Here’s How You Can Fill A Raised Bed Without Spending A Ton Of Money

Emily Chan |

Apr 24, 2023

KOTO - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Filling your raised bed with bags of soil is undoubtedly what anyone planting a garden would do. But good-quality garden soil is rather pricey. And if you have multiple beds to fill, the costs add up quickly.

Even if you’re not gardening on a budget, no one wants to drop a sizable chunk of their hard-earned money on dirt. It’s not the most elegant-sounding purchase by any means.

So if you’re looking to keep the expenses down, here’s how you can bulk up your garden soil without spending a ton of money!

A TikToker, who goes by the handle @plantedinthegarden, is showing new gardeners the best way to fill a raised garden bed from start to finish. His account is all about thrifty and clever gardening tips.

First, lay out recycled cardboard on the ground, covering the area where you plan to build your garden. The cardboard will prevent grass and weeds from popping up in places it’s not wanted.

Next, build however many raised beds you need. In the video, he made two raised beds, eight by three feet in size, using natural cedar wood.

Place a hardware cloth at the bottom of the wooden frames to block rodents and other small animals from burrowing underneath.

To fill the beds, he’s utilizing the hugelkultur method, which is a cost-effective approach to making garden beds by layering rotten logs and plant debris with soil.

This way, you can use materials you have lying around your house.

KOTO – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

Fill your beds with large pieces of rotted logs, then layer handfuls of small branches and twigs on top.

The third layer consists of cut-up sections of egg cartons. And finally, cover everything with leaves, twigs, and other garden debris.

Then, add a layer of compost and subsoil, leaving about six inches of space for the final soil mix. For the topsoil, he used the Miracle-Gro organic vegetable mix.

When planting your garden, choose plants that go well together, such as strawberries, lettuce, spinach, and squash. To help maintain the moisture in the dirt, use shredded cardboard as mulch.

Now that you know the cheapest way to fill raised beds, your plants and wallet will prosper! Come springtime, and you’ll be gardening like a pro.

@plantedinthegarden

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