What to Grow in a Raised Garden Bed

Many people choose to plant in a raised garden bed instead of in the ground. There are a few reasons for this. First, you can design your garden with garden beds to make it look better. Second, Raised beds provide plants with deeper growing space, looser soil and faster drainage, which is good for the plants. Lastly, you won't have to bend down as much to weed, and harvest which is easier on your back. Using raised garden beds efficiently is closely related to knowing what plants grow well in them. This post will tell you how to prepare the bed and which plants are best for raised garden beds. 

How to Choose a Raised Garden Bed

Choosing the right raised garden bed is important which affects what you can grow, decide in advance. Raised bed kits are usually made of wood or metal. Many people are confused about which one is better for them. You can understand the comparison between wooden raised garden beds and raised garden beds before choosing. 

The size of raised beds should consider 3 dimensions

Depth: The depth of the raised bed depends on the space needed for the roots to grow. It is best to choose a depth of about 23 inches. Some vegetables like tomatoes and kale need depth to grow strong roots.

Width:  24 inches is recommended. This gives your plants plenty of room to grow, while still making it easy to reach the ones in the middle. The minimum width for a planting bed should be 18 inches, as too little space can crowd the plants and stunt their growth. The maximum width is 60 inches, and it's important to be able to access the bed from all sides. Otherwise, you won't be able to properly tend to the plants in the center.

Length: The length of the raised beds is usually 8 to 12 inches. If it's too long, the material might deform.

The Veikous metal raised garden bed features a versatile 9-in-1 design, offering nine different configurations that can be easily adjusted to suit your garden. This flexible design makes gardening more convenient and ensures long-lasting use.

How to Fill a Garden Bed：

After building your raised garden bed, the next important step is filling it with soil, which requires some technique. We've put together a detailed guide to help you understand how to fill raised garden beds and ensure your plants thrive.

What Grows the Best in a Garden Bed？

Once your raised beds are prepared, it's time to decide what to plant. Vegetables, herbs, and flowers thrive in raised garden beds. Here are some plant recommendations you can choose from, based on your personal preferences.

Vegetables

Leafy greens: Leafy greens don't take long to grow and don't need much care to grow. You can pick them at any time if you want to eat healthy greens. Leafy greens, like lettuce, spinach, kale, mizuna, and arugula, are popular vegetables to grow in garden beds. They need 4 to 6 hours of daylight. They need regular watering to keep the garden soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Raised beds tend to dry out faster than ground soil, so you'll need to water more frequently, especially in hot weather.

Root vegetables: Root crops do best in raised beds because they need loose, well-drained soil. Without the gravel in the way, plants' roots can grow quickly in raised beds. Carrots, radishes, beets, potatoes, and turnips are often grown in raised beds. Root vegetables, especially carrots, need a lot of space to grow downward. Make sure your raised bed is at least 12 to 18 inches deep so they have enough space to grow properly.

Fruit vegetables: Fruit vegetables are plants that produce edible fruits, but unlike typical fruits in the botanical sense, they are often considered vegetables in culinary terms. These plants thrive outdoors in both warm and cool climates, and raised garden beds provide them with ample space to grow. Recommended fruit vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, eggplants, and squash. These fruit vegetables require full sun, meaning they need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Since many fruit vegetables, like tomatoes, can be grown vertically, you can maximize space in your raised bed by using trellises or cages to keep the fruits off the ground.

Herbs

Herbs not only bring delightful aromas and enhance the flavor of your dishes, but they also add beauty to your garden. Herbs can be categorized into perennial and annual types. Perennial herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, and mint, continue to thrive year after year and are perfect for planting in garden beds. Annual herbs, like coriander, dill, and basil, grow quickly and complete their life cycle within a single season, offering a fast harvest. Herbs don't require much space, making them ideal for planting in the corners of raised beds. They help suppress weeds, are easy to harvest for culinary use, and provide a burst of flavor to your meals.

Flowers：

Flowers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making raised beds the perfect environment for them. Popular choices for garden beds include petunias, marigolds, zinnias, lavender, and dahlias. Their vibrant colors and delightful fragrances bring life to your garden, creating a cheerful and inviting atmosphere. These flowers not only attract bees and butterflies, which enhance the biodiversity of your garden but also encourage natural pollination, helping your plants flourish on their own.

How to Plan Your Garden for Companion Planting?

When deciding what to plant, consider companion plants. By choosing plants that grow well together, you can support each other's growth and help deter pests. Some plants with strong scents can enhance the flavor of nearby plants while also repelling harmful insects. Tall plants can provide shade and protection for those that thrive in lower light. Companion planting is mutually beneficial, and below are some great plant pairings to help guide your choices

• Some herbs go well with tomatoes, like Basil, Rosemary, Oregano and Thyme, which will enhance the flavor of tomatoes and can also repel insects.
• Corn planted next to beans will provide support for the beans, and at the same time, beans can provide more nitrogen to the corn.
• Cosmos attracts many helpful insects. These insects eat the pests that eat vegetables.
• Marigolds help onions by keeping the onion maggot fly from laying eggs on them.
• Chives improve the growth and flavor of carrots and keep aphids, mites, and flies away.  
• Borage is a great plant for growing tomatoes because it attracts bees that help with pollination.
• Parsley attracts good insects that protect and pollinate tomatoes.
• Sage is a helpful plant that keeps carrot flies away. You can also plant sage around a cabbage patch to protect the cabbages from cabbage moths.
• Sunflowers pair well with cucumbers and pole beans. They help provide support for climbing plants and shade for crops
• Nasturtiums are pretty flowers that attract hungry caterpillars away from vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and kale.
• Lettuce and radishes grow well together. Radishes can be used to catch flea beetles.  

Overall

Raised garden beds not only bring vibrancy to your garden but also open up endless planting possibilities. Whether you're growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers, a raised bed offers the benefits of nutrient-rich soil and excellent drainage. To ensure success, place your bed in the right spot, provide adequate sunlight, and water it as needed. With proper care, your raised garden bed is sure to reward you with thriving plants and a bountiful harvest!