How to prepare a new garden bed?

garimellamadhu

Hi There, would like to set up garden bed . Need suggestions how to start. Already tried out top soil in the same area but lot of weed is coming through over the time. Also lot of gravel present in the soil. Pleas see the attached pictures and looking forward to some guidance for this community.

thanks & regards

Madhu

EricL

Hello @garimellamadhu

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about preparing a garden bed.

I suggest removing as much of the weed as possible by hand. Is the gravel wide-spread and deep or is it just on the surface? If it is just on the surface, I suggest using a rake and separating as much of the gravel away from the soil. I propose installing garden edging so that the gravel will not mix back in with the soil and it will also keep the good garden soil contained inside.

Here is a link to our best advice: How do you improve your soil to grow vegetables?

Here are some fantastic guides and discussion you should find handy in preparing your garden bed:

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

garimellamadhu

Hi Eric,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, the Gravel may be 5 to 10 cm depth, but I can try remove and keep good soil as it is. Do you think I can repurpose same soil for gardening by adding compost and manure. I was also thinking to set up garden bed, but it is going to cost me some money.

Also, any recommended garden edging?

Thanks & Regards,

Madhu

JacobZ

Hi @garimellamadhu,

The soil looks quite good on the surface level, but we can't know what it's like underneath. Adding compost or manure will help ensure that it is healthy and full of microorganisms that will benefit anything you plant in it. This would definitely be worthwhile.

A few stones here and there won't do much harm, but if there is a large amount that would hinder root growth, then digging up the soil and running it through a Garden Sieve will effectively remove the stones.

There's a wide variety of options for garden edging, and it really comes down to your preference for look and height. Have a look through the options to see what you like. You can then check out How To Install Garden Edging for some guidance on the installation process.

Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob