Spring is often the time that most people start their garden, but for a successful growing year, the work starts in the late winter. One of the most popular gardening method in recent years is using raised beds. They offer a number of benefits, including better drainage and easier access to the plants. Many people that use raised beds follow a practice called "No Dig" (created by Charles Dowding). If you have a raised bed and want to get it ready for the spring season, here are some steps you can follow:
Weeding: Depending on your climate, your garden may lay empty and unmaintained for most of the winter which can allow for weeds to slowly creep in. Weeding your beds before the spring allows you to start on a clean slate when you begin sow or transplant seedlings into your garden.
Amend: If the bed you are using has been occupied in years past with plants, it is a good idea to amend to soil before the spring. Harvesting vegetables and flowers can cause nutrients to be pulled out of the soil and lead to a poor ecosystem for your plants. This can be solved by amending your raised bed with homemade or store bought compost.
Fork: Use a hand trowel or small garden fork to loosen the soil in the bed. Completely tilling your garden is not recommended, but it can beneficial to loosen the soil to combat the compaction that has taken place over winter.
Mulch: There are many benefits to using mulch in raised beds such as: weed suppression, moisture control, and protection for the plants. The growing season of 2022 was a very dry season for me and many other gardeners. One thing that enabled me to keep my garden well watered was using grass clippings as mulch in my beds. Grass clippings are free to many people and can dramatically decrease the rate of evaporation from the soil in the hotter months. Wood chips and cardboard can also be used as mulch, but it is important to make sure that there aren't any harmful chemicals in whatever you choose.
It is important to remember that while gardening may begin in the spring for most people, the hard work is done in the months leading up. Good soil health and quality is the foundation for all gardening that will be done in the spring and summer months. We would love it if you considered subscribing to The Mad Gardener and following us on Instagram. As always, Happy Gardening!
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