Practical Guides for Productive Raised Beds
30 guides published
Why spacing follows the crop, the variety and its mature size, where to find the right distance for what you are planting, typical ranges for contrasting crops, and how to thin seedlings.
What topsoil, compost and soilless growing mix each do in a raised bed, the blends extension services suggest for different situations, and what to leave out of the fill.
A site checklist for a raised bed: sun, level ground, drainage, hose reach, distance from trees, air movement and what lies underneath, plus a one-day test before you commit.
What a raised bed changes and the six decisions that matter for a first one, in order: the spot, the width, the depth, the fill, the crops and the watering habit.
An end-of-season routine for raised beds: harvest and clear, decide what stays, add compost, cover the soil with mulch or a cover crop, store hoses, and record what grew where.
A step-by-step spring routine for raised beds: test whether the soil is workable, clear the winter cover, check the frame, loosen, top up with compost, and time planting by frost dates and soil temperature.
Ten common raised bed errors, from beds too wide to reach across to watering by timetable, with the reason each one matters and the simple change that puts it right.
Why related crops should move to different soil each year, which vegetables belong to which plant family, a simple scheme for three or four beds, and realistic options when you have only one or two.
A step-by-step guide to mulching a vegetable bed: which materials work, how thick a layer each one needs, when to spread it for different crops, and how to look after it through the season.
Raised beds dry faster than the ground, and no timetable fits them all. Learn what changes a bed's water needs, how to check the soil with a finger, and how to water so it reaches the roots.
A step-by-step plan for a longer harvest from one bed: small repeat sowings of quick crops, follow-on crops for every gap, and counting back from your first fall frost.
Ways to arrange plants inside one raised bed: cross-rows, grids, staggered blocks and an edge trellis, ordered from tall to short, with two example plans to adapt.
Basil needs warm soil, steady moisture and regular cutting. Learn when to plant it in a raised bed, how to pinch for bushy growth, how to harvest and what to check when it struggles.
A step-by-step way to arrange a herb bed: sort herbs by moisture, sun, height and life cycle, give each its mature width, set the pots out on the soil, then plant.
Ten kitchen herbs grouped by what they need, so you can see which ones share a raised bed comfortably, which want a drier spot, and why mint belongs in a pot of its own.
How to grow straight carrots, beets and radishes in a raised bed: matching the variety to your loose soil depth, sowing and thinning, and the usual reasons roots fork.
