Drainage in the raised bed prevents waterlogging

Drainage in the raised bed prevents waterlogging

Why a water drain in the raised bed is so important

Such a layer is particularly important if the raised bed is on a sealed surface such as a concrete slab or on a paved courtyard. Excess water must be able to drain away unhindered, especially in winter, otherwise waterlogging will build up. This in turn hinders the growth of the plants and ensures that the roots rot and fungal diseases spread. If a raised bed is only filled with soil, this makes the water more difficult to drain - the heavier the substrate, the more it tends to compact. In addition, the garden soil usually does not consist of a thick layer of topsoil, here too only the first 40 centimeters of fertile soil is often followed by a layer of clay or sand - depending on the soil composition.

also read

  • How to avoid waterlogging in the raised bed
  • Can you just fill a raised bed with soil?
  • The best tips for raised beds

Which materials are suitable for drainage?

There are different ways to create a drain. In the classic layering, which is mainly used for raised beds on loose ground, roughly chopped branches and twigs as well as wood chips and bark mulch as the bottom layer ensure that no water accumulates in the bed. However, these materials rot very quickly, so that the contents of the bed can suddenly sag within a few weeks or months. To prevent this from happening, you can click instead

  • thick, slowly rotting hardwood stumps
  • Gravel, crushed stone, lava beads
  • Grit, (44.95 € at Amazon *) sand
  • Building rubble, smaller field stones
  • or slabs or paving stones

To fall back on. Concrete slabs and paving stones, for example, are layered in such a way that there are gaps for the water to drain off. Pour layers of sand, grit or gravel into the cavities. Even thick wooden stumps (for example oak, beech, larch or robinia are very suitable) need to be filled in between the spaces.

Create a drainage layer - this is how it's done

If the raised bed is open at the bottom, you must close it with a close-meshed wire (e.g. rabbit wire) so that no vermin can enter from below. Pour the drainage layer onto it, whereby fine-grained material such as sand, grit or gravel can simply be filled with buckets. Coarser material is filled with finer bulk material and compacted. Place a drainage fleece over the drainage layer, this prevents substrate particles from sludging into the spaces between the drainage system.

Tips

Raised beds sealed at the bottom must have drainage holes in the lower area on the sides of the walls or in the foundation. In the case of a terrace with a slope, you must set up the raised bed so that the water can flow away from the raised bed and does not stop in front of the bed.