Want to create your own raised fruit and veg bed?

Want to create your own raised fruit and veg bed?

We believe that a raised bed would be one of the most ideal places to start building your very own fruit and veg patch, having yours grow in a raised bed has many advantages such as offering better soil conditions and improved drainage, as well as being elevated means less bending over during routine maintenance which is a big plus for your back and posture.

First off, we need to establish what material to use for your raised bed, I would recommend timber as it is almost always available, comes pre-treated and won’t set you back too far. If a modern look is what you’re after, railway sleepers are always an alternative. If you decide to go with the wooden option, it is extremely important to add a plastic membrane to the inside of the bed before any soil is placed which will prevent rotting.

We recommend adding aggregates such as pebbles or shingle to the bottom of your raised bed (before filling the bed with soil), to improve the overall drainage. When thinking about soil, you want to ensure it has enough organic material and isn’t too dry, so that your soil can break apart easily to make room for the vegetable roots.

An excellent soil mix can be prepared by mixing equal parts topsoil, organic matter (manure, compost, or peat) and sharp sand.

If you’re not too familiar with growing your own vegetables, start with some of the easier crops such as Potatoes, Beetroot and broad beans. Additionally, courgette seeds would be a good place to get your children involved in the process, have them sow the seeds into small pots (one seed per pot) and once they’ve grown to about 15cm, you can add them to the raised bed vegetable patch.