How to Fill Your Raised Garden Bed

Raised bed gardening is more popular than ever, and for good reason. Not only do raised beds provide great drainage and well-aerated soil, but they also offer protection from weeds and pests, allowing you to create a low-maintenance garden almost anywhere. The visual appeal of these beautiful, bountiful beds is just a bonus.

To reap the many benefits raised gardening provides, it’s important to lay a good foundation. To put it simply, you have to know how to fill your bed. Here we list our top three tried-and-true soil options for raised bed success.

The first option for filling your beds is a simple soil mixture. As you may have guessed, this is the simplest route you can take. Fill your bed with a 1:1 mixture of topsoil and compost mix, then lightly combine with a rake or shovel. Check out the next couple of slides for our top picks and tips for this type of soil.

Using mushroom compost in your simple soil mixture can help increase your water retention which balances well with the drainage provided from the raised bed approach. The compost also helps to prevent weed growth and is packed full of nutrients to help your plants thrive.