Content
- How to avoid waterlogging in the raised bed
- Without drainage it does not work
- Prevent waterlogging in raised beds with ground contact
- Prevent waterlogging in raised beds without contact with the ground
- Tips
Waterlogging is essential to avoid
How to avoid waterlogging in the raised bed
Waterlogging always occurs when the soil stores too much water and it can not drain away. This can be the case, for example, due to excessive casting or heavy rainfall. The fewest plants tolerate permanently high humidity, as a result, the roots first rot away until finally the whole plant is received.
Without drainage it does not work
For this reason, effective drainage is not only essential in the raised bed - if the drain does not work, the bed will soon be literally under water. To prevent this, excess water must always be able to flow outwards - even on the beds without contact with the ground, as they are on a balcony or on the terrace, for example. There are various possibilities.
Prevent waterlogging in raised beds with ground contact
Raised beds with ground contact are usually open-bottomed beds, which are separated from the garden soil only by a vole wire. These beds are completely unproblematic in terms of water drainage, as long as it is a well-layered Aufsetzhochbeet. Such a compost raised bed gets as the lowest layer a thick layer of drainage, which should in no case be reduced or even omitted. Even if you do not set up a large raised bed as a compost bed, but only fill with soil, the drainage is essential. For this come as the lowest layers in the bed:
This layer should be as thick as possible - the better the drainage works. Instead of wood, you can also use stones, such as pebbles or perforated concrete blocks (so-called perforated bricks).
Prevent waterlogging in raised beds without contact with the ground
More problematic is the drainage in raised beds without ground contact, for example, a standing on the balcony table. Again, the water must be able to run outward, for which there are different methods. Probably the simplest is the installation of one or more drainage pipes, which are already available in small sizes (from DIN 50). The draining water can be collected for example in an extra vessel, such as in a bucket below. A drainage filter hose ensures that the drain hole is not blocked and clogged with it. For small raised beds there is still this possibility:
Tips
The collected excess water is a great fertilizer, as it has flushed the nutrients out of the bed.