12
BESAFE
Beforeyoustartdiggingholesforpostsandsoforth,checkthatthereareno
water,gasorelectricitypipesbelow.Anddon’tbuild a raised bed on a wooden
deck unless you are sure it can take the weight.•9
Waterwise
Becausethesoilinraisedbedsdries
outmorequickly,youneedtowater
themmoreoften.Youmayalsoneed
tomulchinsummer.Time-poorgardenerscould
considera pre-madeself-irrigatinggarden
bedorusea wickingsystemwhichinvolves
buildinga reservoirforwaterbelowthesoil
level, meaning less water evaporation.11
Onthegrass
If you’replanningtobuilda
raisedbedona lawn,killthe
grassfirstbycoveringit with
sheetsofcardboardora tarpaulinforabout
6 weeks,orskimoffthegrasswitha sharp
spade.Coverthebottomoftheraisedbed
witha thicklayerofnewspaperorweedmat
to prevent grass or weeds growing back.10
Ready-made
Whilea keyadvantage
ofbuilt-inbedsis they
canbedesignedtofit
yourspace,it’ssometimeseasiertobuyone
ofthemanypre-builtraisedbedsnowon
themarket.Somecomewithself-watering
systemsandcoverstokeepthebugsoutand
protect crops from wind and heavy rain.yhg| 149G