Raised bed gardening is one of the more manageable ways to exercise your green thumb. Raised beds take up less space than traditional gardens, are easier to contain and maintain, and are more accessible for gardeners with restricted mobility as well as for children. Once you remember that raised beds are essentially large container gardens, you can wrap your mind around the concept and get to work. Below are some top tips to make the most out of your raised garden.

Build for comfort

If you build your own raised bed, follow a plan like this one, complete with YouTube instructional video (or just do a quick Google search; there are tons of raised bed templates and blueprints available online). Make sure to use wooden planks wide enough to sit on (two inches thick should do it) in order to maximize comfort when gardening and weeding.

Add cross-bracing

To prevent outward bowing on your bed frames, make sure to add cross-bracing beams if your bed is more than eight feet long. Check out these cross braces made by EcoMotive at Instructables.com:

via Instructables.com

South facing beds

If you want to stop taller plants from overshadowing shorter plants, make sure your bed is positioned so the longer end is facing south. As long as the sun shines, your plants will all get the sunlight they need.

Aerate your soil

Avoid stepping on or otherwise compacting the soil to allow the soil to breathe. Use a garden fork from time to time to stop your soil from settling too much, and add a layer of compost before your growing seasons to help the soil quality and levels return to normal.

Keep roots out

Install a root barrier by digging a trench around your raised bed and adding plastic or other sheets (this works especially well for encroaching tree roots). When weeding your soil, make sure to grab weeds at their central root and don’t forget to dig deep, as any roots under your bed may still suck the nutrients from your crops.

Use cover crops out of season

Between growing seasons, plant cover crops such as buckwheat or clover to aerate the soil and to restore the nutrients taken from the soil by other crops.

Worms!

Like cover crops, worms help to aerate the soil and build its structure over time. Use nightcrawlers or compost made from red worms and kitchen scraps (this is a whole other project; if you’re interested in vermicomposting, or composting with worms and other natural materials, check out this site). Excuse the gratuitous worm picture, but this is a European nightcrawler, one of the best worms for raised garden beds:

Once you’ve made the decision to garden with raised beds, there is no turning back. By following these tips, your raised bed garden will flourish and you will be well on your way to a sustainable, self-sufficient home.

For more tips and tricks, head to Modernize.com.