Designing a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Layout: 11 Things to Think About

During my quest to make my raised bed vegetable garden layout more efficient and easier to maneuver through I’ve learned some helpful raised bed garden tips that may help gardeners to avoid the same mistakes I made when planning and setting up my first raised bed vegetable garden layout. If you keep these ideas in mind while you are designing your raised beds you can make your gardening experience as good as it can be. Here are 11 tips for planning your best raised bed vegetable garden layout!

Set up the Raised Bed Garden Vegetable Garden Layout the Right Way in the Beginning

Plan your raised garden vegetable garden layout with the raised beds exactly how you want them because it can be difficult to move later. Trust me, I know! Make it adaptable so that you can add more raised beds as you need them. There is never enough space in the garden and you will eventually want a larger garden. Make sure the raised bed garden is expandable as you may want to add more raised beds later.

Related Post: Common Raised Bed Questions with Answers

Make Each Vegetable Bed a Separate Self-contained Raised Bed Garden

Originally I connected a few beds together and discovered that it was a pain to move around. When I attached the beds together I found that I either had to climb across them or make a long trek around the beds to get to the other side. Smaller unattached beds will allow for greater mobility. A 4’x8′ is probably as large as you need and a 4’x4′ box garden works very well. Follow the next tip and you will be on the right track! Square or rectangular beds are a simple and efficient use of space.

How Tall Should Your Raised Beds Be? Check out this article: How Deep Should a Raised Bed Garden Be?

Allow Good Spacing Between Raised Beds For Walkways

Leave a space of at least 2 feet between raised beds for easy access.

Larger spaces might be better for wheelbarrow access or (if needed) handicap access. When designing your vegetable garden raised bed layout the arrangement should make things convenient for planting, harvesting, and cleanup. You want a garden that is comfortable to move around which makes your time in the garden much more pleasant! Measure the area you need for wheelbarrows, tillers, carts, mowers, or any other equipment you use regularly and plan your pathways around those measurements.

Use the BEST Materials for Raised Beds

Here is a link to some of the best materials for building your raised bed. Remember that this is completely dependent on you and what is best for YOUR garden.

Over time the initial costs of the materials will even out. Stone will last as long as you could hope for but it is initially more expensive. Cedar will last much longer than other types of wood you will pay more for it. Using cedar might help your beds last 3-6 years as opposed to 1-2 for pine. I’ll be replacing the pine wood I used next year. The one advantage to pine is it is cheap. Using a food safe wood sealer on the wood can help your beds last longer.

How you build your raised garden beds depends on two things time and money. If you can afford it and can move it stone works. Stone lasts for a long time and with wood you will eventually need to replace the raised bed. Consider alternative materials like metal for your raised beds.  Here’s one raised bed I put together: sheet metal raised beds.

Consider How to Design and Install an Irrigation System for your Raised Bed Layout

Drip lines are relatively cheap to install but soaker hoses work well too. Whichever route you take place the water line underneath your mulch, this will keep it from evaporating your money…oops, I mean water! Using a sprinkler will send water into the air which will evaporate and allow water to rest on the leaves of plants which can contribute to fungal diseases.

Level the Soil Underneath Before Putting in the Raised Beds

If you have a slope plan around that when designing a raised bed vegetable garden layout. A slight slope isn’t a big deal but you definitely don’t want your soil to flow out of the raised beds with your irrigation system. You can also adjust for the slope with the construction of your raised beds. Just make the low end of the raised bed higher.  Don’t let a sloped property discourage you from making a raised bed garden.  Raised beds can in fact be a solution to problem areas like slopes! Slopes can actually make a unique garden area when you terrace into the slope.

Maximize Raised Beds for Sunlight

Position the garden to maximize the amount of light it will receive. Most vegetables like full sun and will thrive in open areas with plenty of exposure. Find a location that gets a minimum of 8 hours of light, but for most vegetables the more light the better.  For those vegetables and plants that may prefer less sun consider inter-planting taller vegetables as shade cover or use a trellis with a vine vegetable like cucumbers to cover the more sun sensitive plants.

Plan for the Plants and Vegetables You Are Planning to Grow

Focusing on the plants you want to grow will help to determine how much space you need. STart by listing all the plants you could possibly want to grow and would use. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, or whatever you choose. All of these plants will require different spacing and have different needs. Consider making a layout of each vegetable bed to help plan it out. Graph paper works very well to create a quick and easy sketch garden layout plan. You can also consult the back of the seed packets for space recommendations. Always keep in mind that the proper spacing of your plants can reduce fungal diseases and make it easier for harvesting your vegetables. Taller plants should be planted to the north side if you are in the northern hemisphere and south side if you are in the southern hemisphere. That keeps them from shading out the shorter plants underneath.

The garden design below is for a 4’x8′ garden bed for a fall or spring planting of greens mostly. If you want to be very organized in planting your raised beds look on your seed packages for the property plant spacing then graph out on your paper the bed with the spacing for those plants. One cool tip though is many plants can be eaten as immature plantings (baby greens) so you can plant those think and thin them as you eat!

Here are some other garden design layouts I’ve done in the past for our garden. If you want to take a peek or continue with more raised bed tips below!

Companion Planting in Raised Beds to Maximize Space

Many plants have repellent properties to ward of pests and others help enrich the soil with nitrogen fixing properties like members of the legume family. Herbs make good companion plants as do many flowers. Good companion plants compliment each other in their nutrient usage.

Some plants may be used as a trap crops to catch pesky bugs like aphids then maybe either removed from the garden or treated with insecticidal soap. Flowering plants attract pollinators which are always helpful!

Companion planing isn’t going to protect your plants 100% but is a good gardening technique to add to your arsenal that will significantly reduce your crop losses due to insects.  I think it’s an essential part of any garden plan!

Build Compost Bins into the Garden Layout

Putting your compost bin near your garden will make things much more convenient. Your vegetable garden will produce waste material which needs to be dealt with and composting is the best way to do it! Using soil high in organic matter (like compost) helps your raised bed provide all the nutrients your plants need.

Organic content allows the roots to gather available resources like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium much more easily. Plus it holds water well which reduces your irrigation needs. If compost isn’t convenient consider other organic matter that will break down fast like grass clippings, leaves, or straw as amendments.

If it’s convenient animal compost is great to use in the garden too, just make sure that it is completely broken down. Never use chicken manure directly on the garden as it will burn the plants.  

Compost bins are easy to put together with some old leftover pallets, wire mesh and posts, fencing materials or can even just be a pile in the corner of the garden.  Turn your compost periodically and continue to add new green material to keep the bin composting.

Whether you have been gardening for a while or are just now starting your first vegetable garden I hope you can find these tips useful! Check out my YouTube Channel for garden videos.

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