Gardening is so much fun and easy. With raised bed planters, you can easily grow plants almost anywhere. a raised bed that has unique design solutions for better functionality, durability, and options for upgrading.

A raised bed is used to make gardening easier by solving challenges in growing plants. It is a box that encloses and contains garden soil for planting. Not only do these planters reduce the time and work, but they also enhance the look of your garden.

So, are you planning to buy a raised garden bed?

There are important things you must consider before making a purchase. Why do you need a raised bed? What size and type do you need for your garden? Where can you find high-quality raised beds online? All your questions are answered in this guide so you can make your choice today!

Reasons to Use Raised Beds

Why do you need a raised bed garden? Is it necessary? Below are some of the benefits of using a raised bed planter.

Better Soil for Plant Growth

Raised beds work as a protective barrier against the elements that could affect the soil’s nutrient profile and structure. It extends the effectiveness and potency of compost, manures, and other soil conditioners that you have applied to the soil.

Amending the soil is backbreaking work, and if the conditions are not suitable, the soil conditioners you applied to the soil could wash away. By planting in raised beds, the soil amendments will be absorbed better by the plants, so none of your hard work is wasted.

Easy Gardening

Gardening promotes better health but for seniors or individuals with mobility problems, it can be backbreaking. Weeding, for example, can take a serious toll on the knees and back. Because raised beds hold the soil in a confined space, removing invasive plants like weeds is much easier.

Working in a confined space, you are not spending hours bending over or kneeling while gardening. Also, weeds and crabgrass do not grow too aggressively in a raised bed, so there are few weeds to pull. This makes gardening less painful on the back and joints.

Protects from Pests

Plants grown in a raised bed planter are less likely to be destroyed by pests. The planter works as a barrier that keeps nibbling, burrowing, and crawling insects and rodents away. Slugs cannot crawl all over your vegetables; groundhogs won’t steal your root crops. Dogs and other animals won’t dig all over the garden or urinate directly on the plants. If deer are a problem in your region, you can install simple fencing or buy a raised bed with a built-in deer fence to keep large animals away.

Better Drainage

Efficient drainage plays a critical role in better plant health – root rot could cause plants to die. Wet soils could also encourage contamination, causing pests and diseases to spread throughout the garden. Excess moisture could also cause nutrients from the soil to wash away. A raised bed features drainage holes, so water does not pool at the bottom and cause problems. Even in heavy rains, raised beds drain better than garden soil left to the elements.

Things to Consider When Buying a Raised Garden Bed

Where to put the raised beds

This is one of the most important things to consider before buying a raised bed because you want to ensure that your outdoor space has enough room. You want the plants to have enough room to grow, but the raised beds shouldn’t be in the way.

Start by measuring your outdoor space and looking for raised beds with suitable dimensions. The area should have enough sunlight for at least 6 hours. You can check out raised bed and sunlight calculators online. Finally, check the best orientation for the raised beds, east to west.

What type of soil to use

Garden soil is unsuitable for raised bed gardening because it’s heavy and doesn’t hold moisture well when placed in a planter bed. We suggest using a potting mix or fluffy soils that’s been amended with compost and peat moss. Topsoil mixed with compost and peat moss is perfect for raised beds because the soil has sufficient nutrients to support plant growth. You can always amend with your own organic fertilizers after the harvest season.

What plants grow in a raised bed?

So many, the options are virtually endless! You can plant most root vegetable varieties, leafy crops, and climbing crops in a raised bed planter. Installing trellises lets you grow a combination of root crops, climbing crops, and leafy crops. As long as the depth of the raised bed is deep enough, you can grow pretty much any plant on a raised bed.

How deep should you build your raised beds?

Speaking of depth, how deep should a raised bed be? It’s essential to check the depth requirement of each plant before getting a raised bed because once you buy the raised bed, you cannot modify the depth.

The standard size is three feet deep for most plants. As long as the soil is packed with nutrients and the depth of the raised bed is over 12 inches, you can grow various plants in it. That said, there are times when you have to go for raised beds with greater depth than 3 feet. For example, deep rooting crops like tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, watermelons, and asparagus will require 24 to 36 inches of depth.

What size of raised bed to get?

The raised bed size that suits your space will depend primarily on the size of the area where you will put it. Again, measure the space and check which raised bed planter works for that space. When set in your outdoor space, it should be big enough to grow various plants but sized just right so you can access it from both sides. The most popular sizes for raised beds are 3 to 4 feet in width and 6, 8, and 10 feet in length.

Best Materials for Raised Beds

Wood: This is the best material for a raised bed because it’s resilient, lasts for a long time, and it’s eco-friendly. The most expensive wood materials are cedar, cypress, redwood, and white oak. These materials are resistant to rot but will require some maintenance to extend their life. ECOgardener raised beds are made from 100% fir wood, which is just as durable and rot-resistant but more affordable!

Avoid using repurposed treated lumber because this material contains toxic chemicals that the plants could absorb. Treated wood has been banned from home use for years.

Metal: Metal raised beds are usually made from lightweight alloys like aluminum. Aluminum is durable, weatherproof, and rust-resistant. It won’t erode like galvanized metal, another material used for raised garden beds. However, aluminum is quite expensive compared to wood raised beds. This alloy is also prone to warping over time. Galvanized metal rusts, but it should last up to 25 years or more with proper care.

Plastic: Plastic raised beds are made from recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – the same material used to create picnic tables, trash bins, and high-quality garden furniture. This material will last decades and won’t leach chemicals into the soil. Some HDPE-raised beds come with a 50-year warranty. However, constant exposure to sunlight may cause the material to weaken and break.

Stone and Concrete: Definitely some of the most durable materials for raised beds. Stone and concrete raised beds look beautiful when set and last for years. However, these are extremely heavy and prone to breakage. They are pretty expensive too. While stone and concrete are fine to use for raised beds, the materials tend to trap heat that might affect sensitive plants, especially during the height of the summer.

Where to Buy Raised Bed Planters?

Raised bed planters are available in your local gardening supplies store. You can also buy raised beds online and score deals on our newest bundles. If you want to make the most out of your outdoor space or if you want to give gardening a try without much of the backbreaking work, raised planter beds just might be the thing you need.

Order yours today and start discovering the many benefits of raised beds!