Raised beds are the most productive way to grow vegetables at home. They warm up faster in spring, drain better than in-ground plots, and give you complete control over your soil. This guide walks you through every step of planning your first raised bed garden.
Choosing the Right Bed Size
The ideal raised bed is 4 feet wide so you can reach the center from either side without stepping on the soil. Length can be anything, but 8 feet is the most common choice. For height, 10-12 inches is enough for most vegetables; go 18-24 inches if you want to garden without bending or have poor native soil.
- 4 x 8 ft — The classic beginner bed. Fits 32 square feet of growing space.
- 4 x 4 ft — Perfect for small patios or square-foot gardening.
- 2 x 8 ft — Great against a fence or wall where access is one-sided only.
Soil Mix for Raised Beds
The standard raised bed mix is 60% topsoil, 30% compost, 10% perlite or coarse vermiculite. This gives you the drainage vegetables need while retaining enough moisture. Avoid using 100% potting mix — it dries out too fast and compacts over time.
Plant Spacing in Raised Beds
In raised beds you can plant more densely than in traditional rows because you never walk on the soil. Use square-foot gardening spacing as a starting point:
- Tomatoes — 1 plant per 4 sq ft (18" spacing)
- Peppers — 1 plant per sq ft (12" spacing)
- Lettuce — 4 plants per sq ft (6" spacing)
- Carrots — 16 plants per sq ft (3" spacing)
- Basil — 4 plants per sq ft (6" spacing)
Sun Requirements
Most vegetables need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Place your bed in the sunniest spot available, with the long side facing south. If you grow both tall and short crops, put tall plants (tomatoes, corn) on the north end so they don't shade shorter ones.
Seasonal Rotation
Rotate crop families each year to prevent soil-borne diseases from building up. A simple 4-bed rotation:
- Bed A: Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)
- Bed B: Legumes (beans, peas) — fix nitrogen for the next crop
- Bed C: Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale)
- Bed D: Roots & alliums (carrots, onions, garlic)
Next Steps
Ready to lay out your beds? Try our free garden planner to design your raised bed layout, calculate plant counts, and generate a planting calendar based on your frost dates.
Also check out our companion planting chart to learn which crops grow best side by side, and our seed starting guide for timing your transplants perfectly.