottom of a tall raised bed makes sense to me. Same for hardware cloth and rodents that are climbers vs diggers/tunnelers. I was figuring to use cardboard as a weed deterrent about 4" from the top of my new, tall raised bed before adding 4" of compost. The bit about logs robbing the soil of nitrogen, however, made me wish I could ask you questions. I've seen where some people use a 1:10 ratio of their own urine-to-water as a source of nitrogen, provided they're not consuming any passed-thru Rx that you wouldn't want "taken up" by edible plants. Wouldn't that be a simple way to compensate? Or, wouldn't the generous addition of compost do the trick? How about straight up green grass clippings? (Though I usually use those to make my compost in the first place.) As to the level of your soil falling as the logs decompose, I was thinking that would be a good thing for two reasons. One, I don't have to come up with all that soil all at once, enough to fill a new & tall raised bed. Instead, I can add more soil over the coming years as I complete other landscaping projects and/or come up with other sources as needed. And, two, since I plan to add a layer of compost to the top of the bed each November as well as some mulch when I plant in the spring, I figured I'd be glad for the top surface to sink a little each year to make space for that. On the other hand, perhaps compost and mulch decompose and sink faster than I thought. Can you tell I'm pretty new to all this?

[@HollenbergR]

I'm about a decade into gardening and I feel similarly. I only get paid so much per paycheck and I can't spend what I don't have on gardening, although it's tempting. 😅 I did what I could with life and sticks, yard waste trimmings, unfinished compost and free Starbucks coffee grounds, then filled the top third or more of my beds with potting mix. I'll mulch well, add compost mid season and at the end, and water with a mix of water and urine to add nitrogen. Then at the end of the season, I can add more soil if it has sunken too low. For my one tall bed. I stuck with annuals this year since it's my first year but I have a short bed full of strawberries that I feel will be fine for their 5 year life and as they make runners, I can pot them up in separate containers if I need to move them or dig up the roots in dormancy.

[@normanschupp485]

In my raised beds I use 60% native soil 25% compost and 15% raised bed mix or triple mix in a 4 × 8 ×6 bed with a 5% soil loss per year or 1/2" loss

[@garybunch40]

Good advice. Quick question. Most of my beds are mostly native soil. But I add black cow each spring to fill the best then till to somewhat mix together. Will this method cause that layering effect?

[@spanky7277]

How thick should the soil be ?

[@christieogren607]

Thank you for all the information and encouragement. Your azaleas sure are beautiful. Please give me a chance for the Vego bed.

[@SamlSchulze1104]

At least 2ft. of top soil. Cool How about from the bottom up: Paper Soil 6in Compost+leaves+woodchips 3-5in. Soil 18in. top soil Grass/hay mulch covering

[@rickdavid1795]

I compost everything all winter long, in spring my raised beds are ready to go.