Ways To Improve Drainage In Raised Garden Beds

If you want to know the ways to improve drainage in raised garden beds then read on. If you are new to landscaping your garden then you will already know about ways to improve drainage in raised garden beds. In fact, you should be well aware of ways to improve drainage in all garden bed types. The main aim is to prevent water from running off into the drainage system. This will help you keep your lawn and garden healthy. A well-drained garden will also save you money on water bills. If you are landscaping a new garden, it is important that you follow the same principles of landscaping as you would for an established one.

1.      Keep Theme of Garden in Mind

When you are designing ways to improve drainage in raised garden beds, it is a good idea to keep the main theme of your garden in mind. This will make things easier for you when you are deciding how plants will fit into each area. Sometimes this is more important than the plants actually being there.

2.      Suitable Watering

All plants need water and nutrients to grow. You can have a beautiful garden, but if the plants do not get enough water or if they are getting too much, this will affect their growth. When you are starting out with your landscape ideas, think carefully about how each plant will survive in the garden and if you will need to put any barriers in to stop it getting its water or nutrients. A barrier will protect your garden bed from any bad weather conditions.

3.      Including Some Plants in Garden

Some of the plants you can include in your garden bed may be obvious such as marigolds or some kind of climbing plant. However, there are other plants that can be used to create a focal point in your garden. By creating some kind of centerpiece in your garden, you can really bring the whole space together. If you have some kind of water feature or fountain in your yard, then you can use it to create a focal point as well. If your garden bed does not already have a focal point, then by all means, fill it with some flowers or a nice fountain to liven up the area.

4.      Staking

One of the most common ways to improve drainage in raised garden beds is to dig some earth in the bottom of the bed. This is called “staking”. Staking is the process of filling the ground with a layer of soil. This allows water to drain from the garden bed more easily. Over time, the staking will help the soil in the garden become completely dry.

5.      Adding Water Feature

Another great way to improve drainage in garden beds is to add some type of water feature. Some of the more popular water features that people install in gardens include fountains, rain barrels, planters and hanging pots. Each of these water features does a great job of providing some form of moisture to the soil surrounding the plants in the garden. Plus, they look really neat.

6.      Remove Large Stones

A reason why drains in the garden become blocked is because they have been built up too much. If the area was left alone, then this would cause the earth around the stones to erode. Over time, this can result in the build-up of pressure against the sides of the drains. If this is the case, then you can simply remove any large and loose stones that you have placed in the garden. If the stones are very big and could be moved, then use a hammer and chisel to break them up.

7.      Raise the Height of Beds

Once you have removed all loose and large stones, move on to the next step. Now you need to raise the bed height. This might mean using some wooden stakes to level it out, or if you are feeling adventurous, you could dig a hole in the ground and place the stakes there. Just remember that you want the soil in the hole to be loose and moist, as the next step will involve drainage. Once the soil in the hole is moist, you can place your stones in.

8.      Conclusion

These are just a few of the ways to improve drainage in raised garden beds. Of course, there are many more things that you can do. Keeping your garden well maintained can be a big benefit for your home as well as your plants. So make sure that you take the time to look after it. If you keep up with the maintenance, you will see that your garden can look as good as ever years from now.