Grow Bed Gardening
Gardener’s Supply offers a wide range of raised beds, from aluminum corner kits for which you supply your own lumber, to complete raised bed kits in cedar, composite wood, recycled plastic and galvanized steel.
Raised beds usually range in height from 5 Inches to 12 Inches high. If the soil in your yard is relatively good, start preparing the area by removing any sod or perennial weeds. Then use a shovel or garden fork to loosen the soil to a depth of about 6. Do this before you put the raised bed in place and try to avoid stepping on or otherwise compacting that freshly aerated soil. This extra depth will make it easier for plants to develop a strong root system.
Generally, the more soil depth that’s available to your plants, the more freely their roots will grow. More soil also holds more moisture, so a deeper raised bed will require less frequent watering.
It is possible to install a raised bed on poor or compacted soil, or even right on concrete. If this is the situation you have, we recommend that you install the deepest bed you can afford. A depth of 10 Inches or 12 Inches is preferable. Do keep in mind that the deeper the bed, the more soil you’ll need to fill it up. Use our soil calculator (below) to determine how much soil you’ll need.
How many raised beds should you have? If your space or time is very limited, you might want to start out with just one. If you’re trying to produce lots of your own fresh vegetables, you will probably need at least three or four beds. Use the Design Your Own Garden tool to select and place the crops you want to have in each bed. This will help you determine how many total beds you’ll need to accommodate everything you want to grow.
