Elevated gardening is one of the best and easiest way of gardening. From veggies to herbs anything can be grown in an elevated garden. In a way, elevated gardens are more beneficial than normal gardening.
No problems with weed, keeping the garden unharmed from animals, protecting fungal diseases, no problems with fast-draining sandy soil, securing the garden from the infestation of pests, relieving one from the pain of hip joints and backaches are the benefactors of an elevated garden.
Now, for great growing and harvesting, you will need to include the best liners to use under the raised bed garden.
Here, I’ve listed 6 items that you can use.
What To Put Under A Raided Garden Bed?
It’s important to put materials under your gardening bed. It plays a vital role in your elevated gardening. Without these materials, your elevated gardens will be easily be filled with weeds and infested by insects. So putting material is important in elevated gardening.
Here, I have listed 6 types of liners you can use.
Landscape Fabric
Landscape fabric eradicates the growth of weeds from the garden by suppressing it. It stops the weeds from germinating. Also, unnecessary plants can’t grow in its presence.
As these fabrics are made of linen and polyester they’re eco-friendly. Also reducing the evaporation minimizes the uses of herbicides, erosion control on slopes is the benefactors of landscape fabric. For having small holes in the fabric there’s no problem for water drainage and transportation. If the quality is good a landscape fabric lasts almost 10 years.
Woods
Most common particle used in this type of garden bed. However, woods and causes several problems rotting and attracting fungus and other weeds.
However, they are organic.
Newspaper & Polythene sheet
Like the landscape fiber, newspaper can also reduces the growth of weeds. It’s much cheaper than landscape fiber.
On the other hand, Polythene sheets are more suitable but not bio degradable. So it is not recommended for organing raised bed farming.
But. both are less durable than the landscape fiber. However, it renders a great service for elevated gardens. As newspapers aren’t long-lasting it will decompose and be mixed with the soil which is a great advantage.
Concrete
If it gets uneasy for you to work on your garden with landscape fabric or newspaper. Then you can create a concrete slab for that matter. It’ll solve your weed problems, your garden will be free from any pests and insects too.
But as you are doing your gardening in concrete there is some stuff that you should keep in mind. Some holes should be made in the concrete for better drainage. Before adding soil to your concrete add pebbles and small stones first. As concretes are hard, rocky, and solid it’ll last for a very long time.
With all these advantages concretes have some demerits too. Concretes are made of limestones and limestones raise the pH of the soil. Water will drain fast with the concrete hole as concretes can’t retain water.
Cardboard
Cardboards are just like newspapers. They both provide the same purposes. The only difference is cardboards have longer durability than the newspaper. Like the newspaper, it also saves your plants from weeds. And after decomposition gets mixed the soil.
Plastic
Plastics are on the other hand are great materials for elevated gardens. It’s a great obstacle against weeds. But for drainage one needs to make some small holes in it. Plastics have perfect durability. So you can use it for a long period.
Gopher Wire
There are several types of wire in the market so don’t confuse yourself with all those. For elevated gardening, gopher is the best. Gopher wires keep the pests and burrow animals away from your garden.
As there are several holes in the wire there no need to worry about the drainage system. Plants that grow larger in size can grow through it. Which is also beneficial. Make sure to staple it nicely with the bed.
But there are some cons too. As wires have blank spaces you may have some issues with weeds.
Now,
What is Best to Put Under Any Elevated Garden Bed?
Here, the reason you choose to build a raised bed garden is to create a separate growing medium for growing vegetables and flowers.
So, it is not wise to leave the back on the ground, surely it will increase the water drain ability. But, your plant will face the same risk as it is directly in the ground.
If you are looking for the best overall solution landscape fibers for a raised bed garden is probably the best option. And, it’s the most used element too. If you want to learn more about the best thing to put under your raised bed.
However, if you build a raised bed on the leg you should use gopher wire at the bottom and use fabric liners on the top.
