How to Add Dirt to New Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds address a variety of gardening problems, from lackluster soil to a too-short growing season. You can design them to be any size or shape that meets your space needs or limitations. A mix of ordinary topsoil with a touch of compost is all most raised garden beds require to provide a welcoming home for your spring seeds and seedlings.

Things You'll Need

• Wheelbarrow
• Shovel or spade
• Garden soil or topsoil
• Compost
• Hose or sprinkler

Instructions

1. Fill a wheelbarrow with a soil mixture that's three parts topsoil or garden soil to one part compost. If desired, you can add sand, loam or clay to customize each bed's soil to meet the special pH, drainage, and nutrient needs of the plants you plan to grow there. Mix well with a shovel or spade.

2. Till the soil beneath your raised garden bed to a depth of at least six inches. This promotes good drainage and gives root crops extra room to grow.

3. Working top to bottom, left to right, move soil by the shovelful from the wheelbarrow to the raised bed, refilling the wheelbarrow with a new mixture as needed until the raised bed is full of dirt. Pack the soil loosely, tamping down gently when soil reaches about the halfway point.

4. Add more dirt until the raised garden bed is filled to the top, as soil will settle over time. When the entire bed is filled, tamp the dirt gently again using the back side of a rake or shovel. Sprinkle a layer of compost across the top. Rake gently until the bed is even.

5. Moisten the raised garden bed thoroughly. Use the mist or shower setting on your hose nozzle, or use a sprinkler placed in the center of the raised bed.

6. Wait four or five days until the dirt has settled. Add more dirt to the raised garden beds until they are full.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to check the watering needs of your raised garden beds frequently during hot or dry weather.

References

• Best Soil for Raised Beds
• Raised Bed Gardening