Hey fellow gardeners! My husband and I are newcomers to gardening and excited to dive in. We recently got a 5 tier raised garden bed planter, and I'm planning to grow some herbs in it soon. As I prepare, I'm torn about whether to add gravel, rocks, or some mesh lining at the bottom for drainage—I've struggled with this in the past. What would you recommend I include before I add the soil? Thanks so much! Jenni
3 Answers
It might be a bit late in the year to start herbs, but if you’re eager, lettuce and spinach can be planted for a fall harvest!
If your raised planter doesn’t have a bottom, you might be fine without any rocks or mesh. Just make sure to use potting soil instead of regular topsoil as it really helps with drainage. If you're placing it directly on dirt, a layer of rocks or hardware cloth could be good to deter any critters trying to get in from below. Just a heads up, it’s getting late in the season for herbs, so you might want to start them indoors in March and transplant them outside in June.
Honestly, you probably don’t need to line it with anything. But if you’re a bit lost, check out this planting calendar. Just plug in your zip code, and it’ll tell you what to plant when! I found it super helpful for planning.