Raised beds are the easiest way to start growing food, especially if your native soil is heavy clay, rocky or poorly drained. You control the soil from day one, and the beds warm up faster in spring.
Size and placement
- Width: Keep beds 3 to 4 feet wide so you can reach the middle from either side without stepping in.
- Depth: 10 to 12 inches suits most vegetables. Go deeper for carrots or if you're building over hard ground.
- Sun: Place beds where they get at least 6, and ideally 8, hours of direct sun.
- Water: Keep them close to a spigot. Beds that are hard to water don't get watered.
Materials
Untreated cedar and redwood resist rot naturally. Galvanized steel beds last for decades. Most extension services consider modern pressure-treated lumber acceptable for food gardens, but if you'd rather avoid it, line the inside or choose another material. Never use old railroad ties.
Filling the bed
A good starting mix is roughly equal parts quality topsoil and compost. Bagged "raised bed mix" works for small beds. Avoid filling with potting mix alone; it's expensive and settles quickly. Top up with an inch or two of compost every year.
What to plant first
- Cool season (spring and fall): lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, peas, carrots, beets.
- Warm season (after frost): tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, squash, cucumbers, basil.
Plant in blocks rather than long rows. Square-foot spacing, such as one tomato, four lettuces or sixteen radishes per square foot, makes the most of a small bed.
Watering
Raised beds drain fast and dry out quicker than the ground. A simple drip line or soaker hose on a timer is the single best upgrade you can make. Mulch between plants to hold moisture.
In the plant explorer, choose "Vegetables" or the "Container garden" collection to see crops that fit small spaces in your area.