-
Step 1
Select a light soil containing a good mix of soil, sand and organic matter. Topsoil is perfect for retaining nutrients from the organic matter, and the coarse sand aids in drainage.
-
Step 2
Feel the soil to assess if it is a sandy soil or clay soil. Sandy soil is made up of large gritty feeling particles. On its own it's too porous and loses too much water. Clay soil has small sticky feeling particles. Without enough sand, clay soil impedes proper root growth. A perfect soil provides the best of both soil types, sandy and clay, in combination with organic matter, in proportion by thirds.
-
Step 3
Study the permeability and water retention of your soil type. Sand has a high permeability and low water retention. Silt and clay, on the other end of the soil spectrum have low permeability and high water retention. Loam, the most suitable of soils, has a medium rating in both categories. For raised beds you want loam for its medium permeability and medium water retention.
-
Step 4
Maintain your soil by applying soil amendments. Soil amendments benefit the soil so it can hold both water and nutrients better. They compliment the permeability and water retention of the chosen soil.
-
Step 5
Amend the soil with a fibrous soil amendment like peat to get medium permeability. You can adjust amendments based on your climate. Peat is good if you need to retain more water in dry climates, but switching to wood chips or bark gives you low to medium water retention for more humid areas.
-
Step 6
Adjust to other organic amendments if peat does not work as desired in your climate. A change to aged manure is ideal for the permeability and water retention in your raised flower beds, as it offers low to medium permeability and medium water retention.
