Raised bed gardening is a great way to enjoy vegetable gardening with significant advantages for plants and gardeners. It allows for a longer growing season due to warm soils and the higher quality soil allows for better-growing conditions for your plants. Gardeners can enjoy easier plant care from weeding to harvesting during the growing season. 

Are you ready to try Raised Bed Gardening? Here are 7 Tips:

1. Pick your spot- For a healthy and thriving vegetable garden, choose a location that receives a minimum of six to eight hours of full sun each day. Raised beds are an excellent solution for limited garden spaces, including patios, decks, and sloping yard areas.

2. Preparing Your Raised Beds- Remove any weeds from the area before placing your raised bed.

3. Mark the layout of the raised beds, leaving walking and working space in between. The ideal is north and south rows. The width of the bed should be 4′, the length is up to your preference.

4. Fill your beds with a combination of top-grade shredded topsoil with organic matter. You want a 60-70% shredded topsoil mixture and 30-40% organic matter (compost, composted manures, pine fines, bagged raised bed soils, potting soils, etc. Each year, add organic matter to your beds.). When deciding the depth of raised beds, consider that it may limit your plant choices.

Note: For two weeks, allow the ground to settle before planting.

5. Planning Your Vegetables and Herbs- Many delicious options are available. With limited space, you want to plan before you plant. Look at Natorp’s online plant store and edible list for information, including growing times. 

6. Planting Your Vegetables and Herbs- When you start to layout your plants, think about access. Plant taller plants in a location that will not limit your lower-grower edibles. Also, think succession planting to have revolving new crops to enjoy. 

7. Watering- Raised beds are similar to container gardening as the plants will be dependent on you for supplemental watering and feeding as needed.

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