How to Fill Raised Garden Beds Properly

Don't make these common mistakes when filling your raised beds
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How to Fill Raised Garden Beds Properly
weed barrier, stones in the bottom, vermiculite, perlite, mel's mix square foot gardening, top soil, soil calculator
List of Credits:
Images:
All slides and videos belong to GardenFundamentals.com or are public domain images, except for the following:
raised bed with trellis by Srl: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Old raised beds by Lori L. Stalteri:www.flickr.com/photos/llstalt...
small raised be by Mike McCune:www.flickr.com/photos/mccun93...
drip irrigation by Gail Langellotto:www.flickr.com/photos/osumg/5...
smaller drip system by Matt Haughey:www.flickr.com/photos/mathowi...
raised bed with low level of peat moss www.flickr.com/photos/thecamp...
bindweed www.flickr.com/photos/cropsho...
sheet mulching www.flickr.com/photos/mmwm/14...
food scraps being added to compost www.flickr.com/photos/mpcapho...
cover raised bed www.flickr.com/photos/rexblog...
raised beds on thumb nail thisismygarden.com/2021/12/cr...

[@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!

[@tealkerberus748]

I dispute the logs or wood material rotting away to nothing. When they compost, they do shrink, but they should be slowly turning into humus, not evaporating completely. Whatever you fill your beds with, you're going to have to top it up every year, because vegetable gardening takes a lot of nutrients out of the soil. Plan to add a good whole organic mulch like a compost of organic animal manure in wood chips every year and don't stress about it. Calling perlite and vermiculite "man made" is dishonest. To most people, that implies a petrochemical product like plastics. Perlite and vermiculite are both just particular types of rocks that, when heated, expand like popcorn. When you add them to your soil you are adding small lightweight fluffy rocks. Perlite holds some water but tends to make your soil drain a bit better if it's inclined to be boggy, while vermiculite holds water like a sponge, but they're both just particular types of rocks. Being "in your soil forever" is a thing rocks do, and a moment ago you were saying adding rocks to your garden soil is fine! Healthy soil contains four primary components. Sand, silt, and clay, are the three size categories of rock particles in dirt, and different ratios of the three sizes will give you different mechanical properties of your soil - how easily water soaks in and is held, how easily plant roots penetrate, that sort of stuff. This is the stuff in "topsoil" that makes it not compact so much over time - the inert rock particles. Other inert rock particles like perlite and vermiculite, or sand if you add that to loosen your mix, also don't break down. The fourth primary component is organic matter - compost, humus, and whatever plant or animal matter you've added that isn't composting yet. It does break down over time, and you do need to keep adding more because the breaking down process is where all the soil nutrients your plants need to grow are coming from. The sand, silt, and clay particles, and vermiculite or perlite if you add them, are just sitting there. They hold air and water, they support your plants' roots, but they don't provide nutrients. If you want a growing medium that doesn't shrink over time, you're looking for a growing medium that contains no organic matter and therefore no nutrients, and at that point you're moving into hydroponics because if there's no nutrients in the growing medium you're going to have to add them as fertiliser. Also, if anyone has made rased beds more than 2' high, it's almost certainly for disabled access purposes. Disabled people wanting to garden at a comfortable working height are valid and should go right on doing what works for them.

[@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!

[@jfabiani]

Sometimes you cant "bite the bullet" due to financial restrictions and adding soil over a long time is easier. We're living hand to mouth out here.

[@jfabiani]

"change the bed so they are not so high" Got it. What I have done is put someones old lawn as the base layer and then pile on top of that and let it break down. Gets rid of lawn and fills the bed.

[@jfabiani]

Very comprehensive and informative video. Thanks you.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Don't make raised beds with wall - just raise he soil level 6" and plant.

[@jfabiani]

@@Gardenfundamentals1I have several tall ones and two short ones. The short ones always outperform the tall ones.

[@ByDesign333]

nitrogen is gone from very old spongey wood...use it then?

[@maesimmons9374]

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

[@MelyndaVang2023]

You are so worthy of your award. Thank GOD I saw this video. I almost made all the SAME mistakes as everybody out there. I saw this video and now I can finally do it right. Thank you so much!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@SeerinSpirit]

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.

[@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 🎉🎉🎉

[@rickdavid1795]

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

[@preprebelactual]

What I do is mix regular garden soil, ProMix, peat moss with either perlite or vermiculite and compost, all mixed together and screened before filling my raised beds.

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@cbak1819]

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

[@aljacobson9525]

Congrats on Award!😊

[@mojcabizjan6709]

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

[@KarenCampbell-qh1xt]

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

[@racebiketuner]

Thanks for another great vid.

[@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

[@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.

[@vincentpcappello4512]

Thank you for the video

[@johnsmith9330]

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

[@KolbCheez]

Awesome video. A true OG of gardening

[@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.

[@ninabalekic1431]

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

[@mindfuljules]

Awesome video!! Thank you!!

[@user-jq2ny7gd2h]

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

[@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 ❤

[@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!

[@jeanniewright2554]

Very nice explanations! Thank you!!

[@chrisjordan213]

Very good video. Well done.

[@gfutube1]

Congratulations! I look to you for plant science.

[@JeffreySCarnley]

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

[@davidlillie4332]

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

[@melinda5777]

Thank you!😊

[@lorrainedurgee1761]

Excellent video--

[@pamelavalente3731]

So very glad you created this video. I think all of your points are so logical...really opened my eyes and my mind. Thank you so much. 💚😊💚

[@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.

[@alfredoppel6911]

Excellent info!

[@christieogren607]

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

[@brendagreen9312]

Thank you!

[@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.

[@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.

[@RandyFelts2121]

Congratulations for your reward.

[@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.

[@glenagarrett4704]

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@user-kg8gm6sk4f]

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@dawndawn6946]

Congratulations 🎉

[@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.

[@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

[@Avocado740]

I fill with humanure, grass, kitchen waste, leaves, ground up wood from the garden, and dirt! It takes me about a year to fill it up. It is my composter. I do throw a few small rocks ib for minerals.

[@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.

[@gunnarsson272]

Where I live (Sweden) the topsoil is clay, when it rains the water flows on top of it. when it dries, it becomes hard as concrete. either it is in lump form or powder form. none of it is good to grow in, except grass to make hay. if I want a good topsoil, I have to buy it or mix it myself. I have a farm so I have access to a lot of manure. So I intend to fill it with old manure (soil now) mixed with purchased soil.

[@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.

[@lelandsmith2320]

The bottom half of my latest bed (ornamentals, not edibles) was anything I could find for free, including weeds, kitchen scraps, and dog manure. Even cactus pads work if buried deep enough. Add some steer manure to provide nitrogen. Worked fine, and as predicted It is sinking annual and being topped off with a better grade of steer, compost, and sand.

[@NorthlanderMN]

I put down cardboard then smaller branches and twigs down first. Then I did lasagna gardening on top of that. I use leaves as a weed barrier. Haven’t added any soil. That was ten years ago.

[@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?

[@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?

[@zeragus707]

if putting logs at the bottom leech nitrogen from the soil when decomposing the carbon rich wood, does that happen naturally to a wooden raised bed? would a metal one be better?

[@joydaniel597]

Congratulations. Well deserved recipient of this award.

[@audreylong9170]

Would you comment on materials used to build raised beds. I'm nervous about building with treated deck wood or the like (advising builders to use gloves when handling).

[@rufusjohnson3800]

I don't think it's much of a thing anymore. It was 2003 when the industry stopped using CCA - chromated copper arsenate - to treat wood. Even in the old days, plants wouldn't take up arsenic unless the soils were deficient in phosphorus, and I have never heard of any cases of people being harmed. I made a 40' raised bed for asparagus last year, and am not worried at all. That said, if you really want to avoid treated wood, then things like cedar, redwood, or cypress are good choices, though mighty expensive.

[@davidwalesby2426]

i built 2 4x6x3 ft. deep beds, overtop of regular garden soil with a slight clay like texture, filled the bottom half with 1/4 inch to 1 inch thick tree branches with dried leaves on top of the branches, the top half the bed with more clay like soil, triple mix, compost and composted manure with a 1/2 pail of sawdust per bed, and 3/4 of a cubic meter of peat moss, i know the bed will drop eventually but gonna top it with compost, so my question after watching your video is, do you think i will need to add nitrogen and how do i determine how much i need to add?

[@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?

[@ByDesign333]

Containers on tables (?) No weeding, easy to reach.

[@bunzinthesun]

Regarding adding wood at the bottom: In the 10 year period I do generate enough homemade compost to top up the beds without paying anything. Additionally adding a fair amount of native soil seems to be OK, maybe even beneficial. If I need more compost, the local yard has a truck-full for $40, not too bad! How to know when to add more nitrogen fertilizer? The color of the leaves. When they fade, I add more nitrogen. I have gophers, 1/4" stainless hardware cloth is expensive, but it's gonna last. I have gopher mounds right up against the raised bed, but so far only the bunnies can jump high enough to be a problem. Wascally wabbits!

[@brucesako]

can you paint the outside of your raised bed to match your exterior house color

[@chefe2152]

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

[@richard-fy2mu]

I am in an HOA I have 33 zero cape over lawn screen, What is a way to set my above ground bed on that mess so I am not altering the environment. I am 3/4 into a two fppt tall by five by four..

[@rephaelreyes8552]

In regards with soil-less mix or I guess less-soil mix, how about adding more charcoal into the soil? It has the benefits of vermiculite and water retention (but it tends to dry out more quickly with larger charcoal).

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

www.gardenmyths.com/biochar-work-garden/

[@rephaelreyes8552]

@@Gardenfundamentals1wow I never knew you had a website! thanks I'll check it out!

[@Jim19826301]

Can't stop looking at his hat! LOL

[@salkuenzler7972]

Is there any worry about contaminating your soil with the ground soil? We had a tomato batch grown previously where grass was, and they all got sick with PM or something similar. Are there any risks in that department?

[@andreagarofolo9431]

I bought raised bed soil already.can i mix with top soil and compost..i put chicken wire and wire mesh at the bottom.and thin layer of wood chips and leaves mixed with twigs then thicker rotted logs.then filled in the spaces with more leaves lol.i have not planted yet i can still remove all of it. So my question is being as I already bought a bunch of bags of raised bed soil can I mix that with topsoil and compost and just fill the hole raise bed up.

[@doomsdayrats]

Would you put weed barrier cloth under a raised bed if a concrete septic tank is very close to the beds? Most probably is leaking, and I couldn't find any information about how soil contamination from a septic tank is acctually happening. The beds would be 19 inches high, filled with soil and some compost. Should i even worry about this?! Any information is much appreciated :)

[@christinewarnaar-bates3494]

If your concrete tank is leaking, maybe get it fixed before building the raised bed, because the raised bed might have to be moved to fix your septic problem and it’s a lot of work to tear down and move a raised bed.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

If you have a big leak - it needs to be fixed. A small leak, or the weeping bed is not a problem.

[@DebRoo11]

What about coco coir mixed in?

[@noraalvarado8178]

I just dont put leaves. I put mulched grass and leaves to fill my raised beds then top it off with soil. And i dont use deep raised beds. And every fall i top all my raised beds off with more mulched leaves and grass. I have alot of worms and my soil is nice and loose.

[@loribethartist6353]

New subscriber here 👋 last year we added horse manure to our garden like we have in the past. All my tomatoes curled and died (the stems twisted). Through elimination we found out that the hay that the horses ate had been sprayed with chemicals. 😢 how would I fix that or should I just move my garden?

[@HollenbergR]

Sounds like a persistent herbicide/Grazon issue as many gardeners have reported, but you can work on improving the soil rather than having to start completely over. Roots and Refuge channel shows the process of going through that, and some others too.

[@patriciakane764]

I have a bunch of CLAY SOIL that was leftover from replacing all the pipes underneath the house. It really sticks together and to your hands. I would like to make use of this clay. HOW? Do I mix sand or compost or what with it? I am 86 and container gardening and buying soil by the bag but it is very expensive to get what I need. Can you tell me what I need to do to use this clay? Thanks for any help you can give me.

[@kayb2758]

Mix lots of compost, no sand

[@spanky7277]

How thick should the soil be ?

[@tpen891]

I can see mix your native soil with the soil you buy. The only problem in my case is Root Knot Nematodes which is why I am going to raise beds in place of in ground beds. I have yet to find away to kill off the root knot Nematodes to keep them from destroying my plants.

[@rosebatham3342]

How can I keep root knot nematodes out of my raised bed what barrier can I use

[@carlm7764]

Can one dig down a foot or so and add a 12in raised bed above ground level? My yard has an about 6 in of top soil and then it's clay.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Definitely. To be honest, I would just add 6" on top and skip the wall.

[@carlm7764]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 thanks!

[@mathewmccarthy1657]

My raised beds are full of tree roots. What would you suggest? I built the boxes because of a large silver maple nearby.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

You can't stop tree roots, unless you have a solid bottom, or raise them up above the soil.

[@RA-rf4nz]

container gardening is a possible solution -- also allows for moving to optimal micro-climate within the property.

[@onbailup]

So, raised wicking beds seem to go against all of your advice. What is your view on wicking beds?

[@relaxseasideChaleur]

Congrats on the award…

[@unionse7en]

rocks or peat moss could probably be used to lessen rot against the inside wood face, but I think rot is not that big of a deal, if you really wanted cast some concrete walls.

[@mamatatripathy9079]

Congratulations. I want to ask you what is the best way to help get rid of bind weed.😔

[@HollenbergR]

That's another name for wild morning glory, right? I'm my first year in a new area and it's everywhere here i just try to pull out whatever I can as often as i can, and I think it will diminish with time.

[@1voluntaryist]

In 1990 I put in a 140 sq.' raised redwood bed, 4' x 35' x 3' high. I filled it with expensive worm castings. I was disappointed. I expected I wouldn't need to add compost, but I did need it. Why? I guessed it might be the castings were piled up in hot dry wind the killed the microbes.

[@samMTL514]

How about adding hardwood Charcoal ?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Not something I would add. www.gardenmyths.com/biochar-work-garden/

[@samMTL514]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I’m now in the process of charging my biochar and testing it. Just wanted to see what hype is all about. Maybe it’s time for biochar video, hint - hint.👍🏻

[@teebob21]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Interesting perspective. I'm a sample plot in a large-scale study ran by the University of Nebraska to actively measure the effects of cover crops, geotextile covers, and biochar (as well as the combinations and permutations of each). We should be done with the study in two more years. I've noticed measurable benefits in my sample plot with biochar, but that might just be because I have heavy clay with lots of calcium and potassium cations that are tightly bound to the clay.

[@susand8816]

If you have Bermuda grass, no amount of soil will stop this from invading your raised bed. Weed cloth can keep this out of your raised bed if you secure it between the bed and wood or metal strips. This will only buy you 5+ years but can be well worth it.