If you are new to gardening and you are a little unsure about how to get started, why not consider a small raised herb garden? Raised beds are remarkably easy to build and maintain and a very small space can produce a great deal of food.
Follow this plan below for your very own raised herb garden that won’t break your bank or your back.
Materials Needed:
- Landscape fabric
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- 4-wooden stakes, 2 feet long
- Rubber mallet
- Four 1-by-6-inch boards, 8 feet long
- Circular saw
- Safety protection
- 32 wood nails, 2 1/2-inches long
- Hammer
- Gravel
- Peat moss
- Planting soil
- Mulch
- Young herb plants
- Label stakes
Instructions
- Select an area in full sun with good drainage. Measure out a 4-by-4-foot square for your garden.
- Measure and cut landscape fabric to cover the four foot square. Pound 2-foot stakes into each corner of the square using a rubber mallet. Make sure each stake is 1-foot above ground and 1-foot under ground.
- Cut four 8-foot 1-by-6-inch boards in half so you have eight 4-foot boards. Use a circular saw and be sure to wear safety protection.
- Place one of the boards across two of the stakes. nail the board in place flush with the ground using two nails on each end. Repeat around all sides of the square.
- Install a second row of boards across the top of the stakes. This second row should be installed the same as the first with the bottom of the boards touching the top of the bottom layer.
- Fill the bottom of the raised bed with grave. Use just enough to cover the bottom. This will help with drainage.
- Add 6-inches of peat moss, 6-inches of potting soil and 3-inches of mulch to the bed. Mix the planting mixture up to prepare for the herbs.
- Plant different kinds of herbs like basil, parsley, mint and cilantro in the bed. Leave at least 6-inches in between each plant.
- Label each plant with the plant name stake so you will know what is what.
- Keep the herbs moist but not oversaturated.
- Harvest your herbs frequently for best results.
Tips:
- If you do not have access to a circular saw, most home improvement stores and lumber yard can make your cuts for you, or just use a hand saw (given that there are not many cuts here).
- Always wear safety protection when operating power tools.
- You may use pressure treated lumber for a longer lasting raised bed though some purists would argue against the use of pressure treated lumber due to the chemicals used in the pressure treating process and the concern these may leach into the soil and then into the plants.
- Paint popsicle sticks with names of herbs and stick them in the ground for cheap label stakes.
Happy Gardening!
-The Alternative Daily
