Colorado Garden to-do list for April 18-24

RAISED BEDS

These landscape helpers are simply aboveground, freestanding beds for any type of plantings. They provide a better growing area by literally lifting up plant roots so they aren't growing in clay, sand, rocks or weeds. Filling the beds with good-quality soil provides a place for plant roots to easily grow, which nets healthy plants, better blooms and a plentiful vegetable harvest. Drainage is better, the area warms up faster in the spring, and soil doesn't get compacted by foot traffic.

You can buy raised beds, but if you build it yourself, material costs can be very low, especially if using repurposed items. All you need is to design, build and then plant.

Designs are easy: a 4-foot square or 8-by-4-foot rectangular wooden box both work well. Height is usually 8 inches to 2 feet or taller. Current research says the use of pressure-treated lumber with copper-based chemicals poses minimal risk to plant or people health. But if you have those concerns, line the inside with heavy plastic or use non-treated lumber (it'll still last many years).

You don't have to use wood. Stone, brick, recycled concrete, metal sheets or cinder blocks will work. Get creative! Match a raised bed style with your landscape style and sun conditions, and locate it away from tree roots. Find more ideas: diyhomedesignideas.com/garden/raised.php

If you're placing the raised bed directly over turf or a weedy area, turn over the soil leaving the roots turned up then tease open the clods with a garden fork to allow drainage. Then fill the frame with garden soil or layered materials. This layering is known as lasagna gardening, or sheet composting. Water the layers as you build it.

Start with 6 to 10 overlapped newspaper sheets, or one sheet of non-coated cardboard, then 2-3 inches of brown materials such as leaves, straw or chopped-up dead plant foliage (nondiseased). Next, add 2 inches of green materials like grass clippings mixed with kitchen vegetable scraps (no meat or fish) and coffee grounds. Top with 3 to 5 inches of finished soil (bagged or your own composted soil). Water it all in place; let it dry for a few days, then you're ready to plant. See more about sheet mulching at blogs.cornell.edu/garden/sheet-mulching/

Larger raised beds will require lots of soil, so consider bringing it in bulk, measured by the cubic yard. Ask about the various mixes and whether they are well-composted or aged.

Once the soil is filled in place, water it several times so any excess fertilizers or salts from the bulk or bagged soil will move down through the soil.

LAWNS

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Colorado Garden to-do list for April 18-24