Landscaping in Southwest Missouri’s Rocky Soil

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of landscaping in southwest Missouri is the quality of our soil. Our soil can best be described as rocky, compact clay — which can be a major headache for anyone interested in planting a garden.

Perhaps the most effective means of dealing with poor soil is by avoiding it altogether. Raised-bed gardens are a fantastic alternative and look great in any yard. Best of all, they are easy to make. Today, we’ll give you all the details you need to set up your own raised-bed garden at home.

Building a Raised-Bed Garden

There are many ways that you can build a raised-bed garden. In general, you want to create a four-sided enclosure that is at least two feet high. This can be done with anything from wood planks, cinder blocks, or even logs. Secure the enclosure on all sides (rebar is excellent for this), then cover the bottom of the enclosure with newspaper or cardboard. Thoroughly wet the paper or cardboard and fill the enclosure with soil up to a few inches from the top.

Pro Landscaping Tip: Build your bed somewhere that receives five to six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you orient the garden north to south, you can help prevent plants from shading each other out!

Choose soil that is dark, rich, and loaded with microorganisms. About half topsoil, half compost is a great mixture to start with. Before each growing season be sure to test the soil’s PH and nutrient content, there are inexpensive test kits available at most home gardening stores.

Additional Raised-Bed Gardening Tips

• These raised-bed gardens will have better drainage than standard gardens, which is excellent for the health of your plants. However, this also means they can dry out faster, and often need additional watering. Installing a drip irrigation system can be an inexpensive and convenient means of dealing with excess drainage.
• You can often plant more densely than in a traditional garden. Not only does this result in higher yields for your garden space, but also helps to inhibit weed growth.
• Plan ahead when planting in your garden. Try to cluster plants that have similar nutrient and water needs together.
• Plants that require less maintenance should be placed in the middle of the raised-bed garden as this area is more difficult to access than the edges.
• It can be a good idea to place taller plants on the north side of the garden, and shorter plants on the south. This helps to ensure that all will get adequate sunlight.

Contact Nixa Lawn Service for Professional Landscaping

At Nixa Lawn Service, we can develop and maintain whatever landscaping you desire. If you want to have the lawn that is the envy of your neighbors, contact Nixa Lawn Service today. You can call our team directly at 417-724-0318.