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Before you create a raised bed, it is important to find out the individual ideal dimensions. After all, it should not only be easy on the back, but also stable and easy to work with.
The right height
There are several factors to consider when choosing the perfect height for a raised bed.
height
For many gardeners, the main reason for purchasing or building a raised bed is to be able to do gardening comfortably and upright without back pain. Accordingly, the height must be adapted to your own height. If the working height is set too low or too high, the gardener must adopt a bad attitude. Raised beds that are too low force you to bend forward and put stress on your spinal discs. Too high a working height is also problematic. It requires a lot of effort, puts a strain on the shoulder girdle and possibly overstretches the spine.
Upper edge approximately at pool level:
- Body height around 150 cm: bed height around 75 cm
- Body height around 160 cm: bed height around 80 cm
- Body height around 170 cm: bed height around 90 cm
- Height over 180 cm: bed height 95 to 100 cm
If two or more people with very different heights are to work on the raised bed, it can make sense to create several raised beds of different heights. If your garden has a natural slope, you can easily create two different heights on two sides of the raised bed.
Elbow height as a benchmark:
While the optimal working height used to be determined based on body size, this method is now considered too imprecise because it does not take individual body measurements into account. It is ideal to determine the appropriate height using the elbow height. It is best to try out the height of the raised bed in advance in your living room. To do this, stack a few books or magazines on the table and see if you feel comfortable with them. Please note that the bed is not filled to the brim with soil and that the plants are added to the bed height.
- Distance between elbow and soil surface in raised bed: 15 to 20 cm
- Filling height: about 5 to 10 cm below the rim
So that you can work in an ergonomic posture for several hours a week, it is best to use the height of your kitchen unit as a guide. If the height of the worktop in the kitchen allows you to work comfortably and without pain for longer periods of time, simply subtract 10 cm and use the measurement for the raised bed.
Tip: If you're the type of person who likes to lean their pelvis while standing, use your navel height as a guide and don't fill in quite as much soil.
Raised beds for sitting
Some gardeners prefer to work on their raised bed while seated. In this case, you should try out in advance which height is ideal. However, the edge of the seat should be at least 50 centimeters high, otherwise you may find it difficult to get up. In addition, a stable, wide edge for comfortable sitting is an important prerequisite so that you can work comfortably on the bed.
By the way: Half-height raised beds are also recommended for children, so they can garden while standing.
location
If you place the raised bed in the garden, the dimensions can in principle be freely selected. However, caution is advised wherever the space is free-floating, such as on a balcony. The same applies if the parking space is above a room, such as with roof terraces. In this case, the box filled with soil must not be too heavy. Consider that with a size of only about 100 x 200 cm and a height of 80 cm, there is already more than 1600 liters. Including the irrigation water, a weight of around 700 to 900 kg then acts on the subsoil. This is clearly too much for most balconies and roof terraces and cracks can occur in the building fabric. The average load capacity is around 200 to 300 kg per square meter. Regardless of the length, this results in the following dimensions:
- Depth 100 cm: maximum 40 cm high
- Depth 60 cm: maximum 65 cm high
- Depth 50 cm: maximum 80 cm high
Tip: If in doubt, ask your property developer or property management company about the load capacity of the balcony or roof garden to be on the safe side.
The ideal width
So that you can work comfortably, the following rule applies to the width of a raised bed: the dimensions should be twice your arm's length, provided it is placed so that you can walk on it from both sides. If the raised bed can only be worked on from one side, for example because it is against a wall or a hedge, the maximum width is an arm's length. On average - assuming you keep your back straight - you can only reach about 55 to 70 cm, depending on the length of your arms. If you are very tall or shorter than average, it is better to measure your arm length in advance and adjust the dimensions of the raised bed accordingly.
- Width (access from both sides): 100 to 120 cm
- Transverse dimension (one-sided inspection): 60 to 70 cm
- for taller people: up to a maximum width of 140 cm
- Processing while sitting or with a walker: max. 100 cm
The optimal length
You are more flexible when it comes to the length of your raised bed. In principle, it can have any length. However, it is important to pay attention to the stability. The filling can get quite heavy and not only press down with its weight, but also on the walls. Long plastic or wooden slats, simple constructions made of pallets or screwed boards as well as raised beds made of stone are pushed apart. For this reason, reinforcements should be used for very long raised beds. However, it is easier and more stable to divide the raised bed and build two or three shorter variants with a maximum length of 200 cm.
- Width to length ratio: 1 to 2 to 1 to 4
- no longer than 2 m
Tip: When building your raised bed, don't forget that it also needs to be easily accessible. A wheelbarrow can also be used without any problems on a path that is about 80 cm wide.
Raised bed for children
If you want to build a small raised bed for your children or grandchildren, the dimensions for adults are far too large. However, keep in mind that children grow quickly. Ideally, the height of the bed can be adjusted so that you can all enjoy it for a long time.