Whether square or round – raised beds are currently in vogue. They do not necessarily have to be bricked or made of wood. Gabions serve the same purpose. Those filled with stones, gravel or gravel wire basketsare very stable. The maintenance is low because gabions do not have to be painted, nor do they rot. So that raised bedbecomes stable, cross braces must be attached. The higher the raised bed of gabions, the more struts are necessary. About 20 cm below the surface no cross braces are attached. Otherwise they interfere with gardening. You can make a raised bed of gabions with multiple wire baskets or a single one gabionplant directly.

Different types

Gabions are usually filled with stones, which gives the raised bed a certain strength. The disadvantage: The stones are expensive and need a lot of space. This reduces the planting area. You can injure yourself on sharp stones when working on the raised bed. Alternatively, cover the wire baskets with coconut mats from the inside, which are available in winter for the insulation of potted plants. These are cheaper than stone fillings and also rot-proof. They hold the earthin the raised bed and ensure a ventilation of the individual layers. The insertion of the mats is easy. They can be cut with a knife or a pair of scissors. The safe variant of a gabion raised bed is built on a concrete cast foundation. Alternatively, remove the soil for the surface of the raised bed by 10 cm and insert the wire baskets in the excavated area or bring piles of wood or metal into the ground, which secure the wire baskets. After filling the baskets they are no longer visible.

Advantages of a gabion raised bed

The installation of the raised bed is easy thanks to the prefabricated baskets. They can do almost without tools. By selecting fillers you can customize the gabions loft bedto your individual requirements. The raised bed is filled with several layers. Between each layer fill in a topcoat of earth. The lowest layer consists of leaves and branches. Over it comes a layer of thin branches and small cut wood. Over it comes a layer of manure or coarse compost, The next layer consists of kitchen compost and soil. The uppermost conclusion is the potting soil. It is filled to the brim. This will give you higher crop yields than in a normal bed. In addition to the plants in the raised bed, place additional plants in the stone baskets. The planting area increases and you do not have to bend down so much when gardening. Snails have a hard time, that Gabions raised bed to climb.

Wire and filling for the gabions

The wire mesh of the gabions must be weatherproof. Gabions consist of twisted wire or elastic structural steel. Good braids are not simply galvanized, but covered with a layer of zinc and aluminum. This is two to three times more corrosion-resistant than a simple galvanizing, guarantees a shelf life of up to 20 years and corresponds to DIN 50021-SS. The mesh size is 1000 x 100 mm or 50 x 100 mm or 50 x 50 mm. Small meshes are always more expensive than large grid spacing because more wire is needed. The grids are spot welded for maximum strength. The individual baskets are connected by the associated spirals. Always select the stones according to the mesh size so that the stones do not fall through the mesh. As stones come granite, limestone, quartz or dolomites in question. Cheaper or split are cheaper.