Layer by layer
Wood/shrub layer:The bottom layer, the base, consists of loosely stacked, shredded branches, twigs, stems, and coarse wood chips. This layer ensures adequate ventilation.
Green intermediate layer:This is followed by a thin, approximately 10 cm thick layer of fine green waste and mixed, soft garden waste, which is firmly tamped down. This prevents any material stacked on top from trickling down.
Compost layer:Next, garden soil is mixed with immature, coarse compost, straw, and old leaves. This mixture brings warmth into the raised bed and initiates the decomposition of the lower layers.
Humus layer:The final layer is a layer of finely crumbled, ideally sieved, topsoil with mature compost, i.e., humus-rich soil. This layer provides the plants with everything they need for a good start and continued growth. This creates the best conditions for a bountiful harvest in the first year.
By the way:You won't have to share your space at the salad bar with uninvited guests; a very pleasant side effect is that the voracious snails usually shy away from the steep climb into the raised bed!
TEXT: Martina Raabe
