Raised Bed Garden

Final steps before filling your garden bed 

For this process,  you'll need a wheel barrow, a shovel, a garden fork, a rake, some brown paper bags and some chicken wire. Brown paper bags? Chicken wire? It might sound weird, but you will you will thank me later because these two "pest control screens," as I like to call it will save your vegetables from animals like moles or rabbits and your back from excess weeds.

Rabbits or Moles

 
If this is a problem where you live, you will want to lay a double layer of chicken wire across the bottom of your plot and fasten to the sides with a strap ant tacks. To make this more understandable, your plot is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. You will want your wire to be 6 inches wider than your plot all of the way around. In effect, your chicken wire should be 7 feet long and 5 feet wide. This will allow for a 6 inch overlap on all sides. 

Once you have the chicken wire in place and folded up against the sides of your garden all of the way around? Use simple 18 inch long wood strips (or longer if available) and tack them into place around the sides to hold the chicken wire in place. You don't have to cover every inch of the chicken wire but you want it to hold the wire in place, as some enterprising mole will tunnel up near the sides to get it. If secured properly, your chicken wire will keep him out. Once you have your wire secured? You're ready to fill you raised bed

Brown Paper Bags

I use these under all of my garden beds, as well as in the beds around my yard as a natural weed deterrent and natural compost. Each year when I get ready to lay compost around my flower beds, I first clean the area and then lay down a layer of brown paper bags. If I don't have any, I use newspaper. The compost then goes on top and weeds are kept at bay for the rest of the season. It works equally well in the garden. Try it. I guarantee you will like the results. 

Filling Your Garden Bed

Use good quality top soil, some chicken or steer manure and organic compost mixing them all together as you add them into your box. Mixing in your wheel barrow is ultimately easier to ensure a good mix, before adding to your box. Repeat the process until your box is nearly full. 3-4" from the top should be sufficient. Once it is well mixed and spread evenly throughout your box, water it. After you have watered it, use your garden fork and turn the soil again, to mix the wet with the dry, ensuring even moisture throughout. Once this is done, rake the entire garden smooth and you are now ready to plant.

Next up: Planting your raised bed garden