Top 8 Plants to Grow in a Raised Bed Garden
If you're looking for a gardening method that's both efficient and easy to manage, growing plants in a raised bed garden might be the way to go. With a raised bed garden, you can control the soil quality, drainage, and pests while maximizing your space and yield. And what better way to make the most of your raised bed garden than to plant the right crops? Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a beginner, these plants are sure to thrive in your raised bed garden and provide you with a bountiful harvest. So, let's dig in and get started!
- Tomatoes – They require a lot of sun and warm temperatures, making raised beds a perfect environment for them. They always have done great for me in raised beds. My favorite is Early Girl, they produce fruit in 65-70 days. Be sure not to over water to avoid blossom end rot.
- Lettuce – Growing lettuce in raised beds allows for better drainage and control over soil quality. Leaf lettuce varieties such as Romaine and Green Leaf Lettuce have better success than Iceberg Lettuce in Arizona. In my experience, lettuce does very well in some shady locations.
- Peppers – Similar to tomatoes, peppers need lots of sun and warm temperatures to thrive. They are a great plant to have for things like tabasco pepper sauce or stuffed bell peppers!
- Kale – Kale is a great vegetable to grow in raised beds due to its shallow roots and ability to withstand cold weather. Kale has always been a good grower in my raised beds. It goes well with salads, soups, and smoothies.
- Cucumbers – If you decided to plant cucumbers, at some point you will need a trellis of some kind or some stakes. In my experience a trellis is better suited to grow cucumbers than single stakes. If I put cucumbers in a raised bed, I might choose a bush variety to save on space. They also make a bush variety of cucumbers and they are great for a larger container.
- Strawberries – Raised beds provide excellent drainage for strawberries, which are prone to rot. When watering strawberries, only water the plant if at all possible. The leaves are very sensitive to large amounts of water and will rot and turn black.
- Radishes – Radishes grow quickly and prefer the loose soil of raised beds. Radishes are great in salads and smoothies.
- Herbs – Raised beds are perfect for growing herbs like basil, thyme, and parsley, which require good drainage and plenty of sunlight. However, I like to grow my herbs in a separate location than with other plants. I would have a smaller raised bed for my herbs. They tend to have different watering and fertilizing needs than typical garden plants.
