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When planning a garden bed there is several things to take into consideration. I have broken them down into the most important factors. To plan a garden bed there are three main things to think about. Is your soil good or do you need to amend it. We go into more depth about soil amendments Here. The amount of sunlight your garden is getting which will help you pick a good location. You will also need to calculate how much soil you will need for all your garden beds. Make sure to calculate the soil amount you need before starting to plan the rest of the garden. This step will save you time later. How to start a garden bed from scratch? There are a few things you need to take into account before you plan a plan a garden bed. First of all, whattype of soil do you have? If you don't know, it's easy enough to test grab a handful and try to form a ball. Ifthe soil crumbles easily, it's sandy. If it forms a sticky ball, it's clayey. If it falls apart in your hand, it's loamy. Once you've figured that out, you need to decide what kind of plants you want to grow. Different plants need different types of soil. Get more tips on testing your garden soil here. If you want to start from scratch, you'll need to remove any existing vegetation and add some matter(compost or manure) to the soil. If the garden bed is large and you don't want to spend much time weeding,you might want to till under some sod (grass). To do that, cut the grass as short as possible with a sharpspade. Then chop (don't rip) it up with a hoe and turn it over. Water thoroughly for several days until thegrass decomposes and disappears. You can also till in some organic material such as compost or manure. To do this, spread an inch-deep layerof matter on the surface of the ground and use a rake to work it into the top six inches of soil. Water well and keep watered while new vegetation gets established during warm weather; every two or three days should be sufficient. How much compost will you need? Find out in our post here. What are the pros and cons of having a garden bed? There are several advantages to having a garden bed. For one, you have complete control over the soil type and drainage. You can amend the soil as needed to make sure your plants grow healthy and strong. You can also select the location of your garden bed to best suit your needs. It's also easier to weed a garden bed than a large area of lawn or mulched beds. The main disadvantage of a garden bed is that it takes up space. If you're short on room, you might not beable to fit one in. We look at ways you can still have a garden even in a small space here. Garden beds also require regular watering, especially during hot, dry weather. Failure towater sufficiently can result in dead plants. Another disadvantage is the time needed to till or turn over thesoil each spring to ensure that weed seeds don't germinate. Best location for a garden bed The best locations for your garden bed are areas where it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.This ensures that your plants get enough sunlight to grow well. An east-facing or west-facing exposure isideal, especially if you plan on having only vegetables in your garden bed. If your space gets less sun, check out which vegetables you can grow in the shade here. If you want flowers, you can alsotry planting them in beds with an exposure facing south or north; be aware that they won't get as much sun, so they'll typically grow smaller than normal and may not flower as heavily. You'll also want to consider the amount of water available. Garden beds need approximately one inch ofwater per week, so if your garden bed is located in an area with porous soil where water drains quickly orwhere rainwater doesn't fall for several days at a time, you should plan on watering it regularly. How much soil does a garden bed need? To estimate how much soil you'll need to fill your garden bed, first measure the length and width of theinside perimeter (do not include pathways). Then multiply those two numbers together and then add fourfeet. The result is the square footage of soil needed for your garden bed. If you have very sandy or especially clayey soil, you may want to multiply by 1.5 and add six feet instead to get adequate drainage without flooding your garden bed during heavy rains. Alternatively, if you're buying pre-mixed soil, read the label or ask your garden center how much it can holdper cubic foot (typically, 1cubic foot is equal to 7.5 gallons). Multiply that number by the total squarefootage of your garden bed, divide by 27 (to account for the cubic inches in one gallon), and multiply againby your desired thickness (the depth of the topsoil layer above bedrock). This will tell you approximatelyhow many cubic feet of soil you need to buy to fill your bed. A garden bed is a great way to control the soil and drainage for your plants and grow vegetables or flowersin an area that receives direct sunlight for at least six hours per day. The best location for a garden bed is inan area where it will get ample sunlight, such as on the east or west side of your house. Be sure to measurethe square footage of your desired garden bed and purchase enough soil to fill it, making sure to account for drainage needs. Soil depth should be at least 6 inches, but 12 inches is ideal.

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