15 Tips for Planning a Successful Raised Garden

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Nothing ’s tastier than tomato picked new off the vine , but maintaining a vegetable garden can be hard piece of work , and not everyone has room for one in the yard . raise garden beds offer the perfect solvent : When these gardens are filled with lightweight , nutrient - copious ground , they can easily bring on twice the yield in half the outer space . Because they ’re in a contained distance raised higher than land level , they ’re also easier to maintain — no hoeing or bend to pull out gage .

The tips before will help you project , plant , and maintain a raise garden bed for bumper - crop results . You may never go back to traditional horticulture .

Vegetables growing in raised beds in the home garden

Photo: istockphoto.com

1. Select an appropriate location.

A raise garden bed can be located most anywhere in your yard — even alongside a private road — as long as you follow some basic rule . Vegetable plant need Lot of light , so choose a spot that baffle direct sun for most of the day . Also select an area that ’s slightly sheltered from the twist , either by nearby trees , a tall fence , or a building , as gamey winds can play mayhem on tender plants . And while you ’ll need a location with easy access to water , avoid putting your promote bed where rainwater collects and stands — veggies do n’t care soggy conditions .

2. Decide on dimensions that suit your needs.

The height of a raised garden seam is important for two rationality . First , it raise the level of the filth to a height where it ’s easier to tend the plants . secondly , a raised bed , which is basically an extra - expectant planter , is filled with lightweight “ flossy ” soil that ’s ranking to typical garden soil , so plants develop quicker and are level-headed .

While there are no hard and immobile rules for how mellow a raised garden bottom should be , most are between 12 and 20 inches off the priming . nurseryman with mobility issues , such as those in wheelchairs , can prefer for even higher side to make it easier to attain the industrial plant . To comfortably tend to all sphere of the raised bed , it should be no more than three feet wide . That way , you ’ll only have to reach 1.5 feet — about an average weapon system ’s length — from either side to reach the industrial plant in the center .

The length of the seam is up to you , but many nurseryman find four- to five - foot lengths manageable . If you grow a lot of produce , you’re able to install multiple raised beds , but space them at least 24 inch apart to allow for adequate walking room between .

Overhead shot of woman planting in raised beds

Photo: istockphoto.com

3. Choose the right material.

Raised garden beds should be build from water- and rot - repellent materials . you’re able to purchase raised garden seam kits from a home melioration middle or order them online . you could also work up bed from scratch out of concrete city block , landscaping block , retain wall blocking , landscaping forest , androt - insubordinate exterior forest , include cedar , redwood , and dark locust tree .

4. Double dig if sides are low.

Some garden craw , such as lettuce and chives , have shallow root organisation no deeper than 6 inches , but other veggies , such as greenish noggin and cucumber vine , can send their roots more than 12 inches into the grease . If the sides of your raised bed are 12 inches or tall , you could make the bed right on top of the ground and fill it with appropriate soil ( hash out next ) . If the sides of the bottom are shorter than 12 inches , give plants plenty of beginning blank by dig out out the existing ground ground to a depth of 8 inches ( scream “ two-fold dig ” ) before pose up the position of the bed . This will ensure all plant have plenty of quality soil for goodly root growth .

5. Use the right soil mixture.

If thesoil in your areais by nature full of clay or George Sand , it will be a challenge to grow a successful garden on the undercoat . Raised layer , however , are filled with a superior dirt mix : Ideally , a combination of two - parts surface soil to one - part compost , both of which can be buy from home melioration stores or order from landscape painting company by the yard and turn in . instead , you’re able to fulfil your raise layer entirely with commercial potting stain that ’s labeled specifically for growing yield and vegetables .

6. Arrange plants by height.

When it ’s time to harvest , you wo n’t want to reach through a improbable Lycopersicon esculentum industrial plant to pull up some carrot hidden behind it . So design the layout of plant with the improbable ones , such as corn or okra , to grow along the middle bloodline of the arouse layer . Plant medium - top plant life , such as peppers , on either side . Finally , constitute the shortest crops , such as Raphanus sativus longipinnatus and carrots , along the edges of the bed . This manner , you’re able to well reach any plant from either side of the raised bed .

7. Mulch to retain moisture.

The productive , lightweight soil in a bring up garden seam is optimal for rootage growth but likely to dry out without surface shelter . Mulch — a level of constitutive matter , such as hardwood bit , tear up wry foliage , orsawdust — should be spread over the ground to keep it coolheaded and prevent evaporation while blocking sess seeds from sprouting . For best results , spread mulch in an even 2 - inch layer and bid down light .

8. Water at the roots.

Water garden plants at their base , rather than using a sprinkler or a nebuliser , which run to wet leaves . endlessly damp leaf increase the risk of fungal diseases , such as Septoria leaf spot , which can lay waste to an entire love apple harvest . moot using a soaker hosepipe , wound loosely around the base of the plants . Or install a dribble irrigation organisation , such as theBonivee drip irrigation kit , a top option in ourresearched guide to the best drip irrigation system .

9. Control the pests.

Garden beds often attract pests , like worm , lapin , squirrels , and cervid , all of which can stymie your greenery ’s increase . But proper pestilence control bet on the character of pest that ’s attracted to your garden . If you ’re handle with pesky rabbits or other small mammalian , you could instal a wimp wire fence around the garden that extends about 6 in underground and at least a metrical unit above the bed .

To control deer , you ’ll need a larger fence , ideally 6 to 8 metrical foot gamy , which can be made of Sir Henry Joseph Wood , vinyl , or aluminum . you may also plant deer - resistant plants , like marigold , lavender , and rosemary . motility - activated sprinklers are another check for larger mammals .

If squirrels enjoy your tomato as much as you do , you ’ll have to put a “ ceiling ” on your plague - control structure . If you ’ve build up an 8 - foot wimp conducting wire fence to deter deer , for example , add a poulet - conducting wire ceiling to deter squirrel , which find cunning ways to descale fence .

Overhead shot of woman harvesting carrots from raised bed

Photo: istockphoto.com

If you want torepel bugsfrom your garden , you’re able to plant petunias , which have small glutinous hairs that catch vulgar garden pests like beetles , aphid , and leafhoppers . Dill , marigolds , and several other plant types will also deter many louse .

10. Practice succession planting.

Succession plantinginvolves staggering your works to produce a unfluctuating harvesting and meliorate dirt health . To do this , you ’ll need to know the maturity timeline of each industrial plant , then schedule their plantings appropriately . For example , vegetables like radish , leaf lettuce , and spinach plant mature early , so you might plant them first . Then after harvesting them , you could plant late - time of year harvest , like noggin or crush , in their place .

Not only will succession planting return you tons of different delicacy throughout a long growing season , but since various crops require different nutrients and plague profiles , rotating them can keep your garden bed from overload on any particular food or gadfly .

11. Add a trellis.

If you ’re planning to constitute any tall or vining plants , such as tomatoes orclimbing roses , it ’s a good idea to supply a treillage to your garden . This will let the plants to grow vertically , making space for other crop , which is particularly useful in small gardens .

Installing the trellis from northward to Confederacy is a good rule of pollex since both sides of the flora will get a good amount of sunlight throughout the daylight without shading other industrial plant too much . However , the correct orientation can bet on the plant and your location .

12. Keep a journal.

Consider documenting your garden ’s progression and struggles throughout the growing season with a journal . Writing down selective information like planting dates , types of plant , pestilence issues , and harvest metre can help you discover brainwave that will make it easy to trouble-shoot and grow your garden in the future .

13. Plant companions.

Certain plants can facilitate each other boom when planted next to each other . For instance , if you plant lettuce , consider planting chives , garlic , or onions next to it . The scent of onion plant and garlic masks the smell of boodle , which can deter aphids and other insects from munching on your greens . likewise , if you plant bonce next to corn , the beans will create atomic number 7 that will aid the Zea mays thrive .

14. Fertilize regularly.

15. Plan ahead for next year’s crops.

When summer winds down and your plants stop grow , it ’s time to prepare your raised garden seam for overwintering . This gradation will tot up organic nutrients and condition the soil during the inhuman season , reduce the need for preparation come spring . Remove all dead plant from the layer and implement 1 inch oforganic composton top .

Finally , track the soil with 3 to 4 inch of constitutive mulch ( dry leave-taking or straw ) . The compost and mulch will biodegrade throughout the wintertime , adding life-sustaining nutrients to your raised garden seam and control another bumper craw next year .

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

raised planter made of metal

Photo: amazon.com

We ’ll help oneself you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few gage on your patio , a raised bed , or an in - ground plot out back — and select the right flora for your dirt and region .

Overhead shot of shovel over pile of dirt