Raised Bed Gardening - (2024)

FAQs

What do you put in the bottom of a raised garden bed? ›

Soil is the foundation of your garden, and you want it to be healthy so you can set your plants up for success! We recommend buying high-quality, nutrient-rich soil in bulk. Or, you can make a soil mix with equal parts topsoil, organic materials (leaves, composted manure, ground bark), and coarse sand.

The Best Height for Raised Beds

Keep in mind that beds 18 inches deep or more will have better drainage than shorter beds. While most plants don't need anything deeper than 18 inches, I prefer beds that are two feet deep (24 inches). The extra height is mostly just for the ease and convenience of the gardener.

Raised beds that are small and shallow (under 12 inches deep) are typically only filled with soil. Adding other organic materials to shallow beds usually isn't a good idea. Sticks, twigs, and other materials further reduce the limited soil space and can interfere with plant root growth and water drainage.

Water doesn't gush out of the raised bed as quickly. Prevents nutrient loss: Soil loss from watering can lead to nutrient loss too. Using landscape fabric as a raised bed liner prevents erosion and minimizes nutrient loss risk. The liner is especially useful for maintaining water-soluble nutrients from the soil.

What are some easy vegetables to grow in raised beds? While many vegetables thrive in raised beds, some particularly beginner-friendly choices include radishes, lettuce, bush beans, and kale. These plants are generally low-maintenance, have shorter growing seasons, or are less prone to common garden pests.

The materials used include large rotting logs, sticks and other debris that are layered with grass clippings, coffee grounds, compost, and other organic matter. As the material breaks down, it creates a flourishing environment for beneficial fungi and microbes that mimics the natural landscape of a forest.

For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.

Tomatoes should ideally be grown in a raised bed that's at least 15 to 18 inches deep. Many of my clients in Houston are successfully growing tomatoes in 12-inch deep raised garden beds, but their plants tend to be a little stunted compared to plants in deeper beds.

How many tomato plants are in a 3x6 raised bed? ›

If using cages or another wide support system, you can probably fit 6-8 tomato plants in that bed. If you're using a drop-string trellis or using determinate tomato varieties, you can probably fit 10-12 tomato plants in that bed.

The cons of raised beds

The main downside of raised beds is the work and expense of creating them in the first place. You don't have to use borders (soil can be raked into raised beds each season), but if you do, you'll have to acquire the wood, blocks, or stone.

Raised Beds Provide Better Drainage Than In-Ground Gardens

Raised beds filled with the right type of soil drain more quickly than in-ground beds. Many of the edible plants you might want to grow in a kitchen garden—cabbages, radishes, kale, peas, etc.

Most raised beds are no greater than 4 feet wide. Choose a spot in your garden that receives full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of sun per day. Make your own growing medium or use a potting mix, such as our Wilson's Potting Mix.

That could be vermiculite, coconut fiber, or even just sand. Sadly, there is no magic formula (as far as we know) but you'll find plenty of raised bed filling recipes online. One breakdown we've seen is 40% soil, 40% compost, and 20% vermiculite. Of course, you'll still need to know how much to buy.

Any beds deeper than six inches should, ideally, have a layer of protection between the raised bed soil and the ground. ' Lining the bottom of a raised garden bed can also help to protect your soil from extreme temperatures and keep your soil in the bed rather than allowing it to drain out with excess water.

Next, use yard waste such as grass clippings, sticks, branches, leaves, trimmings, and yard debris to take up some extra space and save you a bit of money on soil. These raised beds of ours are 4 ft x 4 ft and 16 inches high. One large trash can full of yard waste filled it up about halfway.

You don't really need a bottom unless your raised bed will sit on a surface you'd like to protect such as a wooden patio deck, a balcony, a porch, a concrete walkway, etc. Standing planters also, obviously, have bottoms so that they can hold the contents of the garden several feet above the ground.