Growing in Raised Beds

Garden ‘beds’ are narrow strips of soil divided by access paths. They’re often edged or raised with wooden or plastic boards and can be used for growing on open ground and hard surfaces. This section looks at design options and the benefits and drawbacks of raised bed growing.

Design at a glance

Height

Low beds around 15cm high with mounded soil. Sometimes edged to help keep the soil in place. Taller beds up to 60cm with edging; height useful when bending is difficult and for wheelchair users. Customise bed height to suit user age and ability.

Length

180-240cm is usual. It avoids walking too far to reach the other side of the bed and reduces the temptation to tread on (and compact) the soil by hopping across.

Width

90-120cm is usual. It avoids overstretching from the paths or having to tread on the soil to reach the middle.

Paths

At least 30cm wide; 60cm for wheelbarrows and wider for wheelchair access. Paths of bare soil need regular weeding and can become muddy. Use grass or make paths with a bark chip, gravel, or paving.

Edging

Plastic boards, stone, and wood not treated with preservative.

Shape

Usually rectangular, but design your beds to fit the space.

Location

Can be built directly onto soil or a hard surface such as concrete/tarmac. Beds are best in open sunny locations, ideally orientated north to south so plants receive an even amount of sunlight through the day. This also minimises shadows from taller crops.

Soil

Low beds shouldn’t need extra soil after digging and/or adding organic matter. Taller beds will need extra ‘topsoil’ from a spare pile in your garden or bought (around £80/tonne; check quality first if possible). No ‘organic’ topsoil is available. Don’t fill beds with just compost as this will decompose, sink rapidly and dry out too quickly.

Feeding

Feed using the same organic methods as for open soil, eg adding compost.