So What Do You Need to Know about Raised Beds?

by Doug
(In His Garden)

OK - folks. As always I ask you what specific things you really want to know about this topic - raised bed gardening.

What things confuse you about raised beds?

What do you need clarified?

What.....

You get the idea. :-) The more specific you can be with your questions (yes, the more the merrier) the more specific I can be with the answers.

And as you go down the list, you may see something somebody else added that you want explained too. This is like a voting system - I can't usually answer all questions so I tend to answer those asked by the most number of people. Add everything you can think of to your question-list!

I think that's go it - I'll give you a few days and then start adding content here and answering your questions.

Use the link to the comment form right below this note to add your .02 :-)

Comments for
So What Do You Need to Know about Raised Beds?

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animal protection
by: TJ

I have two, two year-old raised beds on top of very poor soil/decomposing sandstone. My problem is deer, but also numerous rabbits - I need ideas for protection against the dear animals that will allow me to get my hands into the bed to weed and harvest without too much difficulty. And, in some areas allow the height necessary for growing tomatoes. Right now I use concrete reinforcing wire panels arched over the bed, and that is covered with another layer or finer mesh which I hook onto hooks that are screwed into the sides of the beds - this works for carrots, beets, lettuce, and other low crops, but doesn't give enough height. The panels are 4' by 7' and rather expensive, but the only other source is a huge roll for LOTS of $$. Any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks for the seminars!

My raised bed experience
by: Sally

Our soil was so clay rock hard that I started with just old manure piled in a long strip on the ground (narrow enough that I could reach the middle easily from each side). We added more strips. My husband eventually double dug once (awfully hard job) as the earthworms etc had come up to the good stuff and softened the underneath layer. So I'm glad I didn't put anything under. I've never used edging and still manage to have beds about 8" higher than walkways, but it does take maintenance. I line the walks with heavy plastic then put shore limestones on top. Still some weeding but the plastic makes it easier. Old manure eventually made the nitrogen too high in the balance so I mainly now add compost.

Raised Garden beds
by: Hazel

Gail, I put down some discarded shade cloth over the area where I don't want weeds or grass to grow(no sun gets through so they can't grow) or there is some black plastic that U can get to stop the grass & weeds as well, if U can get hold of either it should work. Hope it helps.

I posted a link of some of the raised steel garden beds that I use but it go so rudely removed- I put it on as a guide for people to see the different sizes & shapes of beds that people can try depending on their situation. Guess unless U are from the US than you can't post anything.

Looking forward to seminars
by: The Lazy R

Some of my questions have been asked previously, but to weigh-in to get those questions answered, I am going to be redundant…
1. do I need to put plywood, landscape cloth or even newspaper under my bed beneath the improved soil?
2. do the techniques from you Shade garden book work for a veggie garden as well?--with the exception of sun vs. shade
3. if adding chicken manure along with the straw bedding, how long to compost?
4. if using horse manure that has aged for 2 years, can it just be mixed directly into the material to fill the bed?
5. what is the best bed growing medium mix formula?
6. echo the question about maintaining paths without using up all my time.
7. I have some beautiful trellises, but like the earlier question, cannot get them to stay in the ground.
8. my bed is framed in natural cedar, 12" deep. Do I just let it weather? is it deep enough?
9. Question above on how best to water--drip vs soaker.
10. What is a reasonable layout for a 4X8 raised bed to have a good mix of plants, but not over crowd?

soil formula and rotation
by: rel

Please give us your best soil formula for new raised beds.

Also, is it necessary to still rotate crops when using raised beds?
Can zucchini be grown in the same bed year after year? Tomatoes?
Peppers? You get the idea!!!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

Raised Beds
by: Anonymous

Soil mixes (types of material and ratios),
Types of places to get large quantities of soil materials,
Tips on DIY raised bed construction (type of wood, etc.).

Thank you!

the importance of a procedures journal in a garden
by: Arnaldo

Mr Green: I think that if we get hold of a journal procedures in a vegetables Garden, will jump start Us. immidiatly in the right direction,and gain lots of experience in the process. At least will benefit me that I never start seeds the right time in zoe 9 that I live in Thank you

mulches for paths and beds
by: Anonymous

Assuming I use edging on the beds is there any reason not to keep the paths weed free with mulch too? Should it be a different mulch?

Paths between beds
by: Will

I have made some raised beds in my garden for the last few years. The raised beds work great for managing quality soil in my very clay yard. Between my beds I have been placing landscape cloth and old carpet to keep the weeds down. However, I am finding I still have to spend as much time weeding along edges and at every small gap. I really hate wasting time weeding the paths - I would rather spend my (limited) time working on the plants. Any suggestions on how to control weeds without spending a fortune?

Additives
by: Margie

I am going to add Mycorrhizae to my raised beds this year. Do you have any experience with it in raised beds? I also use rock dust and I hope to get some worm castings too. Will this be enough to enrich 3 year old soil or should I also add manure? Thanks for doing this!

Soil type
by: Anonymous

Say I want to use raised beds for carrots, is there an optimum soil mix for these an other root veggies?

Thank you so much

Raised Beds
by: R. rusty Avery

Hi Doug,
Just how deep do beds have to be for root Veggies,and others..tomatoes vines etc.. also I can't get on my knees and have a bad back.. so the beds need to be waist high, but can't find anything as to how deep these beds should be 12 inches or 24 inches or more. Thanks in advance..rusty

Raised Beds vs Container Gardening
by: Lorra

Aside from the obvious (size) what is the basic difference?

how to build and what to plant
by: gail

Great comments so far, I need to know the best ways to build, what to add to soil and so forth.
Is it better to have them facing north/south or whatever? Are there some crops that do better in raised beds/some that do better in direct garden?
I guess the most I need is how to build, then what to put in layer by layer and how to keep grass from growing under the boards. Thanks.

Liming Raised Beds
by: Hollyhock Girl

I live in the Pacific Northwest. Should I add lime to my raised beds in the early spring to help sweeten the soil? How essential is crop rotation if I'm not growing tomatoes?

Watering Raised Beds
by: SALLY

The soil in my raised beds drains almost too readily. I use dripper hoses - the ones with outlets every 6 inches or so, as well as those that seep water everywhere. The latter are way more effective when starting seeds but the water disappears straight down. Last year's higher rainfall improved my crops. What watering system is best on raised beds, and how much area can be covered? Thanks for this topic and for your help.

soil testing
by: sally

Is there a relatively simple soil testing method that you could recommend? I had the strawberry bed way too high in nitrogen one year - got lots of plants, too many runners, lots of blossoms but crummy fruit production. How to increase volume and check soil balance is my biggest challenge. Thanks Doug.

adding new soil
by: Sally

I have several raised beds with pretty good soil balance. Area drainage in spring is lousy and I want to raise the soil in my strawberry bed several inches without damaging the soil balance. How do I do that? I've easiest access to aged sheep manure and compost and of course peat.

Raised beds and its soil
by: Anonymous

Before we start a raised bed,
we have the unraised existing soil and
a raised 8" frame.
do i test the existing soil before adding new compost and new soil to the raised frame area.
and if so, what tests?

what kind of perennials to plant
by: Judy

Hi, last fall my brother changed the grassed hill in my front yard to a beautiful tired bed made out of treated wood. I have no idea what to plant in it. It is 18 inches wide and is 5 feet long on one side of the stairs & 6 feet long on the other. It gets full sun. Annuals will be too costly so I would like to go with perennials. Also, in the winter the snow plow goes by regularily and piles the snow from the road onto my property. In the spring I am left with lots of ickky dirt & salt that was used to de ice the road!

Thanks, Judy in Trois Rivieres, Quebec.

Railroad Ties
by: Heather

Hi Doug, I inherited raised beds in my yard which use railroad ties. I have heard that these are not good - (Creosote and Termites). Any opinions one way or another?
Also, what is the best way to keep them properly irrigates? The beds not the termites!
Many thanks and looking forward to the seminar.

edging for raised beds
by: Danielle

Hi Doug,

Like Deanna, we live in a woodland setting with lots of deer, so I am interested in the deterrents you have suggested on the website.

Also I would like my husband to cut me some poles that I can use as edging for raised beds. A friend suggested cedar would be best, but he also said we should peel the bark off it. Do you think this would work?

I can tell Ellen another friend of mine recommended chicken manure for herbaceous borders and said it worked wonders on delphiniums. However I only have easy access to horse manure. Is it as good as sheep or cow (I would have to pay for transport to get that.)

Finally, is there any sort of wood/branches I should not shred for mulch?
Thanks for doing the seminars again this year!

Fertilize?
by: MyLady

I live in a complex where the raised beds are "first come, first served". So my question is, if the person that used the bed last year used it for vegetables and I would like to use the bed this year to grow tomatoes and sweet peppers would I have to fertilize the soil or what would need to be done?

Raised Garden beds
by: Hazel

Deanna- if U know of any construction nearby that is ding concreting, see if you can get some left over RIO(the grid stuff they pour the concrete into) then stick 1 end into the ground then your plants can grow on it, I use it for my passion fruit plants(it was free as I had it in my yard & it was just lying around).

I have a raised garden bed & am about to add another in the one i have at the moment i have a cherry tomato plant, rosemary, parsley(flat leaf), Lemon basil, sweet baby capsicums(sweet peppers) & chives. I think anything can grow in them just limit the amount. the garden bed cost me $98, but try using Styrofoam boxes or something for small areas.

Crop rotation and trellises
by: Deann

Hello Doug,

My vegetable garden is a long, skinny, raised bed (3 ft. x 3 ft. x 33 ft.) that is sandwiched in between our house and the neighbors. I would like to follow the crop rotation you suggested in one of your seminars last year, but worry that it might put the veggies in the wrong place sunlight-wise from year to year (eg. the lettuce will be in full sun and the tomatoes in the shade. Any suggestions? Also, not really a raised bed question, per se, any suggestions for inexpensive but sturdy trellises I could build for my tomatoes, beans and peas? Mine fell over last year, kind of making a mess of my crop! :)

Thanks! Deann in Oregon

Use of chicken poop
by: Kathy Y

Growing up on a farm, we had just about every animal but chickens. I have been researching articles on raised beds for gardening and am curious as to the benefits of chicken poop as a soil enrichment as compared to well composted cow or horse manure.

I have a friend whose brother raises chickens and sells the brown eggs to friends/neighbors. They have offered me access to bedding materials. How best can I incorporate them into soil for raised vegetable beds and at what ratio to other compost?

Deck gardening
by: AnnaInMD

I am also interested in a raised bed-type setup on the deck. I have seen height-adjusted boxes on legs which would suit me but not sure how sturdy they would be in a couple of years. What would someone advise who is not associated with the manufacturer as to adding some type of plastic as liner or better boards as bottom, or would that even be an alternative.

Black Walnut
by: Connie

Hi Doug: I want to put in a vegetable garden in a raised bed, due to the fact I have a black walnut tree in the back yard. How deep will this bed need to be and do I need to install some sort of barrier between the lawn and the soil of the new bed? Also, is there some recommendations that you can make as far as soil and materials to use. Thanking you in advance. Connie

refreshing the soil
by: Bunny

If I am using the same bed year after year to grow the same things (there is only one sunny spot), how do I recharge the soil each year? There is not enough settling to leave room to add large amounts of compost - how much replacement is enough? The bed is 4x8x2. Thanks a million.

Raised Beds
by: Marie

I am interested in raised beds for the elderly and handicapped. The how to and maintenance and can it be done without spending a fortune.

Anything you SHOULDN'T grow in a raised bed?
by: Renee

Anything you SHOULDN'T grow in a raised bed?

Raised Bed Questions as per your request
by: Miss P

What are the dimensions of a raised bed? Does it really matter?

My husband built raised beds for me because my knees are bad, he built them about 3.5 feet high but he built them too wide. I can't reach the middle without getting in the bed. He said he thought he had to build that wide in order to allow for roots. We usually grow peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots that kind of thing.

The beds are 6 feet long and 5 feet wide.

So any ideas on how big to build the new beds?

Also, ours are built on top of the original garden space so soil touches soil and I have all of the healthy worms and stuff that I need.

Do I need to supplement the beds with anything else other than compost? Are there any special requirements to bed gardening>

So many questions!!!

Thanks Doug for great articles and advice.

Settling Raised Beds
by: Ginni D zone5

I've had raised beds for a few years and one of the main problems I have is that by the end of winter, they have settled and are a few inches down from the year before. I started my beds with mostly compost from our own compost bin and some of our native clay soil. Is it better to try to add more compost or to fluff the soil that's already in the raised beds and just live with the lower levels? I am worried that it will get too compacted and be difficult for any roots to penetrate, especially for carrots, radishes and other root crops. This past fall I added an 8" layer of leaves from our trees to the raised beds and due to our mild winter, they have hardly broken down at all. Should I remove these in the spring or can they be incorporated into the soil after being removed, chopped up with a mower and put back on top of the soil in the raised bed? I have 3 beds that are 8' long X 3' wide X 2' high. I thought they would mix with some compost to up the levels. I'm kind of short on compost this year. Will a mixture of those leaves and some soil or compost make the top soil in the beds too acidic? Thanks a million!

Raised Bed Gardening
by: JoAnn

What type of soil mix do I use? According to one recipe, I've been using peat moss, vermiculite and at least 4 different kinds of manure (cow, chicken, mushroom and worm castings), but I don't know the ratios to use for just one 4 x 4 x 8 raised box.

how to actually do it like a real gardener
by: Arnaldo

Hy Mr. Green: I like to get information about how to treat diferent vegetables groups, another word, how to work the soil for root crops, fertilizer to use and so on for the remained groups.If you so kind tell me where to get this information or what book to buy. Thank you Arnaldo Daly

Defining borders for a raised bed
by: Hanne

Hi, Doug. Does a raised bed have to have those neatly cut (wooden or fenced) borders around the raised bed? I spaded up the soil where the ground-up-trunk remains of a huge ash tree had composted over a number of years -- very friable soil, which made a great raised bed. Last fall I transplanted raspberries and rhubarb into this bed and have enough room left for tomatoes. Can't find any information whether that soil will need additives because of too basic or too acidic conditions. What do you think? Sorry if that is not a good "raised bed" question.
Thanks for any help.

Hanne

Sunken soil in raised beds
by: Miche

What is the best, most inexpensive way to add soil to a raised bed that has had soil and compost mulch for the last 26 years?

couple questions
by: Anonymous

Compost & water: do raised beds need more than other gardens?
Are there plants that grow BETTER in raised beds?
Does it make a difference to the plants what surrounds the beds: gravel path, wood chips, grass?
and I'd like to know more about square foot gardening.

Gardening in the woods amidst the dear deer:)
by: Ellen

We live on a wooded property and would like to put raised beds in a cleared section of the property. However, our friends, the deer, have always claimed the woods as their own, so we have to find ways to deter them. My husband was thinking of building a true "cage" around the beds.

What advice could you give?

Thanks!

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Doug Green