Developing a Raised Bed Garden Plan for the Season

Developing a raised bed vegetable garden plan starts with understanding your space, soil, and crops, then building a simple, repeatable layout that you update each season. For those of you just getting started, go to whatsmygrowzone.com and enter your zip code to receive a vetted list of plants well adapted to your region.  To learn which fertilizers you need to add to ensure success, don’t forget to get started with a soil test from MySoil.  If you want some quick tips, keep reading.  If you want more in depth and complete information, check out the free and complete MySoil Garden Start Guide!

What is a raised bed vegetable garden?

A raised bed vegetable garden is a contained growing area where soil is elevated above the native ground using frames, mounds, or containers. This design improves drainage, warms faster in spring, and makes it easier to create an ideal soil mix for vegetables.

·       Typical depths range from 8–12 inches for most vegetables, with 12–18 inches preferred for deep‑rooted crops like tomatoes and carrots.  Some beds may be taller and easier to work in but also require significantly more soil or rootzone mixture to fill, so consider this when planning for raised bed depth.

·       Beds are commonly built from wood, metal, or composite materials and sized so you can reach the center from each side (no stepping on the soil).  Beds wider than four feet become challenging to manage, especially in the center (my 6’ x 6’ beds pose a real challenge when I’m fertilizing).

Step 1: Choose raised bed size, orientation, and layout

A good raised bed vegetable garden plan balances ergonomics, sunlight, and access for watering and maintenance. Most home gardeners benefit from multiple smaller beds rather than one large bed.

·       Width: 3–4 feet wide lets most people reach the center from either side without stepping on the soil.

·       Length: 6–12 feet fits well in small yards and keeps paths manageable while still allowing efficient crop rows or blocks.

·       Orientation: Whenever possible, align beds north–south so tall crops (tomatoes, trellised cucumbers, pole beans) are on the north side, with shorter crops in front to reduce shading.

Step 2: Build (or refresh) the bed structure

·       Materials: Rot‑resistant lumber, galvanized steel, or composite boards are common choices for long‑lasting raised beds.  Untreated lumber may also be used, and is preferred by many, but it will decompose more rapidly and need replaced in subsequent years.

·       Assembly: Secure corners with screws or brackets, level the frames, and remove existing turf or lay down cardboard to suppress weeds before filling.

·       Inspiration for raised beds is abundant online.  I’d encourage you to search “raised garden bed wood” “elevated raised bed gardening” and “backyard raised bed ideas” to see what your preferences are for your unique space.

Step 3: Test and plan your soil

You’ve picked out the best style of raised bed for your area, now you need to fill it.  There are many option here from hügelkultur, buying bulk garden soil from a local nursery, or buying bagged soil.  If you are filling a small raised bed or container, the bagged soil route is most convenient.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by the options, you can review many of those options and see soil test results and plat grow outs of many popular and requested soils on the SoiLab YouTube Channel.  If you have many beds to fill, or need a large volume, consider having it delivered by your local nursery; this will inevitably save time and money as opposed to buying entire pallets of bagged soils.  A common blend from nurseries my be roughly 40–50% quality topsoil, 30–40% finished compost, and 10–20% aeration and drainage materials such as coarse sand, bark, or perlite

Now that you have your raised bed filled, or you have topped off an existing bed with a bit more material it’s time to soil test and plan your amendment program for the season.  Don’t let soil testing be intimidating; MySoil has made it an easy process for you to get results and guidance.  Follow this link to learn about How It Works.  Soil tests help you fine‑tune pH and nutrient levels rather than guessing with generic fertilizers; raised bed gardens often benefit from supplemental nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, plus micronutrients where tests show deficiencies. It has been our experience that starting pH for most raised bed garden soils has been optimized.

 

Step 4: Plan crops, spacing, and crop rotation

 

There are many options here and this is where you can be both creative and intentional.  As a starting point, here is an example plan that if from the MySoil Garden Start Guide:

A best practice is to rotate what crops you grow in each bed annually to reduce the potential for carryover pest pressure.  Some additional planting plans are as follows:

·       Group crops by family (tomatoes/peppers/eggplants; cabbage/broccoli/kale; peas/beans; onions/garlic; cucumbers/squash/melons) and rotate families to different beds each year.

·       Use intensive spacing methods such as square‑foot gardening or block planting to maximize yield; for example, leafy greens and root crops can be spaced more closely than vining crops or tomatoes.

·       Don’t know what you grow?  Check out recommendations for your growing zone here.

 

Step 5: Watering, mulching, and ongoing fertility

Once beds are built and planted, consistent water and slow, steady nutrition are what keep the plan on track all season.

·       Water: Drip irrigation or soaker hoses under mulch provide deep, efficient watering and reduce foliar disease; raised beds usually dry out faster than in‑ground gardens.

·       Mulch: Apply 1–2 inches of organic mulch (straw, shredded leaves, or compost) to conserve moisture, regulate temperature, and suppress weeds.

·       Follow the fertilizer and amendment guidance from you MySoil test to ensure that your living soil is providing nutrients that match plant demand.  

·       Re-test the soil annually in intensively cropped raised beds, and every 2 – 3 years in mature beds that have been amended consistently for many years to ensure that there are no nutrients that may limit either quality or abundance.

 

Want more in-depth information? 

Check out the free and complete MySoil Garden Start Guide!