Planning a Raised Bed | Materials | Ground Preparation | Structure | Soil | Planting | Care and Maintenance | Fertilizer | Water | Pest and Weed Management
Why Choose Raised Beds?
Raised bed gardening offers a wide range of benefits that make it a smart, enjoyable, and rewarding choice for gardeners of all ages and experience levels. Raised beds offer improved soil quality and drainage, easier access for all ages, and better weed and pest control. They extend the growing season, look neat and organized, and work well in small spaces. You gain more control over what you grow, enjoy fresher, more nutritious produce, and save money. Plus, gardening in raised beds is convenient, family-friendly, eco-conscious, and a great way to connect with others and boost your well-being. This guide gives you everything you need to confidently plan and build a raised bed garden tailored to your space, style, and gardening needs.
Planning a Raised Bed Garden
Site Selection -- Choose a location that receives 6–8 hours of sunlight per day and has easy access to both your house and a water source. Raised beds can be placed in your yard, on a patio, or even integrated into an existing flower bed.
Size and Layout – Measure the location you want to place the garden and leave enough room on three sides so that you can comfortably work in the garden without stepping into it. This will keep the soil from becoming compacted and keep the weeds out, too. Here are a few important points to cover when measuring:
- Depth: The standard is from 6 to 12 inches in depth. The deeper selection will provide room for root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots to grow.
- Pathways: For comfortable movement, wheelbarrows, and other garden equipment—including the gardener—leave about 18-24 inches between beds. If wheelchair access is needed leave enough room between beds for easy maneuvering.
- Area: A standard size is 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. Build them to the size and shape that best fits the space, allowing reach into the center from either side without stepping on the soil. If the garden bed is built against a structure, such as a fence or shed, the maximum width should be 2-2½ feet wide. This will keep the soil from becoming compacted from stepping into it, and keep the weeds out, too.
Materials
Raised beds can be built to almost any height and from a wide variety of materials—ideally using repurposed or recycled items. However, not all products designed for ornamental gardening are safe for vegetable gardens.
Be cautious when using recycled lumber or other reused materials. Some may have been treated with pesticides or chemicals not safe for food crops. Always read and follow label instructions. The USDA prohibits the use of chemically treated wood in contact with soil for organic-certified agriculture. If you're growing organically, avoid pressure-treated lumber. Get creative or stick with traditional options. Standard materials that are usually more durable and long lasting are:
- Cedar and Redwood: Naturally resistant to rot and can last 10+ years, though may be more expensive.
- Pine, Hemlock, or Douglas Fir: More affordable, but untreated wood lasts about 3–5 years.
- Non-wood Options: Bricks, stones, or even concrete blocks can be used for sides. A good choice for those with no carpentry skill. Just lay bricks or stones over weed cloth for a quick and easy frame.
In addition to the frame, you will need:
- Lath or similar material to divide the bed into square-foot grids for organized planting.
- A trellis for climbing plants. Make one from ½” galvanized electrical conduit—it’s strong, long-lasting, and better than PVC. Add netting for support. Install trellises and/or cages at the beginning for vining or climbing plants like peas, beans, and tomatoes. It’s easier to install before or during planting instead of when plants are growing.
- Paint if you would like to personalize or decorate the outside of your raised bed.
- Hoops or shade cloths to protect vegetables from extreme temperatures.
Ground Preparation
- Over Grass or Soil: Level the ground. Use landscape fabric as a base to prevent weeds and grass from growing into the bed, while still allowing for proper drainage. If there is a gopher problem, lining the beds with 1⁄4-inch hardware cloth is a necessity.
- On Concrete or Stone: Use landscape cloth to retain soil and permit drainage. Alternatively, attach a plywood base with drainage holes—ideal for raised beds used by people with limited mobility.
Structure
When building a raised bed from wood, choose a pattern that works for you. Typical options are:
- Height: 6" to 24" depending on what you’re planting. Higher beds (up to 2 feet) are great for wheelchair access or reducing bending.
- Width: Standard is a maximum 3 feet if accessible from one side only, but can be up to 4 feet if accessible from both sides.
- Length: No longer than 25 feet for easy access.
- Standard sizes include 4 feet by 4 feet. Choose any dimensions that fit your space and allows room to walk and work around it.
For more in depth construction tips and steps, visit the University of Florida Extension’s site Building Raised Beds. Penn State Extension also has a great resource on building basic wooden raised beds, Quick and Easy Raised Bed Design for Urban Growers.
Soil
Soil plays a vital role in successful gardening. In Orange County, the predominant clay soil requires substantial amendment to become suitable for planting, and its quality can fluctuate over time. Additionally, other regions within Orange County feature various soil types that require amendments.
Using raised beds effectively addresses soil challenges by allowing gardeners to cultivate plants without relying on native ground soil. These beds are typically filled with a blend of potting soil, multiple varieties of compost (to introduce diverse microorganisms), vermiculite or perlite, and coconut coir—a sustainable alternative to peat moss. High-quality potting mix from garden centers may serves as an effective medium for filling raised bed gardens. All necessary materials are available at local nurseries.
Soil in raised beds warms faster and dries out more quickly than soil at ground level. Consistent watering, especially during periods of low rainfall, is essential. The objective is to maintain moisture below the surface, even if the upper layer becomes dry due to sun exposure.
Planting
Rule #1 is Grow What You Like. Then you will eat what you grow—and what you grow will be healthy and flavorful. Mix vegetables, flowers, and herbs; up to 16 crops can fit in a small garden. Because of Orange County’s extended growing season, a family of four can grow a nutritious salad almost every day of the year.
Even a single square foot can hold a tomato (with a trellis), four romaine lettuces, 16 beets or carrots, cabbage, Swiss chard, red lettuce, spinach, broccoli, a cherry tomato bush, herbs, and marigolds. Avoid overcrowding as some plants grow large.
Select crops based on their season: warm-season vegetables for summer heat, cool-season ones for cooler months. Once you decide what you’ll eat and the space needed, make a planting list. Visit the Seed Planting Chart for variety options and planting times. Larger crops, like squash, melons, and sweet corn grow best in open ground due to space needs. Avoid planting the same crop in the same spot every season. Rotate families of plants (e.g., nightshades, brassicas, legumes) to prevent disease and nutrient depletion.
Your garden is part of a wider ecosystem. Add flowers to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and set out shallow water dishes with stones for them to satisfy their thirst. Avoid using pesticides.
Care and Maintenance
One of the benefits of gardening in raised beds is the easier maintenance. If you use quality materials and construct them well, raised beds can last for decades with very little structural maintenance. There are a few standard maintenance practices to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Fertilizer
Fertilization practices for plants in raised beds are similar to those used in conventional gardening. Using a high-quality soil mixture is important for plant nutrition – a mix of compost, coconut coir, and vermiculite can supply nutrients. Some mixes may include fertilizer. Check the bag’s ingredients.
Apply a balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks during the growing season. Begin with light, regular applications after plants reach three to four inches tall to support yield. Choose fertilizer labeled 5‐10‐5 or 10‐10‐5 and follow package instructions. Place dry fertilizer near drip tubes or in areas where sprinklers will help dissolve it. Compost can be added as a top-dressing each season, or organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion, compost tea, or worm castings may be used.
Over time, established raised beds may lose soil volume, often due to compaction. Adding more soil mix or compost addresses this. Lower yields or increased disease susceptibility may occur, and soil testing is recommended to identify pH or nutrient imbalances. Tests provide both conventional and organic solutions to correct any deficiencies, indicating which nutrients to add.
For more information, visit Vegetable Garden: Applying Fertilizer.
Water
Raised beds tend to dry out more quickly than in-ground gardens, especially in California’s warm climate. However, they offer an efficient way to grow a variety of plants in small spaces—such as patios or compact yards—while often using less water than traditional gardening.
Because raised beds lose moisture faster, consistent and efficient irrigation is essential. Place the raised bed near a reliable water source to make regular watering easier. Avoid overhead watering methods like hoses, watering cans, or sprinklers, because these are generally inefficient. Much of the water is lost to evaporation or may land on areas that don’t benefit the plants—such as bare soil or foliage—where it can promote weed growth or lead to leaf diseases.
Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are the most effective options. They deliver water slowly and directly to the plant roots, minimizing evaporation and reducing the risk of disease. Plan your irrigation system before building the raised beds so it can be installed properly from the start. If drip tape or soaker hoses are being used, lay them directly on the soil surface in the bed for optimal performance.
While overhead sprinklers can be used in some cases, they are less suitable because they wet the foliage, increasing the chance of spreading fungal diseases. For best results and water efficiency, stick with drip or soaker systems.
Monitor soil moisture. Stick your finger into the soil. If the soil feels dry, apply water incrementally as needed. The soil mix should both retain moisture and support drainage.
For further information about irrigation systems, visit Irrigation Systems for the Garden from the University of New Hampshire Extension.
Pest and Weed Management
Pest management is easier in a raised bed because the garden is more contained.
- Prevent burrowing pests like gophers by lining the bottom of the raised bed with ¼-inch hardware cloth before planting.
- Use a strong spray from the hose to remove pests.
- Encourage beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, to help control pest populations.
- Hand-pick pests when possible for direct removal.
- Construct row covers and create cages with chicken wire to keep out larger animals.
- Consider companion plants like marigolds or nasturtiums that deter pests naturally.
If these methods do not work and pests continue to damage your garden, consider exploring additional pest control solutions.
Weeds are minimal in raised bed gardens, but they do occur. Here are a few steps to keep the garden practically weed-free:
- Stay on top of weeds as they emerge. Pull them while they are small.
- Apply a layer of mulch when planting to discourage the growth of weeds.
- Keep the soil moist to help in spotting and removing weeds when they are small.
- Maintain a high (but realistic) plant density that will help control weeds.
Mulch
Mulch such as straw, leaves, wood chips, or compost helps retain soil moisture, reduce irrigation needs, and suppress weeds. Mulch also moderates soil temperature. Check to be sure that water can penetrate the mulch to reach roots and keep mulch away from stems to prevent pests and disease.
Harvesting
When one crop is done, remove it and add a scoop or two of compost or the soil mix and replant your favorite new vegetable. As your garden ripens you can harvest by grazing through daily.
Season’s End and Spring Restart
At the end of the growing season, vegetable plants can be tilled back into the beds to increase organic matter in the soil. Add compost between plantings by spreading it an inch thick on top of the bed. If extra enrichment is desired, consider adding worm castings to the compost.
When spring begins, refresh your raised beds and start over again.