Preparing a new bed means creating a healthy growing environment for your vegetables. This usually means preparing the soil. This process can be long and tedious, especially if done by hand, but if you do it right, the result will be worth the effort and time. To create a new bed, you need to develop a plan, carry out preparatory work and, finally, dig up the bed.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Best Location
Step 1. Choose a sunny location
If you have a large area, select vegetables and find the perfect planting spot for them. If you have a small area, then the choice of vegetables will depend on the location. Ideally, the selected area should be in the sun for at least six hours a day. Evaluate the options and choose what to plant.
Your geographic location also affects the type of vegetables and other plants you can grow. Choose plants that suit your climate
Step 2. Check the area for buried pipes or cables
After deciding on the choice of the site, make sure that it can be used. It will be frustrating if you have to dig up freshly planted vegetables. Check if there are any underground utilities under the site. You must have a telephone number where you can find out about the presence of underground utilities. If not, check with your local utility office to see if pipes or cables are running under your area.
Be sure to also ask about irrigation systems
Step 3. Mark the site
After making sure the plot is usable, mark the exact location of the bed. Spend some time planning the exact size of your garden. Consider the number of plants you plan to plant and calculate how much space they need. Then go to a hardware store and buy a paint that is used to mark the ground. Draw a line marking on the ground for planting.
You can also use a spray chalk for this, but the paint usually sticks better on damp ground
Part 2 of 3: Preparing the soil
Step 1. Get rid of vegetation in the area you need
You will need to remove all vegetation that is in the marked area. Get started in the fall or winter so that the garden bed is ready by spring. If there are trees, bushes, or stumps in the area that are interfering with you, you will have to cut or cut them and uproot them from the ground. Grass and weeds are much easier to deal with as they can be cut down, but this will keep their roots in the ground. Weeds can also be pulled out, but there are easier ways to control them. They and other vegetation can be destroyed with newspapers.
Step 2. Cover the site with newspapers
To completely eliminate all vegetation on the marked area, cover it with several layers of wet newspaper. Plants will die without sunlight. Most newspaper inks are soil friendly, but avoid glossy magazines and brochures. Place a thick layer of compost on top of the newspapers and leave until spring. Depending on which plants you need to get rid of, the process can take an entire growing season from spring to autumn.
Four or five sheets of newspaper will suffice
Step 3. Assess the quality of the soil
It should be composed of loam, that is, sand and clay. The soil should be such that it can be easily compressed into a lump, after which it also easily crumbles. Soil with a lot of clay will not crumble, and soil with a lot of sand cannot be clumped together. To check the acidity of the soil, do the analysis yourself or send a sample to the laboratory.
Step 4. Adjust the acidity level
Place a layer of compost a few centimeters thick. Most garden crops require acidic soil, and compost or other organic material increases acidity. Sprinkle it on top of the garden soil in a layer of a few centimeters, and then mix with it.
The acidity or alkalinity of the soil can be altered by adding lime or sulfur, depending on how you want the result
Step 5. Dig up the ground
Dig up the ground with a cultivator, shovel, or garden pitchfork. If the bed is completely new and the soil is solid, it is better to dig it up with a shovel. When digging, the ground should be damp, but not wet. It should be falling apart, looking damp and not sticking to the tools. If the soil is dry, hose it down. Dig it up about 30 cm deep, and ideally, if possible, 45 cm.
- If the soil is too wet, it will clump together when digging.
- If the soil is too dry, it will be very difficult to dig.
Part 3 of 3: Creating a garden bed
Step 1. Cover the area with humus
When the soil is dug up, cover it with humus or compost. The layer should be 5–8 cm thick. Then dig in the soil again to mix it with the compost. Do not use compost that is too fine or sandy as it will decompose too quickly. Ideally, the compost should be made up of larger lumps and smaller particles.
Humus or compost will saturate the soil with nutrients and improve its structure
Step 2. Level the area with a rake
After adding compost, level the area with a rake. Work the surface until it is level. Do not leave large stones or branches in the soil.
Step 3. After planting the plants, cover the bed with a thick layer of mulch
When the bed is ready and you have planted your plants on it, you can add a layer of mulch or compost. This will keep weeds out and the soil will retain moisture better. Also, the mulched area will look neater.
Step 4. If the soil is difficult to keep in good condition, make a tall bed
If your soil does not work well with a regular bed, make a tall one instead. It is a good choice if the ground is too wet and heavy. A raised bed will provide good drainage. Place a wooden or stone border around the perimeter of the bed so that the soil does not spill out of the bed. A high bed will not need to be dug, but only loosened.