“Raised Bed Gardening” is a very famous method of horticulture for horticulture enthusiasts. A very common question asked about this method is ‘Should I line my raised garden bed?’
Here in this article, you will find answers to all your question regarding this issue.
A raised-bed garden is a kind of gardening wherein the soil is elevated to a point that is higher than the surrounding ground and is often contained in some manner.
If you have a raised garden bed, you could be asking whether or not it is a good idea to line it, and if so, what material you should use. Therefore, is it necessary to line my raised garden bed?
The benefits of lining a raised garden bed much exceed the draw-backs, therefore you should do it. When you use a liner in your raised garden bed, the soil will be protected from high temperatures, pests like moles and gophers will be excluded, and weeds won’t be able to thrive. Additionally, a raised bed liner enables water to flow away without removing any of the soil.
Naturally, there are a few drawbacks associated with the use of raised bed liners, and we will go over them as well. In addition to this, we’ll discuss the many materials that may be used to line raised beds, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each option.
Should I Line My Raised Garden Bed?
After considering the benefits and drawbacks, I believe that lining your raised garden bed is a decision that should be made. On the other hand, your particular circumstances can lead you to a different conclusion.
Lining a raised garden bed or raised planter has both positive and negative aspects, and whether or not you should do so often relies on the plants that you want to cultivate.
Perks Of Lining A Raised Garden Bed
The following are the top four reasons why you should line your raised garden bed:
- Earth fortification (prevent extreme temperature swings)
- Pest defense (Keep away gophers, moles, and other pests)
- Preventing weed growth (prohibit weed seeds from germinating)
- Dirt uptake (mitigating soil erosion with rain or irrigation)
If you use a liner in your raised garden bed, you may buffer the soil, stop weeds from growing, and guard your plants against pests.
Many plant bed liners are designed to hold soil in place inside raised beds while yet allowing moisture to evaporate through. A liner may also prevent dangerous substances from leaking into the soil if you construct your raised bed out of pneumatically wood or railroad ties. This is an added benefit of using a liner.
The soil is protected from the most extreme temperatures by raised bed liners
Temperature swings may cause problems for plants that are grown on raised beds because of their exposed nature. Because it is elevated above the ground, the soil in a raised bed will acquire or lose heat more quickly than soil that is located in the ground below it.
If you use a liner in your raised bed, you may reduce the number of drastic temperature shifts that occur. Your plants will not be exposed to temperatures that are too cold or too hot as a result of this.
Naturally, you should also consider putting a cloche or row cover over your plants in order to shield the stems and foliage from the elements. If you place plants in a raised bed that has a liner and then place a fabric row cover over the bed, you can keep the plants at an optimal temperature for longer.
Pests can’t get in under raised bed liners
Additionally, raised beds are quite effective in preventing pests from entering your garden. However, a raised bed that does not have a bottom is unlikely to be effective against burrowing animals such as moles, gophers, or other similar animals.
You should use a liner to cover the bottom of your raised bed so that you can prevent pests from entering the bed from ground level. If you line the bottom and sides of your raised bed correctly, gophers and moles will not be able to tunnel through it even if they try.
There is a good chance that a single layer of thin plastic will not be sufficient to prevent tunneling or gnawing by gophers and moles. For the lining, you will need something a little bit more durable, like metal hardware cloth.
Weeds are unable to germinate and flourish when you use raised bed liners
When you construct a raised bed on top of an existing area in your yard, the soil below that area may contain weed seeds. You should be aware of this possibility. It’s possible that those seeds may germinate and ultimately take over your raised bed. If your elevated bed does not have a bottom, this is a far more probable occurrence.
When you use a raised garden bed liner, you may help stop weeds from growing their way up from the soil. By using a liner, you may avoid the issue of weeds from occurring, since the majority of weeds will not be able to grow through a liner made of durable plastic or fabric.
Chemicals are not able to leach into the soil thanks to raised bed liners
If you constructed your raised bed out of untreated wood, brick, or stone, you won’t have to worry about this issue. On the other hand, it’s possible that you utilized wood that has been treated with chemicals, wood from railroad ties, or wood from pallets whose provenance is unknown.
In this scenario, the wood can be contaminated with chemicals that you would like to keep out of your vegetable garden. These compounds have the potential to seep into the soil if the wood is in close proximity to the ground, and they might then make their way into your plants.
Negative Effects Of Lining A Raise Garden Bed
Despite all their advantages, elevated bed liners still have some disadvantages:
- First, a totally airtight and impermeable liner material may prevent the soil’s necessary drainage.
- Additionally, liners may be easily damaged while excavating or replenishing soil in a raised bed.
- To replace an old liner in a raised bed, you will also need to relocate all of the dirt.
- Lastly, if your raised bed is made of wood, a liner might prevent water from in touch with the wood, hastening its decomposition.
Conclusion
Having known the pros and cons of lining a raised-bed garden, I would obviously vouch for a YES to lining it. You should now have a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks associated with using a raised bed liner in your garden and now you can choose accordingly.
Thanks for stopping by to read this. Hopefully, this article helped you to get the whole idea straight!