How to Fill, Fertilize, Plant, AND Mulch a Raised Bed from START to FINISH

[@epicgardening]

If you love these raised beds like me, grab some for your garden (shipping in November): shop.epicgardening.com/

[@rancisgamer]

What kind of corn is that that stays short?

[@tacooflove6175]

RancisGamer baby corn 🌽

[@trishdavi7049]

[@janetclark8754]

I just sent an email for shipping quotes... ;o)

[@scottcannon1383]

Or check out adelaide garden beds on Facebook and Instagram and follow their ideas and make your own for less than a third of the cost!

[@sandiharper421]

Hi epic, I am 74 and starting a garden, my last one was 30 years ago. You are my life saver because I remember nothing being like this. I am doing a raised tote garden. I am very excited and nervous so wish me luck. Sandra Harper, prineville OR .

[@joannecordone6831]

Everytime I head out to the garden in the morning before breakfast for a quick chore, I end up eating at lunch time.

[@jilliancenteno2269]

Same here!

[@ja-uh9gz]

Haha...I've done that, too. I think, just a little chore, then I do something else..as along as I'm here, might as well get it all done, get it out of the way. Hours later.... :D

[@dianac5130]

Ditto lol. There's always something to be done.

[@generalsmedleybutler340]

intermittent fasting

[@tealkerberus748]

You need more pick-and-eat plants in your garden, and you'll be able to eat your breakfast as you work.

[@kaylala1217]

when you pointed at the beetle and said "oh look we got the devil" without missing a beat omg hahah! I've found as I've started gardening this year that I've developed strong opinions on bugs and pests.. opinions I never thought I'd have LOL so this made my day

[@epicgardening]

LOL same

[@TheBluntATP]

I hate them... they killed an entire bed.

[@Bluexin_]

Yeah my big issue is thrips. Especially once they get into an indoor tent, pretty brutal

[@southfloridagardener5357]

LMFAO when he said that i cracked up, needed that laugh because i call a ton of insects that in the garden!!

[@brada1803]

I'm sorry - but I just discovered this channel today, if this is San Diego, CA - the JB needs to be addressed (It still can be eliminated)

[@tomsherrill6118]

We've found that 1/2 inch wire mesh secured to the sides below the logs makes a great floor to keep moles and burrowing critters out.

[@brandysvenson8649]

Just wondering how you attach the hardware cloth to the planters. We have voles, mice, ground squirrels, and moles. There’s no way the logs alone will stop them!

[@user-ed7et3pb4o]

@@brandysvenson8649 you don’t want to do that, you want your beds to be somewhat open to the soil. Maybe try a finer net?

[@thereinthetrees_5626]

@@user-ed7et3pb4o why would you want your bed to be exposed to the soil? I can’t think of a single positive for that. You won’t get nutrients or any benifit from that, and the roots will never be growing that low in the first place, I feel like that’s unnecessary

[@suemowat222]

In the UK we are trying to cut out the use of peat because of the destruction of peat bogs which are important ecologically.

[@gmonkey12776]

Can u please elaborate?

[@dollhead]

@@gmonkey12776 peat bogs are created over 1000s of years by dead organic matter accumulating in a wet environment, and if you give them millions of years, they'll eventually form coal. they're not very prevalent since they only thrive in boreal type environments, but they're an important environment for many different types of species and generally have really interesting ecological properties. you've probably heard of tollund man, they can preserve many things almost perfectly including people... and even butter lmao. so when people harvest them for the amazing water holing capabilities of peat moss, it's a very destructive process of using excavators and such and basically gets rids of 1000s of years worth of compressed moss and om, which is obviously not very sustainable since it takes so much time to form in the first place. it also potentially is getting rid of preserved artifacts which sucks. coco coir, on the other hand, is formed using the outer husk of coconut shells which is great considering that they would otherwise likely go to waste once people have gotten the coconut water and meat out of them. peat moss can hold about 20x its dry weight in water, while coco coir holds about 10x as much, but the latter is much much more sustainable!!

[@emmyashbaugh]

I was concerned about this also, Gardener Scott address this in one of his videos. Apparently much of the peet we use here in the United States anyway, comes from Canada & according to them is quite sustainable. Just another perspective to consider 💗 happy gardening!

[@ButterflyZo]

@@gmonkey12776 Peat bogs are huge carbon sinks, so they hold a lot of carbon that would otherwise be in the air contributing to global warming.

[@tealkerberus748]

Hence using coir instead. It's a renewable byproduct, and it helps support farmers in developing countries too.

[@artsyapple6509]

Anyone else super satisfied at that watering tool? Its almost like photoshop the way it doesn't alter the soil at all. Even in other videos, it doesn't cause any crazy pressure movements on plants either. Its so nice to watch!

[@_KayGee_]

Yes!!! I came to the comments looking for what it’s called/ a brand because I want one 😍

[@tonyapiper]

@@_KayGee_ Did you find out what is? I want one too!

[@Kittychimes]

Yeah that was magical lol

[@whodidit99]

They are $10 at Costco, and there's a bonus nozzle.

[@rebelpepper7397]

Perfect timing as usual! Just watching you lift logs, shovel filler material and mix soil made me tired. I'll feel that until next week.

[@epicgardening]

Lol I got wrecked

[@seaglass8940]

@@epicgardening lol, you need to hire a kid to do the grunt work, save your body lol

[@rebelpepper7397]

@@epicgardening I bet! That's why you need a hot tub with a built in mini bar. You know, cause "self care" and all. 😆

[@stephanieparker1250]

Look at that beautiful weather, all that land.. I’m jelly 😊

[@aliciafranco5704]

Oh man! JUST WHAT I NEEDED!!!! Now I can start my garden with confidence ☆ Thx you handsome gardener Guru!

[@epicgardening]

Got you covered!

[@barbaracarbone4658]

Yes, he's handsome indeed. And he sings well, too! Lol.

[@werdw4849]

I am doing the same thing this fall. A raised bed with wood as the base. I am digging down into my top soil to give more depth and then placing logs, scrap branches and wood chips as a base. The I will place compost (home created ) Then placing the top soil on top with grass side down to help with Nitrogen. After all of that wood chips as mulch on top and let sit over fall and winter for next Spring. Happy to see someone else use wood as the base in a raised garden.

[@carolann1906]

I just got my 2 6 in 1, shorts, today, I can't wait to get started. I am the only one in my Michigan burb with them. Your customer service was excellent...fed ex delayed because of weather, shipped last Saturday, 14th, but here today. Thank you Kevin!

[@GoodGollyMissMolly763]

This was soooooooo helpful. I didn't know what I was doing last spring but still managed to grow and harvest a good amount of crop but with this information, I'll probably double what I grew last year. Thank you!!!

[@acasa409]

We moved two beds yesterday adding hardware cloth. The moles found their way around the logs. Once they get in their tunnels reroute the water making portions of the bed hard to water. That’s my experience anyway. Love the beds. Now have my original two and the third that arrived recently filled and planted. Excited for the winter garden in zone 9b.

[@benroberts6762]

Birdies beds are amazing

[@tealkerberus748]

A small electric DIY concrete mixer works a treat for mixing your soil ingredients together. More people should own one!

[@beccabee94]

I’m so glad you mentioned this!! I was dreading mixing all of my soil tomorrow and you reminded me about the concrete mixer I have in the garage, thank you!

[@kingsimon1422]

I did UR super easy bed and its looking really good its the one with the 4 bricks and the wood

[@handfullgardeningandcrafts1252]

Your videos keeps me learning. Thank you for sharing.

[@rhiannonh5202]

Birdies beds are the best can confirm!!

[@epicgardening]

[@sher152]

Because I had so many beds to fill eight years ago, I mixed Mel's mix in a Harbor Freight cement mixer. It did 17 gallons at a time and it took 10 minutes to mix ea load. I was done in no time. It is just an Idea and it will save your back. My Hugelkultur style beds drop about 4 to 6 inches a year, I just top them off now with homemade compost.

[@matthysloedolff]

That soil in the bed looks so rich and fertile! I'm sure the plants will love it and you'll get epic harvests 👍

[@trumql]

Man, I'm so envious of the weather back in your place. I gotta lots of ideas for the garden but I have to wait for the spring.

[@seedrootsprouts2290]

When I see you do this and I get all excited, I have to remind myself that z7b is not the time to start planting anything that won’t mature in 30-35 days😩. But I love the inspiration! I have the coveted square foot gardening book and I cherish its wealth of information.

[@epicgardening]

More winter-y stuff coming soon!

[@lisacastano1064]

Some things do well in the winter in zone 7b any of the brassicas and spinach will keep going all winter unless there's a really hard freeze and a row cover can work wonders.

[@trishdavi7049]

If it isn't filled completely could a sheet of glass or thick poly be hinged on top to make a large cold frame???

[@lisacastano1064]

@@trishdavi7049 I'd probably do a one like a short row cover I saw in a video last year the guy used PVC pipe to make it

[@debbietampasheher3682]

I ordered 2 of those 6 in 1 beds. Should be here in a few days according to fedex. Perfect timing on this tutorial :)

[@epicgardening]

Use the packaging as sheet mulch on the bottom :)

[@samantharose2759]

Great video! Love using the hugelkulter method. Thanks for promoting Aussie products. Birdies are the best, I use them here in Australia and have great success... and definitely saves the back lol 🇦🇺

[@nzaucklander]

Self Sufficient Me From Australia uses them lot too

[@samantharose2759]

@@nzaucklander he sure does. Mark's videos are a lot of fun to watch 😊

[@epicgardening]

Hands down the best metal product!

[@running4fun863]

The best podcast on Gardening, Kevin thanks you so much .

[@karenyhogan5196]

This is the best idea I have seen for filling raised beds, saving me so much more money and work of mixing.

[@Witchdame]

I have Mel's book from 1981, and I love your videos that keep his spirit going! Thank you!

[@catiepower3550]

Going back to this to see where you started on this property after having seen where you are now… gives me hope that my project will be just as awesome when I’m done fiddling with it.

[@flowerpixel]

6 months ago I was looking for a good video JUST LIKE THIS showing a raised bed mix because I wasn't sure I did mine right. this is incredibly useful

[@robinhazeslip1800]

Great refresher on filling raised beds! I found your first video just as I was needing to fill my very first raised bed this spring! Saved me lots of money by filling lower half with material other than soil. 😊

[@digsindirt4490]

I love how you’re out there scooping and shoveling wood chips in your flip-flops! Gotta love gardening in the south. Another great, informative video. Thank you!!

[@eaevans1169]

I love what a Californian you are--shoveling wood chips in flip flops! :)

[@dannyhughes4889]

I mix on an old sheet of 10 mm thick 2.4 x1.2 mtr Plastic .....lots of room, flexible enough but strong, lasts 'forever', water/rain proof and allows for mixing Tools to slide without catching as what happens with Tarps etc..

[@mariapinzon6856]

Thank you so much for giving a more sustainable alternative!

[@Skorch1340]

Perfect timing for this video, my Birdies bed that I ordered from you will be arriving tomorrow (two days earlier then originally stated from fed ex). THANK YOU SO MUCH KEVIN, I have been wanting one of these beds for a few years now, you made it happen 👊

[@epicgardening]

YES! I'm so excited for you...thank you so much for the order.

[@quinnjdq]

Some really great shots in this one, really pleasing on the eye! Planted my first few vegies this fall and saw the first sprout today, big thanks for the inspiration!

[@epicgardening]

Working on my videography!

[@amiraisni4832]

Here, in South East Asia, we use coconut waste. Coco husk, coco shells, the bark, leaves. We have plenty of them.

[@dustinwest3267]

This is honestly a really cool but really smart video

[@Piamia1010]

Plant spacing 15:36 🤟🏼 🥰 Kevy Kev 👨🏻‍🌾

[@jasonm887]

When mixing alot of soil to fill new beds for the first time. Using a very clean cement mixer is helpful.

[@marydian3863]

Its big help for me to start my urban gardening last 2 months ago.just uses my small balcon space.I've Been checking and learn on your youtube, instagram also. THANK YOU Regard from Indonesia

[@Demebeso714]

Your videos always bring peace and sanity .. I am so happy that you can continue all your work in your garden.. I will use this video for my backyard next Spring.. raised bed gardening wow luv it!! You warm my heart🤗😊you bring happiness 😊🌝🌞

[@epicgardening]

Doing what I can, thank you!

[@willitine]

I have never attempted a raised bed. You got me motivated to try making one for my herb garden someday! Great video on how to start, Kevin. 👍 Thanks, Epic Gardening!

[@ryanmatthewtang2292]

Loved the intro! but very Self Sufficient Me vibes haha

[@epicgardening]

;)

[@dreamleaf6784]

He even wore the short shorts

[@rickr5927]

Thanks so much for this video. In south africa and it's spring, so right on time. Seedlings germinating as we speak and today ordering materials for my planters. Might be a tip, I also bought a Moisture meter, they cost next to nothing (equivalent of 10 us) and will tell you the moisture content of the soil. I love it ! No batteries nothing ;-) Keep 'em coming, love your channel and .. your a nice guy to listen to as well !!

[@janineloftin2151]

Hi Kevin, I was thinking, as I watched you carry those chunks of wood......please don't drop one on your toes. Wearing flip flops = no protection for your feet. I know it has been hot. Safety 1st! I really like the color of your new raised bed. Have a nice evening. 🌸

[@epicgardening]

You're right!

[@barbaracarbone4658]

That looks beautiful. I've been truly considering these raised beds. I'm tall, too. I'm 5'11" and these would alleviate the constant bending. Great vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@epicgardening]

Feel free to email if you have any q's!

[@barbaracarbone4658]

@@epicgardening ok.. thanks!

[@leog8100]

Great video, just planning out my next season of vegetables for my raised beds I built last week in California.

[@epicgardening]

Good luck!

[@jeffdahlman8581]

Thanks for the epic info -- Congrats on the new place !

[@atomicblue]

CaliKim mentioned you and your new book in her live feed today. Nice lady.

[@epicgardening]

She's super nice!

[@ritagibson225]

@@epicgardening I've met them both and they're just as nice in person. Appreciate you and the other local gardeners on YT. Another sweet person is Ms B at SD Seed Co. Thanks for introducing her in your video. She's my local seed go-to company. Great quality.

[@authorcharlieboring]

As a filler in my high raised beds, I use composted leaves that I get for free from the county transfer center. For my soil mix, I use i part old potting soil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part black kow manure, 1 part top soil, 1 cup azomite, 1 cup blood meal and 1 cup bone meal.

[@Kuuipo1972]

The mixing part...glad to know I'm doing "something" right.

[@LedaSBotelho]

I love the intro! Ooh my goodness you are getting me so excited for next year. You are quite the life saver! Thanks honey. Stay safe, stay happy, stay blessed.

[@epicgardening]

Likewise!

[@larrygk1257]

Very useful for me particularly as I am also in San Diego (climate) and also will be doing my first planting in a home built raised bed.

[@debrak.6430]

This was Very helpful!!!! I am planting in my Vego 9ft bed we just bought for extra space I needed. ...I have a nice big pile of chopped wood that has been sitting quite a few yrs...I also have straw...not store bought( going to ck that out online)and also some nice compost...probably a good wheelbarrow Full....I like the mix of your soil....def going to do that. I really like epsoma fertilizers too....the granular fertilizer isn't too strong for young tender starters? I see u used it lightly.....I actually have 3 bags of Plant starter fertilizer Epsoma....could I use it.....and then later on add some worm castings or processed chicken pellets? Any info on fertilizing from summer till fall (if even needed!) Would be appreciated!!!! I'm very excited....hope it all turns out. I was going to put landscaping cloth down first then cardboard before the wood.... does that sound ok?

[@daleservidio2034]

Thank you. This video answered a lot of my MANY questions!

[@epicgardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@norkelbri]

Prefect!! My Birdies arrived this weekend. Timely post. Thanks !!!

[@epicgardening]

[@suchitrarajan4745]

Great idea using log pieces at the bottom,never thought of that. Take care of your back dear

[@epicgardening]

Thank you so much 😊

[@thomaskrafft9890]

Kevin, have you explored the benefits of Biochar? I never learned about it in my Agronomy studies, but I’ve become convinced of its benefits and it’s catching on. It’s a nearly permanent soil amendment that provides exponential surface area for beneficial microbes and nutrients. I just bought your best raised beds and am using Biochar. 👍 P.S. Thank you for your concise, non-fumbling commentary-it doesn’t sound rehearsed, but very articulate. 😇

[@TrishLee]

I really learn a lot from you! Thank you for this amazing video! :)

[@epicgardening]

I'm so glad!

[@paulp6386]

Greetings from Australia. Love the channel :)

[@plantsoverpills1643]

“Kevin-in-the-box,” 😉 thanks for these great tips on raised bed gardening. Like so many of your viewers, we are also in the process of filling our own raised beds. First with trunk logs, rotted branches, twigs and small decomposing debris to fill in those empty pockets. Then we placed fish remains over the branches and then a layer of cardboard to slow down the settling process. In the remaining 14” we sifted decomposed leaf and tree branch soil from our forest. We have yet to ad chopped leaves, grass and our homemade compost plus bone + blood meal, sea compost, some horse manure and finally a well decomposed mulch, freely delivered in 2019 by tree pruners who (lucky for us) were working in the area. After a good watering down, this will sit and stew over our zone 5 winter for about 7 months. It is our hope that it will be veggie worthy when we plant it up next May. If you have any critique, we gladly welcome it. In the meantime, we’re paying a trip to our osteopath to reset our garden weary bodies for the next round of gardening!

[@dl923]

I AM SO EXCITED THAT YOU ARE IN SAN DIEGO, my zone. You have inspired me so much. I love gardening, but I'm 75, and have some health issues. So I watch you on KZbin all the time and you get me moving. I would like to know where you get your straw and bedding soil?

[@isabelramos8837]

Use ur hamstrings like a Romain dead lift, squeeze hamstrings so it forces your lower back to use the correct muscle for lifting , with will protect your back

[@mrc3458]

Great video on how to fill a raised bed. That peat moss has come up extremely over the year. Last year I paid $10 for 3 cu.ft. like you have. Yesterday I paid $18, I was in shock. Nice beds you have there.

[@dragonslayer89641]

Now this is not a coincidence! We JUST built our first raised planter... Perfect timing 😍👌

[@allthingspossible4569]

I see amazing gardeners use mulch all the time... bottom and top so i think its a good thing...

[@hjeffwallace]

Its easy to mix by rolling the tarp around. It works for concrete, too.

[@nataliekittylane4910]

This was brilliant - particularly the advice on when and how to mulch xxx

[@beatpirate8]

Wow you are answering a lot of my questions

[@trishdavi7049]

Thank you 💓 for inspiring me again. I now know where my next raised bed will be. It will be huge. I had an ugly mangled stack of decomposing logs and stumps relocated into a 15 by 30 ft wide 6 to 8 ft deep hole that will have a truckload of wood chips on top to settle and fill in between the punky logs and stumps then a truckload or two of soil and compost on top of that. I have similar wavy tin that will be repurposed into a toolshed roof on the north side of a greenhouse. The less punky logs will be stacked to make a seat around the 15 by 30 ft raised bed and I will probably have a ramp and steps up each side with stepping stones across the top down the middle to the edges for accessibility. It's a big job but it will sure look and be better than a 20 year old pile of stumps and logs that was supposed to be burned but never was. As it erodes it enriches the soil. If it were burned soil enrichment not as much as air pollution. Thanks again

[@epicgardening]

Welcome!

[@icouldjustscream]

'punky logs'.......are you Canadian?

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

A wonderful video , lovely property , a dream really for me , to have a back yard garden where we live and not at a 2nd location . In the meantime I'm making the most of my partial shade balcony garden .

[@tacooflove6175]

I just finished building a raised bed then boom here you are 😎

[@epicgardening]

Here for ya!

[@kimberlyguimond4186]

Love these raised beds! Been buying a couple a year for the past two years from you. So versatile.

[@epicgardening]

Appreciate you Kimberly

[@nzaucklander]

We just use wood chips and then pure compost on top. it works great and its cheap!

[@epicgardening]

Perfect!

[@disenchanted8470]

How do you keep the slugs from thriving in your mulch?

[@nzaucklander]

@@disenchanted8470 In the winter its usually a bit of a problem, but in summer not much. We use coffee grounds if we have them.

[@disenchanted8470]

@@nzaucklander thanks for replying. We had a lot of rain, and the lower layer of mulch turned into the ideal living area for slugs. I'll definitely try coffee grounds :)

[@minaflores6650]

How about wood trimmings that fall out from circular saws? would that be a good mulch and or dried leaves if I may ask.

[@takishasallbeautyzone]

Great video! That was some serious work. It looks great. I'm going to have to get some of that sraw.

[@diannejackson2400]

Great information! Thank you!

[@epicgardening]

You bet!

[@nutritionfacts727]

What are you planning to celebrate 1M subscribers?? So exciting !! You need to do something grand !!

[@jojopuerto]

New sub here. I was just gifted a 6 in 1 original bed for my birthday! Very excited to start this journey. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@running4fun863]

I love all your podcast and watch it over and over again as I learn so much. I am new to gardening and love it. I want to become a gardener now. Thanks for all the amazing lessons. Can I buy your book on Amazon. I am in Australia currently.

[@trixiekirch434]

This is great! Thank you!

[@planterscapecortensteelgar2631]

Really great video on filling raised garden beds or large planters!

[@donnielledonaldson996]

YAY, I have so much wood to use up. :) saving money on dirt too

[@zetagundamzz]

This just totally sold me on whether to build wood beds or get birdies. I'd rather spend the time perfecting my soil and multching than building huge beds myself.

[@epicgardening]

Exactly how I feel especially when the wood for beds this size cost more than metal beds!

[@inezvasquez8104]

woo! thankful to have found you via Garden Answer! I am in Central California looking for Cailfornia gardening.

[@jefferykesler3933]

Nice video. I have a lot of dried pine needles. Would that be fine to use on top of the logs them my mix on top?

[@sweetsrt]

If you know you have gophers and whatnot I would still put a mesh deterrent under the frame because after the logs decompose those critters are coming in....

[@ohio_gardener]

You are going to have a great garden with that Hugelkultur raised bed setup. And those two composts are going to add a lot of microbial life in addition to the Mycorrhizae Fungi, which the plants will love! The Living Soil Web will quickly develop, and continue to be fed by that slowly decomposing wood. Over the years my raised beds have become almost pure compost, and they produce more harvest then I could ever have imagined.

[@epicgardening]

Yup - totally agree!

[@ediedarlenecreations]

I just received my bed. Excited to set it up! This video came at the perfect time! 😃

[@max-ib1tx]

Road to 1 Mill!!!!!

[@dalebailey754]

I like that they come in 3 different colors. I am purchasing a manufactured home and placing it on rural property, and I love that I can get a raised garden bed that matches my home color! But, my first raised bed will be from bricks and other materials that are being given to me. I may purchase one or 2 of these beds down the line. Maybe I will get some of the tree wraps for my fruit trees and plant pollinators in the beds surrounding them.

[@lpattenaude1716]

Great video, thanks for making

[@christinebyrnes3164]

Great video! So helpful 👍

[@spencerbunch]

Great information!! I would think you could add more wood chips or leaves before you put soil mix on top. I've done the raised beds with only 4 to 6 inches of soil on top to plant in. It works great!! Raised beds are so easy to work with.... and, putting the logs in first really helps so the raised beds don't dry out so quickly.... they work like a sponge!! Thanks for sharing.... I love your new property!!

[@epicgardening]

For sure - I just like going a bit crazy!

[@lukaslambs5780]

I’m 6’2” but am 20 years old and flexible but I am not trying to screw up my back and become my Dad so great idea to make it taller for us larger people.

[@BrightRavenofAcadia]

Perfect timing, I just got my raised bed not too long ago.

[@u0296106]

Thanks!

[@TheArcSet]

A nice video, thanks for sharing.

[@lo5374]

Or what are your thoughts on raised beds with legs- like table height. No bending down. And you have area below that you can also plant

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you! I have 2 metal raised beds I have to install yet. This video is very helpful.

[@epicgardening]

Glad it was helpful!