Welcome to The Grove Acres,
I am super excited to have you here.
If you don't know us already here is a quick back story. My husband and I have been working on converting a retired gravel pit from 1970 into our very own GROVE. Hence the name The Grove Acres.
In 2023 after two years of trying to sever the land we ended up purchasing it from my family. Last year in 2024 after years of waiting I looked at my husband and asked if he would be willing to make me some raised beds. I wanted to try out this "growing thing". If you follow us on instagram you will know Travis is always up for a project that involves buying new tools.
After researching raised beds we got to work. Now remember our property is a retired gravel pit. We literally had a hard time growing grass. We ended up taking fill from a local construction company because we have an abundant amount go sand/rocks.
In another post I will get into building the beds. but for now this is about filling them. Trav just needs to sit down and tell me all of his tips, trick and tools he used.
I am here to tell you how we layered our raised garden beds to get the most out of them.
FILLING YOUR RAISED BED
You will want to start off with a base that will set you up for success.
FIRST LAYER- We used cardboard as a weed barrier right on top of the soil. Make sure if you are going onto your grass or plants, you will want cut it down as far as possible.
SECOND LAYER- Next on top of the cardboard we layered old fallen tress from cleaning our lot. I find the older the wood the faster the worms and other beneficial microbes/ insects come. You don't want to skip the wood. You could also use brush, untreated wood chips from your local arborist. Adding in leaves here is also very beneficial. Quick tip. if you are using trees that self seed make sure the wood has sat awhile. This will ensure you don't have things like sumac or black locus saplings coming thru your garden beds. I unfortunately learned this the hard way.
THIRD LAYER- Compost! You will want aged if possible. We thankfully had six goats at the time that helped us out with that. But contact your local cattle farmer, horse stable, hobby farm or landscape supplier.
FOURTH & FINAL LAYER- Triple mix. You will want to use triple mix instead of just top soil. If topsoil is all you have defiantly use what you got. Triple mix allows for a better soil structure for planting and more nutrients for your plants. If you only have top soil add in some compost or leaf mold to help give the plants a little more to thrive off of.
TIPS
- Apply leaf mulch into your beds in the fall. It will help protect bare soil form the elements in the fall/winter. and add nutrients to next growing season plants.
- Top dress your beds in the spring with compost or tripple mix.
- Leave roots int he soil until spring to give you soil structure thru the winter.
- If you live in a dryer climate I recommend putting straw onto of your soil after planting. Do not use hay that will make weeds. Straw helps keep the moisture in your soil while also keeping the weed pressure down. Even better as the straw breaks down it adds to the soil.
Our two year old beds are a dream to work in. The soil is fluffy, rich and full or life. Where our newer raised beds you can definitely tell they need time to age. As the wood/logs break down below, I find it just makes the soil that much better.
