The Best Vegetables for Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds have many advantages that make them worth the initial investment. Building a raised bed and filling it with nutrient-dense soil will allow you to grow more in a smaller space. Raised beds also drain well, and the ground doesn’t become compacted from foot traffic. 

However, for most of us, there’s a limit to how much room we have for raised beds. So to make the most of our raised garden beds, we want to add the vegetables that benefit the most from this prized growing spot. This article will help you identify which vegetables to grow in a raised garden bed to maximize your harvest. 

Not all vegetables need the specific growing conditions of a raised garden bed. But some can really benefit from being planted in raised beds.

Root Vegetables 

Root vegetables are a perfect fit for raised garden beds. You can prepare the soil to be especially easy for them to grow their delicious roots. The soil is protected from becoming compacted and stays friable, loose, and easy to push through without deforming the vital roots. Carrots, beets, and radishes are some of the root vegetables that will really benefit from the improved soil.

Leafy Greens 

Spinach, chard, arugula, kale, and lettuce are some leafy greens to plant in raised beds. These quick-growing greens can be planted together or interplanted with other vegetables. Their leaves can be harvested early with peas and other spring crops and then succession planted or swapped out for other hot weather crops. 

Peppers 

Both sweet and hot peppers grow better in warm soil. Since the ground warms up faster in raised beds, you will be able to put them out sooner. But make sure the pepper plants have been hardened off if transplanting seedlings.

  
Determinate tomatoes

Bush varieties and determinate tomatoes are smaller and easier to grow in a raised bed because they don’t need as much room. And of course, tomatoes thrive in warm soil.

Eggplant

Warm-weather crops like eggplant love the growing conditions in raised garden beds. The soil warms up and stays warm, and the eggplants adore it. 

Customized soil - Raised beds allow you to ignore the current condition of the soil and instead focus on what you want to grow. It doesn’t matter if the natural soil is full of clay or even construction debris. You can create your own garden soil and fill the beds right away. 

Weed control - As long as you control what soil is put into the garden beds, you will notice fewer weeds. Crawling on your hands and knees between rows to pick weeds is no longer an issue.

Compact space - The nutrient-dense soil is able to provide a fertile ground for plants close together. This results in being able to plant enough vegetables for a whole family in a smaller space.

Good drainage - Most plants don’t like to have waterlogged roots. Raised beds drain well and encourage healthy roots.

Earlier planting - The soil in raised beds warms up sooner in the spring. This means you can plant seeds and transplant seedlings earlier. This warm soil can also be good for plants that grow better in warmer climates.

Easy access - While raised beds don’t have to be high to benefit the plants, the height can benefit your back. Taller beds are easier to access and can make tending to plants more enjoyable.

Aesthetics - Raised garden beds help create a beautiful and tidy garden. All kinds of materials can be used to build structures. Hiding your garden in the backyard is no longer the only way to grow vegetables. With a beautiful raised bed, you can grow vegetables in the front of your home while keeping out errant foot traffic.

Although you can grow anything in a raised bed, some plants need to spread out and take up a lot of room. This makes them more challenging to grow in the space of a raised bed. And their vines can easily break if they grow over the sides. Watermelons, pumpkins, and winter squash are some plants that you won’t want to grow in a raised garden bed. 
However, that being said, you can make use of trellises and grow just about anything in a raised bed. I’ve successfully grown butternut squash and summer squash in raised beds with a trellis and had a very successful harvest.

Yes. Herbs with similar growing requirements are natural neighbors in a raised garden bed.

Raised bed gardens should be at least 8 inches deep. Filling a raised bed with 8 to 12 inches of soil will be sufficient for most plants.

If you want a successful long-term gardening solution, consider drip irrigation for raised garden beds. This watering approach is very effective. Another watering option is to use a garden hose or watering can to flood the bed with an inch of water per week. 

You’ll want to save space as much as possible in a raised bed. Trellises will help you grow more in a smaller area. By attaching a trellis to the frame of a raised bed, you’ll have a sturdy support for vining plants like beans, cucumbers, and more.