The choice of plants in your raised bed depends on the depth of the soil. Most plants require a minimum depth of 12 inches to grow, but annual flowers and herbs can survive with just six inches of soil. Herbs require a minimum depth of 20 inches. In addition to vegetables, you can also grow fruit and herbs in raised beds. Here are some recommendations. Read on to discover which plants grow best in raised beds and which ones are not the best choices for your raised beds.
Wave petunias
Aside from their beautiful flowers, Wave petunias are also incredibly low-maintenance. If you need to prune your plant, this variety will do fine, as the roots can tolerate a few cuts per year. This is particularly helpful if you have a smaller garden and don’t want to have to worry about thinning out the entire plant. Afterward, you can use the cut flowers to decorate the front of your bed.
There are many varieties of Wave petunias available, including dwarf, tall, and compact varieties. The ‘Wave’ series is ideal for raised beds and containers because it comes in many different colors. It’s not as ground-hugging as the original, but it is weather-tolerant and disease resistant. The best part about Wave petunias is that they don’t require deadheading or pinching back. All you have to do is feed them an all-purpose plant food every couple of weeks, and you’ll be rewarded with flowers and fragrant blooms all summer long.
Wave petunias are a great plant for raised beds because of their beautiful flowers and the fact that they can grow to three to four feet long. You can find them in Ball Seed Co. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the beautiful color combinations that you can get from Wave petunias. There’s something for everyone in this colorful family. Just make sure you select a variety you like.
Tomatoes
When you’re growing tomatoes in a raised bed, you’ll need to be prepared for their specific needs. Because tomatoes require a high water requirement, they will need a deeper watering in a raised bed than in a regular garden. Water them when the soil feels dry. Water deeply and early in the morning, before the soil gets too hot. Plant your tomatoes one tomato per square foot. However, don’t plant more than three plants in one raised bed.
The best sites for a raised bed garden are well-drained, level, and close to a source of water. In addition to a good drainage area, the bed should receive a minimum of eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Unlike plants that grow in the ground, tomatoes require deep soil to support their roots. To prepare a site for your garden, remove any sod and loosen the soil with a tiller. Aerate the soil to at least 12 inches deep.
A few varieties of tomatoes are particularly good for raised beds. Tomatoes like slightly acidic soil and nutrient-rich organic matter. Raised beds give you complete control over these conditions. Tomatoes require more space than most plants, so you may want to consider using trellising to keep them from bending and breaking. Tomatoes are also heavy feeders, meaning that they require more nutrients to grow.
Legumes
There are a number of benefits of growing legumes in your raised bed. These fast-growing legumes help control erosion and fix nitrogen in the soil. They also attract beneficial insects during flowering and disrupt disease cycles. You can purchase pre-inoculated seeds of legumes, or choose to germinate them yourself. Common types of legumes to grow in your raised bed include black beans, haricot beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
Although they don’t require any special fertilizer, they do benefit from nitrogen fixation in the soil. In order to ensure a healthy environment for your plants, use an inoculant for legumes, which can be purchased at garden supply stores or online. You can use one ounce of legume inoculant per ten pounds of seed. Mix one ounce of inoculant with nine parts of hot water or corn syrup, and sprinkle the seed with it. After the seedlings have sprouted, you don’t need to fertilize again.
When planting your garden, you may want to rotate your crops with legumes. These plants fix nitrogen in the soil and break up tight, compacted soil. This helps offset the effects of growing several kinds of vegetables in the same plot. You can also include them in a rotation to improve your soil’s tilth. This means you should work in a cover crop once every three or four years. You can even harvest the legumes after they have stopped producing and compost them.
Cucumbers
If you’ve ever tried growing cucumbers in a raised bed, you know that the process is similar for all varieties. Cucumbers need warm soil to grow, but you can get around that by mulching them with dark plastic. In addition to improving their growth, dark plastic also helps keep weeds at bay. Several companies even sell cucumber seeds. Cucumbers can grow as large as 30 inches long.
If you’re growing cucumbers in a raised bed, make sure to thin them before transplanting them. For best results, thin cucumber plants to one plant per mound after they’ve been able to sprout. You can warm the soil with black plastic in colder climates. Mulch your cucumbers well to keep weeds and other pests away. Cucumbers grow quickly and need warm soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0.
Another benefit to growing cucumbers in a raised bed is that they’re hardy. If you grow them in the summer, you’ll have more cucumber flowers. While they require a bit of care, they’re easy to grow and only need deep watering. Just keep in mind that cucumbers are a bit sensitive to over-watering and need more sunlight than other crops. If you do grow cucumbers in your raised bed, remember to remove the row cover every day during the day.
Beans
If you have a raised bed in your garden, beans can be a great addition. Beans are a warm season crop and can be planted when the threat of frost has passed. Beans grow best in full sun, good drainage, and regular watering. Since beans require so much water, you should plant a fresh crop every two weeks. Beans are also good for your soil because they fix nitrogen that will benefit other plants. Beans also have plenty of protein and fiber, making them perfect for a raised bed.
Another great vegetable for a raised bed is onions. Onions can be grown from seed or as a transplant, and are not likely to compete with beans and peas. Onions are best planted early in the growing season to take advantage of their natural pest-deterrent abilities. You can also plant them around other vegetables, such as kale, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. Onions can also be helpful for keeping some vegetables free from pests like aphids and root nematodes.
Some veggies are particularly easy to grow in raised beds, and they’re also great for the soil. Asian greens are especially good for raising soil quality. Asian greens, such as spinach, can be grown in raised beds, and contain high levels of vitamins and minerals. If you’re not a green thumb, try growing Asian greens, such as cabbage and kale. They’re delicious and nutritious. Beans are also a great addition to any raised bed.
Squash
When choosing the best squash plants for raised beds, take into account the type of growing space you have available. Squash needs a large amount of space to grow, but vine varieties take up less space than bush varieties and are more flexible. Choose between planting squash plants from seed or from started plants. You can find more information about both on the seed packet, but growing squash from seed is by far the most cost-effective method. Squash plants don’t like to be transplanted, so you should consider planting seeds.
Choose three or five healthy vines per plant. Trim off the peripheral growth, leaving a gap of about 5 inches in between. Next, construct a framework of wire that is spaced approximately five inches apart. Once the framework is built, tie the vines to it. If the vines are prone to falling off, consider using fruit slings to guide them. Old pantyhose works well for this purpose, since they expand with the growth of the fruit.
Several diseases and pests attack squash crops. Cucumber beetles attack squash at all stages of development, and can overwinter in weeds near the borders of the garden. Then there’s the squash vine borer, which feeds on the squash stalk. This pest attacks your plants during their prime, so you should protect your plants by protecting them from infestations. Alternatively, you can spray the plants with a solution of neem oil and water to keep out these insects and their larvae.
