How I Prep My Raised Beds

Another of my four raised beds is ready for cool season crops. Corn grew in this location over the summer. As a heavy feeder, it depletes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other vital nutrients from the soil. Before planting for the next season here’s a primer on how I prep the beds. I’ll be growing arugula, spinach, celery and four different lettuces here.

First, I rake the soil of loose debris and roughly level the bed with a rake.

I use a sifter to spread gypsum evenly over the soil.

Next comes the organic all purpose vegetable fertilizer and some extra bone meal.

I layer on about two inches of compost. Then, I gently pull a cultivator through the soil to mix the amendments.

Leveling the bed with the rake comes next. Then, on the edge of obsession, I drag the bed with a board to smooth and even out the soil.

Screens cover the bed until I’m ready to plant, discouraging interlopers.

Then it’s time to plant the Rosaine Lettuce grown from Territorial Seed.

For a deeper dive into preparing the garden for the fall-winter garden scroll down to the post below, Prep for the Cool Season Garden.