5 Steps To Prepare a Garden Bed

For any plant, its roots are vital to its overall well being. A good root system will ensure that the plant can thrive and remain healthy through all seasons without any problem. The plants will be able to grow to their fullest and remain strong against pests and diseases. In order to ensure that the root systems of your plants are growing properly, you must prepare the soil thoroughly. This can be done by laying down a foundation in the form of a good planting bed. For further reading, click here. While the task of readying a planting bed may seem daunting, there are a few tips to help you out.

Use Proper Soil

Avoid making a blunder by using very thin soil for the planting bed. The soil should be of a good quality and filled with nutrients so that plants can thrive. Prepare the planting beds by digging them up so as to loosen the soil. Do not forget to add nutrients in the form of organic materials. The preparation can help the plants to grow better as they will get an excellent environment to grown in.

Prepare At the Right Time

If you are planning to prepare a planting bed, you should take the seasons into account. The best time to prepare the bed would be during the autumn season. By preparing the bed during autumn, you give enough time to the soil to settle down. It also reduces the amount of effort and work that needs to done during the next spring when you will actually be planting the trees or shrubs.

If you are unable to prepare the soil during autumn, you can still do so during spring. However, you should not do it too early. You need the winter to die out completely. If the soil is soggy or in a semi-frozen state, you can harm the structure of the soil and make it compact by digging. This makes it difficult to grow plants. The easiest way to determine if the soil is ready is by taking a handful of it and squeezing. The soil should fall apart and not condense into a mud ball after being squeezed.

Make the Bed Deep

The planting bed should be sufficiently deep enough so that roots can grow properly. Most plants will require around 6 to 8 inches. However, you will need to make the bed deeper if you are planning to grow root crops in the planting bed.

Add Organic Matter

When preparing the bed, do not forget to add a lot of organic matter. Compost and manure work nicely along with shredded leaves. Adding organic matter fills up the soil in the bed with lots of nutrients which will certainly be beneficial for a growing plant.

Remove Weeds

Weeds are detrimental to the healthy growth of plants. Therefore, they need to be thoroughly eliminated while you are preparing the bed. You can do it yourself by pulling the weeds out. It will be good exercise and healthier for the soil and the environment. However, you can use chemicals if you want but ensure that they are applied according to the instructions.