There are now so many deep raised garden beds being used, it is easy to forget that many of us still have shallow beds, maybe with just a small wooden boarder around them. In earlier emails I have gone through how to layer up deeper beds, but today I thought I would quickly look at preparing shallower beds, as I am doing that now with a few of mine.
These beds are often somewhat disconnected from the ground below them, as roots normally are contained within the bed, and so there is less room for them to spread out and about. The main difference in preparing a shallow bed is that rather than layering straw with the preprepared soil or planting mix, I mix them together until they become well blended. This stops the soil compacting, which in a shallow bed can be an issue, which in turn helps the root system of your plants. The straw will break down over time which will add to its appeal and the enjoyment of all the little things living in it.
When doing this it is best to use dry straw as that makes it easier to blend in with the soil. Put the straw down first and then the soil, as that will make mixing it all together easier, as you don’t have to lift the soil off the base. If it is a big bed, maybe do it in smaller batches, so you are not trying to turn large amounts of soil. If you are using planting mix, maybe mix it a bag at a time
Once that is done, water it all in and then add a final layer of wet straw on top as a mulch, which will help the bed retain water, which will be much needed over the coming months, not to mention the barrier it makes against weeds. And then you are ready to plant. You can do that straight away
Enjoy
Peter