Corner Raised Bed Kits - Planning and Planting Information
To help you make the most of your raised beds - and most importantly enjoy growing in them - we've compiled a list of factors to consider when siting and filling your beds; Raised beds can be placed directly onto soil, lawn or paving.
The beds can be filled directly with a fertile, organic rich, light & friable topsoil/compost such as the vegetable and fruit mix that we supply via our partnership with Rolawn.
One of the benefits of a raised bed is the fact you can tailor the growing medium to the plants you are wishing to grow. For example you can use ericaceous compost for acid loving plants or you may want to grow carrots in sand.
If you want to increase the drainage of your bed you can add a layer of gravel approximately 5cm / 2” deep at the base, but note that the level drainage will be dictated mainly by the ground that the bed is sitting on. If for example the bed is sitting on a free draining sandy soil you may want to lay down a semi-permeable ground sheet beneath the bed to reduce the drainage.
We've also produced a quick guide to the depth of bed you'll need to grow favourite Kitchen Garden crops. This list is by no means definitive but if you're unsure of how many tiers to go for, the over-riding advice is to go deeper - this gives you the flexibility to grow a wider variation of vegetables in the future and also helps with crop rotation. Here's that list;
Vegetable Type
Depth of Bed Required
Number of Tiers
Carrots
30/40cm
2 Tier at least
Potatoes
Parsnips
Beans
15/20cm
1 Tier at least
Peas
Courgettes
Beetroot
If you’d like further information on the Allotment Raised Beds, or would like to discuss any feature of this product, please call our Customer Services Department on 0845 218 5301 or e-mail us at enquiries@harrod.uk.com – we’d be delighted to help!
What The Experts Say...
Raised beds are a great way to grow vegetables and fruit: they look smart with instant well-defined edges, and can be created relatively quickly, by lifting paving stones or turf in a lawn, for instance, installing the surrounds and working in well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost. They are also incredibly practical, as crops benefit from the increased depth of uncompacted soil – all areas of the beds being accessible from the paths. This also means that crops can be set closer together than in open soil, vastly increasing the yield per square metre… A middle of the range option in a variety of sizes and heights with decorative capping comes from Harrod Horticultural…
Gardening Life, Get the Look: Raised Beds, Sunday Telegraph, 24 May 2009
Harrod Horticultural's new allotment timber raised beds come in every conceivable shape and height. Chelsea Flower Show supplement, Telegraph Gardening - 'Four of the Best: Raised Beds' - Harriet Lane Fox does the legwork on who is selling what and where'. 19 May 2009 The RHS Head of Gardens Creative Development, Matthew Wilson, introduces the benefits of raised bed gardening in Harrod Horticultural beds. Period Ideas, March 2009 Recommended by the Windowsill Gardener in Fresh Magazine (March 2009 issue) - The Small-Space Gardener: Raised Beds and Containers Listed as a recommended supplier of raised beds in 'Growing Veg for the First Time'; Garden News, January 27th 2009 Ideal for beginners/dabblers;Sue Stickland, Freelance Journalist, Jan 2009 How much? Timber raised bed kits from £12 at Harrod Horticultural - 'Use the Plot, Sunday Mirror, 11th January 2009
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