If you have been yearning for a garden in your yard, but just don’t have the space or soil, a raised bed may be the perfect solution. Raised garden beds are gardens that are built up, instead of down. You can create raised beds by enclosing soil in a box or other large container to maintain the integrity of the soil and garden. Here are some of the benefits of raised bed gardening, as well as a few tips to get you started!
Space Efficiency
Raised beds can be any size or shape. Generally, raised beds are about six to eight feet long and three to four feet wide, but if you’re limited on space, your beds can be customized to the area you’re installing them in. Additionally, the height of the bed can be customized, so gardeners who don’t want to kneel or bend over can create beds that are taller, and thus, more accessible.
Enhanced Soil
Raised garden beds provide better drainage for soil, giving plants an extra foot (or more) of breathing room above wet conditions. This is especially pertinent in areas like Western Washington that often see heavy rain in the spring and late summer, as well as flooding throughout the rainy season. In addition, it is much easier to control the soil in the bed. Instead of being reliant on the soil already in the ground in your area, you provide the soil and nutrients that your plants grow in! Because of that, you can choose products such as G&B Raised Bed & Potting Mix which is specially designed for raised bed and large container gardens, and include added coir for moisture retention.
To learn more about using potting mixes in your garden, click here.
Maximized Harvest
There are many reasons that raised bed gardens maximize harvest. In addition to controlling the soil, weeds, and pests, it is also easier to add accessories for protection and pest prevention. Additionally, the soil in a raised bed warms up more quickly, allowing gardeners to start planting sooner and keep gardening later into the year, extending the growing season. You can also plant veggies a bit closer together to maximize space.
Weed Control
One of the most effective ways to battle weeds is by using a raised bed to garden. You can install a weed barrier on the bottom of the bed which will stop grasses and weeds from infiltrating. Additionally, some raised bed gardeners cover their beds with mulch, cardboard or black plastic in the spring to quickly kill any plants that have grown up in the winter. This clears the soil for your garden, without leaving seeds or roots of weeds behind!
Counteracts Pests
Raised beds are one more barrier for pests and critters who want to steal your harvest. The tall sides of raised beds make it harder for pests such as slugs to get into the beds, and you can even add additional deterrents around the border of your box. It’s also easier to install hardware cloth at the bottom of the box to keep out burrowing critters like groundhogs, and because of the height, it is less likely that pet dogs will urinate directly on your plants.
Less work!
Raised beds are great for beginners, because they remove a lot of the barriers and create an easier space for gardening! Less weeds, no pests and better soil all work in your favor for a maximized harvest!
FAQs
Longer growing season: Raised beds warm up more quickly in the spring and drain better (assuming the soil is properly prepared), allowing for a longer growing season and better growing conditions. Particularly in the South, a properly prepared raised bed allows plant roots to breathe.
What are the benefits of a raised bed garden? ›
Longer growing season: Raised beds warm up more quickly in the spring and drain better (assuming the soil is properly prepared), allowing for a longer growing season and better growing conditions. Particularly in the South, a properly prepared raised bed allows plant roots to breathe.
Why do farmers use raised beds? ›
Some of the major advantages which raised beds offer include: Improved soil drainage, allowing soil to dry and warm faster in the spring, and provide better soil conditions for vegetable crops that need well-drained soils.
How does a raised garden bed work? ›
Raised beds are freestanding garden beds constructed above ground level. "Raised" means that the soil level in the bed is higher than the surrounding soil. The word "bed" implies a size small enough to work in without actually stepping onto planting area.
What are the disadvantages of raised garden beds? ›
Raised beds need water more often since the soil is more exposed to air and dries quicker. Similar to growing in containers, the extra watering can leach nutrients out of the soil quicker than in-ground gardens. For that reason, raised beds will likely need fertilizer more often.
Are raised garden beds better? ›
Yes, raised garden beds are widely used for vegetable gardening. They offer better soil quality control, protection against pests, and easier management of watering and fertilizing.
What is special about raised bed soil? ›
Raised Bed Soil is like a balance between garden soil and potting mix. It has the exceptional drainage necessary for container and raised bed gardening. It assists gardeners in maintaining loose soil and provides adequate airflow for necessary oxygen and nutrient delivery to root systems.
Do farmers use raised beds? ›
Raised bed farming refers to the agricultural technique of building freestanding crop beds above the existing level of soil. Sometimes raised beds are covered with plastic mulch to create a closed planting bed. Raised beds may be rectangular in shape or have an irregular shape.
Do raised beds need tilling? ›
Gardening in a bed, raised or not, is a great, low-impact gardening practice. To get started, you don't have to disturb the soil at all. Simply adding a thick layer of compost and topsoil on top of the soil in the general dimensions of the bed is a good way to start a bed. No need to till or disturb.
What grows best in a raised garden bed? ›
Carrots, beets, and radishes are some of the root vegetables that will really benefit from the improved soil. Spinach, chard, arugula, kale, and lettuce are some leafy greens to plant in raised beds. These quick-growing greens can be planted together or interplanted with other vegetables.
A barrier at the bottom of your raised bed, such as landscape fabric or cardboard, can help prevent weeds from growing up into the bed from the underlying soil. This layer acts as a physical block, stopping weed roots before they can reach the nutrient-rich soil of your garden.
What type of raised garden bed is best? ›
Material: Metal and plastic beds are usually longer lasting than wood beds, and fabric beds are an affordable option some people prefer. Drainage system: A drainage system allows excess water to be released from containerized beds, helping prevent plant roots from rotting or developing fungus and bacteria.
What are three mistakes to avoid when gardening with raised beds? ›
What Are 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Gardening with Raised Beds?
- Overcrowding Plants.
- Using Poor Quality Soil.
- Neglecting Watering and Drainage.
- Conclusion.
If you are going to raise the whole bed off of the ground, yes. If not, and depending on what critters are around your area, you could just staple or nail a heavy wire mesh (wire cloth) to the bottom of the bed to keep out gophers, moles, etc.
Are raised gardens worth it? ›
The soil in a raised bed warms up faster in the spring than the soil in the ground. You'll be able to extend your total growing time by planting earlier in the spring and later in the fall. Raised beds improve drainage and prevent the roots of your plants from sitting in water for too long.
What are the pros and cons of raised bed vegetable gardening? ›
Advantages: By definition, raised beds are above ground level…so they require less bending over when planting, weeding, and harvesting. The higher up you go with your beds, the less bending. Disadvantages: Likewise, the higher you go with your beds the more time and money it will take to build them.
What do you put in the bottom of a raised garden bed? ›
Best Soil for Raised Garden Beds
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.
Is it better to plant garden in ground or raised bed? ›
Raised Beds Give Roots More Room
In an in-ground garden, your plants' root growth can be limited by poor soil structure, poor soil quality, and large rocks. Their roots will spread out closer to the surface of the soil, which means you'll need to give plants plenty of space to sprawl.
