Knowledgebase

Problem with soil in a raised bed #924932

Asked February 23, 2026, 10:50 AM EST

Hi- I have 4 raised beds on the far end of my garden. They are closest to some very large pine trees. Over the recent years, I have struggled to turn the dirt in those beds in the spring. I find a lot of thin roots that I think are from the pines. Plantings in those beds do not do well to the point where I plan not to use them this year. Is there any way I can stop this problem? Thank you!

Windsor County Vermont

Expert Response

Good Morning Stephen,

Thanks for reaching out to the Extension Helpline! This is a great question with lots of options depending on the resources you have available.

First and foremost, I would highly recommend getting a soil test. This way you're not flying blind when it comes to amending your soil. You can get all the information about that right here: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab

Without knowing if, for example, those pine trees made your soil highly acidic or if you're missing a vital nutrient it's tough to make a specific recommendation. Also, depending on the age and original material used to fill those beds, it's not uncommon for raised beds to have excess nutrients.

Based on the description, the other thing I would look for is shading. Most garden vegetables prefer full sun, so if there's significant shade you may want to consider plants that tolerate or even benefit from shade. Iowa State offers some advice on which crops might perform well in these conditions: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-edible-plants-shady-areas

And last but certainly not least, there's an excellent resource from our friends over at Illinois Extension about refreshing raised beds: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/refreshing-raised-bed-soil-generates-exceptional-results

Hopefully these resources combined will help you have a great, productive growing season!

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