Do you have limited space to garden? A small patio or a deck at an apartment building? A raised bed is a great option to make the most of a small space, and building a raised bed is easier than it looks! Vegetable gardening in raised beds is a great way for beginner gardeners to get started. Follow along to our video here!

Here's a step-by-step plan to help you design, build, and maintain a successful veggie raised garden bed:

1. Assess Your Space

• Decide what you want to grow! Choose veggies based on your climate, space, and eating habits.
• Measure the available area and ensure its accessible and recieves at least 6-8 hour of sunlight daily.
• Most fruits and veggies require full sun. 8 hours or more is best.
  • If you only have 3-4 hours, it is possible to grow lettuce, kale, spinach, and some herbs. With 5-6 hours of sun, try radish, carrots, parsnip, swiss chard, and most herbs.
• Check water access - make sure a hose or irrigation system can reach the bed easily.

2. Design the Layout

• Plant your crops based on height.
• Plant in rows or grids to maximize on space.
• Keep your plant tags or markers in the same rows as the plants to help you remember which is which.
• Add growing support like tomato cages for larger, taller vegetables - this is way easier to do before they get big!
• If you need more space, get creative! Plant herbs and lettuce in hanging baskets and window boxes.

3. Plan Your Planting Schedule

• Use a seasonal planting calendar.
• Note seed starting times, usually listed on the back of each seed packet.
• Cool season: spinach, lettuce, peas
• Warm season: tomatoes, squash, peppers
• Consider companion planting to boost yield and reduce pests.

4. Maintain and Monitor

• Weed weekly, especially early in the season.
• Fertilize as needed, every 4-6 weeks with Tomato Tone or Espoma Garden Tone.
• Check for pests (aphids, slugs, etc.) and treat organically (neem oil, handpicking). Even product approved for organic gardening can be harmful to beneficial insects and pollinators.
• Use crop rotation each season to avoid soil depletion, or refresh with a layer of Purple Cow Activated Compost - it's great for veggies!
  • This is especially important for plants in the Solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and the Curcubitaceae (cucumbers, zucchini, and squash) families.

If you would like assistance planning the veggie bed of your dreams, feel free to stop in and ask! Otherwise, email us at hello@tonkadale.com - we're here to help!