What Do I Put on the Bottom of a Raised Garden Bed? 4 Things

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James marcus

9 months ago

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Weeds are one of the challenges of gardening. They take up too much space and remove sunlight, water, and nutrients from your plants. They also invite insects that can do more damage to your crop.

You are watching: What Do I Put on the Bottom of a Raised Garden Bed? 4 Things

Gardening in a raised garden bed is a great option to prevent weeds. It also allows easier control in improving the soil, better drainage, and lesser work for your back.

Now, you might ask, “what do I put on the bottom of a raised garden bed”?

The most used materials for a raised garden bed liner are cardboard, mulch, concrete, fabric, and plastic. They serve as a barrier between your garden soil and the ground to stop the weeds from coming through and keep out toxins and other pests in the ground.

What to Put at the Bottom of Elevated Garden Bed

1. Cardboard

Cardboard is everywhere, and if you are on a budget, this is the best option for you. Putting cardboard under raised bed is very easy too.

Just spread the board across the bottom, fill it with soil, and you’re done!

However, the cardboard will decompose in 4-6 months. So, it is better to use several sheets of cardboard under raised garden beds to form a thick layer for best results.

Just make sure not to include cardboard with glossy print, for it may release toxins that will harm your plants.

2. Hardware fabric

If you are building your raised garden on concrete, hardware fabric works best as a raised garden bottom liner.

Choose galvanized hardware fabric to avoid sagging and rust over time. On top of it lay a landscape fabric to make a strong and long-lasting garden bed bottom.

How to put a hardware fabric basket under your raised bed:

Using a hardwire fabric on your raised garden bed with bottom provides good drainage and, at the same time, protects your plants from pests such as gophers that can eat all your crops.

3. Plastic

One variation of a raised garden bed is the one with legs. It is easier to reach and is most beneficial if you have back problems. It is ideal to use a light-weight plastic as a liner of a raised garden bed with legs.

How to use plastic as a garden bed liner:

Lining plastic as a base for raised garden bed will protect your plants from toxins that might be present in the frame of your raised garden bed.

Additionally, it is the best material to use if your soil is too dry and you need to keep it moist.

Otherwise, there are other options, including water-permeable material and plastic made of polypropylene fabric that allow better drainage.

4. Mulch

Mulch bottom of raised bed is another excellent option.

Both types of mulch work to prevent the weeds from growing and retain the moisture for your plants. However, organic mulch contains nutrients that are beneficial to your plants in the long run.

For example, mulching with straw in bottom of raised beds is effective in keeping the weeds out and maintaining moisture.

How to add mulch to your raised bed:

What Is the Recommended Soil Mix for Raised Garden Beds

According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, light, well-drained soils should be used in raised beds with closed bottom.

You can make a great soil mix of your own by preparing an equal part of topsoil, organic material (leaves, ground bark, composted manure), and coars sand and mixing them all.

Important notes:

Conclusion

A raised garden bed has many benefits. It gives you more control over the soil, protects your plants from weeds and other pests underground, and requires less maintenance. Many materials can be used on a raised garden bed bottom, including cardboards, mulch, hardware fabric, and plastic.

So, what do I put on the bottom of a raised garden bed? It may depend on your budget, the availability of the material near you, and their advantages and disadvantages. We hope we can help you choose based on the information from our post.