By Mark Levisay

Raised beds don’t have to be complicated, or expensive. Their main function is to enhance drainage in rainy weather, and allow you to enhance the soil, especially if your area has a lot of rocks or clay. Three or four inches is all you need to achieve those goals.

Size and access

Let’s think first about bed size and access. You should be able to easily reach into the center of any bed you build, so your arm length may be the ultimate guide for bed width. If your garden has a fence, you can make beds along the fence 2 feet wide or so, which allows easy access from just one side, and can support large plants such as a row of tomatoes or peppers, or lots of smaller plants. In areas where your bed will allow access from both sides, four or even five foot wide beds can work. A bed this size could contain two rows of peppers or tomato plants, or even three rows of something like beans or beets. Just remember you want to be able to easily reach the center of the bed, as you never want to step in the bed to avoid compaction.

Bed length is determined by your overall garden space. Some folks go with a “four square’ that is four feet on every side, with easy access from any side. Many of my beds are twenty feet long, as row cover material often comes in either 20’ or 50’ lengths (I cut that in half and use two 6’ wide strips to cover a 5’wide bed).

You should leave “paths” between your beds to allow easy access for you and maybe a wheelbarrow or wagon so you can get your tools and produce in and out. Three feet or so should be plenty for a path.

Soil

You don’t need fancy soil for your raised beds, especially if you are building them in an existing garden space. The nearest source could be your designated pathways. Dig a few inches of soil out of your path, and pile that on your beds. Mulch the path to keep your feet out of the mud, and you’re good to go! If you have a really rocky site, or one with heavy clay, you may need to bring in soil. There are numerous local contractors who can deliver really nice “top” soil by the yard, or for smaller projects you can buy bagged products. Some are even called “raised bed soil” which seem to contain a lot of organic matter to promote good drainage. Always plan to use some amount of mulch on the top of the soil, which will inhibit erosion and soil splash (especially important for tomatoes) and retain moisture in dry weather.

Structure

Do you really need to have physical edgings for your raised beds? You don’t really need edging, especially if you have a fairly level site. If you’re on a slope, physical borders can help create terraces that create level beds on the slope. Edgings can also give you a place to kneel when you access the beds for planting, weeding or harvesting. I’ve used a lot of landscape timbers over the years but found that they rot out pretty quickly. I may switch to landscape blocks which are designed for retaining walls and garden edges. This may cost a little more but should be permanent. Railroad ties, bricks, logs, or cedar boards (naturally rot resistant) will also work depending on your site and what you feel comfortable working with.

If you put in a little up front effort you’ll have garden beds that will work well for you in any kind of weather for years to come. Good luck!

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Whether you are breaking ground for a new garden, renovating or enlarging an old one, or maybe considering raised beds there are a few things you should consider. What kind of sun exposure do you have? Is your proposed garden level, or sloping, and in which direction? Are you going to have a fence to keep the deer out? What materials do you want to use, or have access to on your property? Let’s dig deeper into each of these areas.

Maximize sun exposure

Sunlight is the number one factor in a successful garden, as you can’t really change that once you’ve dug your beds. Most vegetables and flowers do best with at least 8 hours of full sun each day. Some can do OK with less, and may benefit from a little afternoon shade during the hottest months. Avoid trees, for the shade they cast (which can change over the course of the season), and also the roots that compete for nutrients and water. If possible, it’s best orient your beds east-west, which will maximize the amount of sunlight each row receives.

Sun and slope were key considerations in this garden bed design.

Fencing options

Do you have a deer problem in your yard? We sure do, and it’s been getting worse with time. To keep them out, use a 60” (5’) welded wire fencing around the perimeter of your garden, with one or more gates to allow access to your beds. This fencing comes in 50’ rolls, and costs roughly $1/’. Inside, consider beds of two sizes, depending on where they are in relation to the fencing.

A 2’ wide bed along the fence allows you to reach all the way across without stepping in the bed itself, and allows plants that like/need support access to the fence itself. Pole beans, peas and cucumbers all benefit from the support. Away from the fence and small beds, consider 4-5’ wide beds. The goal is to be able to reach the center of the bed easily from either side. Pathway areas between the beds should be at least 3’ wide so you can use your wheelbarrow or garden cart between the beds.

Slope considerations

Is your garden area level, or does it have some slope? A lot of places in Central Virginia are hilly, so slope is often an important consideration. On the plus side, it will improve your overall drainage, and if your garden slopes southward more sunlight will reach each bed. Northward slopes, though not ideal, are still workable. Increase the size of your pathways to prevent one bed shading another, and consider raising the beds to some degree—possibly higher as you go down the slope.

Raised beds offer advantages in level areas too, as they allow for increased drainage when we have too much rain. You don’t actually have to use an edging material when you build up the raised beds, but many people use landscape timbers, cedar boards, concrete blocks or even logs to outline the beds. Consider using some soil from the pathway areas to help build up the raised beds. If you are using perimeter beds along your fence, you may also need to plan for some drain pipes to get water out of the garden during and after a heavy rain. Using short sections of 4” flexible plastic pipe under the perimeter beds can really help. This is most easily done when you’re first building the beds.

Taking a day to examine your sun exposure, and planning the layout of your beds can really get your garden started on the right foot. Happy digging!