Selecting Raised Garden Size

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Selecting your Raised Garden size and location.

Before planning your raised garden two decisions should be made: (1) Where to locate it and (2) how big you want it to be.

Location has to do with making sure that the garden will have the maximum sun and that it is fairly level and near a source of water. One additional thought about location; and that is the option of placing the garden on a paved surface or an inner city roof top . . . more.

Size has to do with the alloted space available and what you intend to grow. Sizes ranging from 2 ft. by 2 ft. square may be preferable for some plants because they have a tendency to overwhelm the rest of the items when planted in a larger garden. This size might be a good choice for growing something like squash which often produce very large leaves and would excessively shade other plants. Some of these plants grow into vines and will expand well beyond the raised garden itself.

An increasingly popular size is a 4 ft. by 4 ft. garden because of their versatility. For instance, several 4 x 4's may be easier to manage than a full 4 ft. by 8 ft. garden. The 4 x 4 lends itself very nicely to being able to rotate your crops from year to year by switching your produce from one garden to another each season. This prevents the nutrients consumed by one type of vegetable from continuing to drain the soil year after year. As an example, this size of garden is ideal for cultivation of tomato plants since four plants can be nicely accommodated by this size assuring plenty of room to grow.

The ideal maximum size garden is the very popular 8 ft. by 4 ft. garden. This size garden should be used to plant vegetable that will take less space for each plant such as lettuce and other items one would normally plant in rows. The tendency is to over crowd the larger gardens so care should be taken during your planning. They are also excellent for fall and winter gardening when very large items such as cabbage and other hearty winter vegetables are to be grown when crowding is not an issue. Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower spread out to a great extent and this larger size garden will accommodate them.

The depth of a garden is also a consideration. If you plan to grow herbs, then a garden that will accommodate soil that is

6 inches deep is really all that is needed. Typically, gardens used for growing most vegetables requires a soil depth of close to one foot.

Of course if you are an avid gardener and have the space, having several sizes of gardens can be very rewarding and lend more options to your gardening experience.