Raised bed vegetable gardening has many benefits and is thus an excellent choice for gardeners of all experience levels. However, many people don’t try it because they don’t know how to get started. Raised bed gardening is easy and more convenient because you don’t have to bend and stoop when you tend to your plants since they are higher. There are also fewer weeds and the overall soil quality is much better. In order to start a raised vegetable garden, you just need to do some basic planning and preparation.

Planning Your Raised Vegetable Garden

First you need to find a spot in your yard that has good sunlight and drainage. It is best to find an area that is far from trees since trees have big roots and will compete with your plants for nutrients and water. The quality of the soil in the area you choose is not that important since you will be adding soil to fill the bed where you plant your vegetables.

Then you have to decide how much you want your garden to be raised. In raised bed vegetable gardening, the beds are usually at least a foot higher than the ground. You can even separate the bed from the ground soil with containers but you have to be sure that the soil in the bed is at least one to two feet deep so your plants have room to grow their roots.

Materials Needed in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening

For starters, you need to choose the material you will use to hold your soil. You can go to a vegetable gardening supply store or lawn and garden center to shop around and look at all of the different options, some of which include plastic edging, wood, and faux wood. Avoid using pressure-treated lumber however because the chemicals in the wood can leach into your garden, which is very unhealthy.

Mark the area where you want to put your raised vegetable garden by using spray paint, rope, or a hose. Measure the area so you know how much material you need. Determine what the square footage space of your bed will be so you know how much soil to buy. Then remove the grass from the area where your bed will be, install the bed borders, and add the soil.

Your next step in raised bed vegetable gardening will be to plant your vegetables. You will be surprised at how much you can fit into your bed since you don’t need to leave room for walkways. You can even stake plants like tomatoes and cucumbers to grow vertically so you can plant other stuff under them. This will make for an efficient use of space.

Make no mistake about it. Raised bed vegetable gardening is fun, easy, and convenient. If you don’t mind making a little extra effort in the beginning to plan and build your bed, you will find that raised bed gardening is more convenient than regular gardening because it allows you more control and to save space.