I love raised beds, but having a 3.5 acre garden it isn’t a feasible option. The pros of raised beds are you can make them any height you want so if you have difficulty bending or kneeling you can make them so you don’t have to kneel or bend. They drain quickly and you won’t have water sitting in the beds. You can start gardening sooner than with an inground garden, as long as you have a way of protecting plants from frost.

The beauty of using raised beds is that you can use various configurations. Most raised beds are squares or rectangles as that is the easiest way to build a bed. If you’re creative and have or know someone with amazing carpentry skills you can make any shape you want. Typically square beds are 4′ by 4′. Rectangles width is typically 4′ and length can vary from 8-12′ long. When thinking of the measurements for your beds think of how you’re going to pick, how you’re going to weed, etc. If the bed is too wide these tasks cannot be easily done.

Depth is very important as you want adequate soil for the plants to put down a strong root system. Most garden plants need at least 6 to 12 inches for their roots, so 12 inches is ideal. It also depends on whether you are putting plastic or landscape fabric down, without these two mediums the roots of plants will eventually go deeper when the ground is broken down. One reason to put down plastic or landscape fabric is to prevent weeds from growing in the beds (you’ll have weeds, but it can prevent thistles and crab grass from taking over the beds). Another consideration is how much bending can you do. My dads raised beds are mid thigh so it makes working in his garden a breeze.

Choosing a site is very important. You want the beds to get at least 6 hours of sun, if not more a day. You also want to make sure you can access all sides of the beds. Raised beds should have 2-4 feet of space between them. Things to consider are: are you going to keep the grass and mow and do you want to push a wagon or wheelbarrow between the rows. If you don’t want grass between the rows use: mulch, limestone, micro clover, creeping thyme, and creeping Charlie (though it is very invasive).

So now you know what measurements you want the next question is are you going to build the beds yourself or are you going to use a kit? If you’re going to build yourself what kind of material are you going to use? Recycled wood, treated lumber, durable woods, or recycled plastic  Treated lumber will not rot, but has tons of chemicals which may leech into the soil. Durable natural woods are quite expensive, but don’t have the chemicals. If building the beds yourself browse around on the internet for plans. The most crucial aspect of the beds is the corners, you want to make sure they are secure and the beds won’t burst open.

Now that everything is built what kind of soil do you use. The best soil to use is a 3 or 4 way soil. 3 way soils are typically composed of black topsoil, compost, peat moss, manure, and/or sand. A 4 way soil is black top soil, peat moss, compost, manure, and/or sand. Different companies all have different mixes and what they put into their mixes. I would make sure the mix has compost as that is where you will get lots of nutrients. Most companies that sell soil will deliver soil to your house and than you just need a wheelbarrow to get the soil to your beds.

Check out my other articles on when to start planting, what can be direct seeded and what needs to be started indoors or you need plants, and gardening plans.