I’ve been growing my own vegetables in containers for several years, but I think I am ready to build a raised bed. What do I need to know before I do that? WH

Raised beds are a great option when it’s time to expand your vegetable garden. Let’s talk about some of the things to factor in when planning to build your raised beds.

The first thing you will need to decide is where you are going to build your raised bed and what size you want it to be. If you are fortunate to have an area of your yard that gets full sun, (full sun is over 8 hours per day - 10 to 12 would be better) that is where you want to locate your new bed. If you don’t have an area that gets full sun, spend some time outside and locate a spot that gets the most sun.

Next, you’ll need to decide how big you want to make your new garden. It’s a good idea not to go over about 4 feet in width because with anything wider, it’s going to be problematic to work the soil without walking around in your garden. Walking around in your garden isn’t terrible, but it will result in some soil compaction which could ultimately affect your plants. With a maximum width of 4 feet, you can still reach into the middle of the bed from outside the bed so plan on a max width of about 4 feet. There’s no real limit on how long your garden can be.

One question we get asked fairly often is about how deep a raised bed needs to be. The answer is not really that deep, depending on what you want to grow. If you are planning on growing root crops like carrots or potatoes, you need a deeper bed, but for most crops like tomatoes and cucumbers etc., 6 to 8 inches is plenty.

Raised beds can be built out of a variety of materials but most owner made beds tend to be constructed out of either wood or concrete blocks. There’s also no reason you need to limit your bed to a standard square or rectangle. Feel free to be a little creative is the shape of your bed. Interesting gardens add interest to your entire landscape, so you have my permission to go for it. If you are not into construction, there are a variety of kits available or you can just go to one of the local farm supply stores to purchase a livestock watering tank and voila, you bed is built.

If you are going to build your raised bed out of wood, we recommend you do not use railroad ties since they can release creosote vapors that could potentially burn your plants. Treated wood doesn’t contain the chemicals it once did so it is ok. Just be sure to wear a dust mask and protective clothing when sawing to protect yourself from the dust. I love the rough-cut cedar, but cedar can get a bit pricey.

If you are building your raised bed in a location that was grassy, you’ll need to do something about that grass…especially Bermuda. Some people cover the bottom of their beds with cardboard or even garden cloth. When I built mine, I also used a tiller to break up the soil and then I raked out as much of the grass as I could get before putting a layer of garden cloth down.

Next up would be the soil. There are a lot of options concerning soil for your new raised bed. You can do a little math and figure out how many bags of soil from the garden center you need but usually a more cost-effective option would be to purchase your soil in bulk from a local vendor. Businesses that offer bulk garden soil offer a variety of grades. The recommendation is to buy the best soil you can afford since the key to growing anything ultimately lies in the soil. While most of them will offer delivery of your soil, if you have a trailer available or a pick-up truck, they will load the soil for you which saves the delivery fee. Also, if your bed is kind of deep, you can visit Tulsa’s Green Waste facility to get some free mulch and use that mulch as the bottom layer in your raised bed.

Nest you’ll need to think about how you plan to irrigate your new raised bed. I would suggest you think about installing a drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation systems provide water at a slow rate, allowing it to sink deep into the soil. Some people will install their drip irrigation system before planting, turn it on, and then locate their plants near the spots where the drip line puts out its water. That’s not a bad idea.

The Tulsa Master Gardener website has a lot of great information on growing vegetables. Just visit www.tulsamastergardeners.org and click on Lawn and Garden Help to learn more. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Communications