Raised bed gardening has risen in popularity in the past years, making the best-raised garden beds such a hit because they allow you to grow edible and decorative plants anywhere. Some of the other benefits of these raised garden beds include providing superior protection from weeds and pests, offering comfortable ergonomics. These raised beds can be filled with the most suitable soil of your choice to grow flowers, herbs, or food.
Notably, there is no particular standard for raised beds, and the right choice for you will be determined by your space limitations, overall garden goals, and personal design preference. With the rise of the best raised garden beds, there are plenty in the market, and it can be hard to make a decision, so we have compiled a list of the most suitable garden beds for your yard or patio. We have also included some factors you should consider before making your final purchase to make an informed decision.
1. Yaheetech 3 Tier Raised Garden Bed
- Useful & Practical – With this helpful planter, you can...
- 3 TIERS DESIGN: This elevated planter provides 3 growing areas...
- Low maintenance required – Our high-quality garden bed planter...
- Easy-to-assemble – This vegetable garden is built in a simple...
- NICE-LOOKING GARDENING ACCESSORY: Decorative end caps on the...
Yaheetech's three-tiered garden bed has a structure that is made from solid fir wood design that helps to reduce the leaks of dirt or leaks escaping from around your plants. The wood raised comes with three single squares that can be placed on top of each other, creating an elevated frame surface for your vegetables, plants, and flowers in season. Thanks to the three-tiered design, a gardener can plant flowers on one level, small trees, herbs, or shrubs on the next, and vegetables on one surface.
Yaheetech garden bed delivers exceptional flexibility. The removable wooden dowels help connect the tiers. If you want a single layer, you can separate the layers and have three raised gardening boxes on the ground. It comes with unstained and untreated wood panels, and with each post and board fully sanded, there is a reduced risk of rough edges or splinters when assembling your planter. However, you cannot create unique shapes on the ground by rearranging the side slats.
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2. FOYUEE Galvanized Raised Garden Bed
- ✔ SIZE: 96''(L) x 48''(W) x 12''(H), provide extra large...
- ✔ DURABLE: Made of stable thickened galvanized metal,...
- ✔ OPEN BOTTOM: Sits on the ground garden bed, provide good...
- ✔ SAFETY: Bottomless design, plants didn't touch the metal and...
- ✔ EASY SETUP: Only need about 5min and easy to put it together,...
Foyuee Galvanized metal garden bed is suitable for seeds, plants, and hers for any season, and it is available in two different sizes, and no matter the length you choose, it will easily reach the water. The metal fabric has been treated with a non-toxic coating that helps prevent rust, and it is still eco-friendly and features crossbars that can withstand any season. The garden bed structure does not have a bottom, meaning you won't dig down to plant, and it is an important feature with the one-foot high sidewalls.
Notably, certain fruits, trees, and vegetables need over 18 inches, and this will need a gardener to dig down to the ground in their gardens for an effective planting of the roots. However, Foyuee garden beds lack modular designs making it impossible to combine several beds without internal support or brackets, but you could drill your holes.
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3. Glowpear Self-Watering Mini Bench Planter
- Ideal growing conditions: Generous soil depth and volume, the...
- Use indoors or outdoors. The Mini Bench is just at home inside or...
- Plants take what water they need when they need it due to the...
- See what water is needed at a glance with the water level...
- Sturdy, safe and scalable. The Mini Bench is made of...
Glowpear Self-Watering planter is one of the best planters made with UV and corrosion-resistant, injection-molded HDPE, BPA-free, and food-safe materials that can be used both outdoors and indoors. The garden beds can be plugged into each other for easy and simple watering and increased growing space. The planting space features a self-watering system where your plant will water itself when thirsty, and also, you don't have to bend over to fill your water reservoir because it has a raised design.
The Glowpear garden beds come with a clip-on drip tray that enables you to place the planter indoors without worrying about water stains as it will prevent them. This frame is an ideal outdoor or indoor option for flowers or herbs, and with the bottom not fully on the ground, you can also use it for your deck and check the water level easily.
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4. Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed With Wheels
- DRAINAGE HOLES: Allows excess water to drain out, preventing root...
- MULTIPURPOSE STORAGE: Get the most out of your planting and...
- ERGONOMIC HANDLEBAR: Comes equipped with an adjustable handlebar...
- EASY MOBILITY: Built with a set of wheels to move the planter...
- 2 SIDE HOOKS: Hang your gardening tools on the side for quick and...
Best Choice Products Raised Garden Bed is one of the top-rated raised beds, and it comes with a liner that separates the wood from the soil, which preserves the condition of the raised bed over time. The garden bed is made from galvanized steel that guarantees it will last longer than wood, and it can hold the soil of about 2.5 cubic feet; it is an ideal space for planting lettuces, flowers, herbs, or plants. The Best Choice raised bed comes with predrilled drainage holes at the base that allows excess water to be drained out and features built-in storage and wheels for easy movement to capture the right amount of sunlight.
The raised garden bed also has a mesh storage shelf ideal for storing spare pots and watering cans and comes with two side hooks that guarantee that your gardening tools are within your reach. The garden beds also come with an ergonomic handlebar that makes it easy to move around your yard or patio as much as you need.
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5. Greenes Cedar Raised Garden Bed
- Made in the USA from naturally rot- and insect-resistant cedar....
- Boards slide into the corner posts without tools forming a secure...
- Stacking 2 of these makes your garden 21 inches tall (each kit...
- Cedar is natural, untreated, unfinished and rough sawn. Finish...
- Package contains 21 boards, 6 corner posts, 6 decorative tops (6...
Greenes Cedar Raised Garden Bed is constructed with natural cedarwood, and even though it's not that attractive to look at, it has a smell that gives off a fragrance that can help ward off pests or bugs from your garden. The planting outdoor raised bed is made of cedar with a natural resistance to weather properties that can resist rot than other woods with proper moisture maintenance.
This is one of the most versatile garden beds, and you should keep in mind that the untreated cedar wood requires constant maintenance, and you may need to apply stains every once in a while to prevent damage. Notably, if you like how natural wood looks, you can use linseed oil to ensure your garden bed stays moisturized and increase resistance to heat and weather elements.
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Factors to Consider Before Purchasing the Best Raised Garden Bed
1. Size
The size meaning the length and width of the raised bed, is highly determined by your space constraints, where the length is limited by your yard size and building materials, and the width is determined by how far you can reach.
On the width factor, you should choose a width that will allow you to reach all your plants without getting into the bed, which would compress the soil. The best width is 3inch to 4 inches as long as you can reach your plants from any side, but you should opt for a 2-inch raised garden bed if you have limited access. The available raised garden beds are usually between 4' and 8 ' in length to allow easy tending for the length factor. However, you can choose longer raised beds if that's your preference.
Most of them range from between 6 and 12 inches for the height of raised beds, but the raised bed height can go up to 36 inches and above. Notably, a raised garden bed with tall sides will need more soil, but these raised beds will be easy on your back because you don't have to bend too much to access your plants. Large plants such as shrubs like blueberries and tomatoes do better with deeper soil, especially if the soil below is compacted or of poor quality.
2. Materials
Most of the best raised garden beds are made from materials that are rot-resistant such as cedar, but as time has gone by, there are raised beds made of plastic, woven willow, stone, and concrete, and the material one chooses on their preference. A raised garden bed made of wood is the most common and will make a great choice for your raised bed. Still, you can choose one of the other materials depending on your budget, climate, personal preference, materials readily available to you, and your style.
Notably, it is unsuitable for the vegetables-raised garden to use pressure-treated lumber because it releases heavy metals into your soil. All in all, most easy to assemble garden-raised beds are made with plastic or rot-resistant wood and are food safe.
3. Ease of Assembly
How easy it is to assemble your gardens is crucial in determining the suitable raised garden for you because this is where raised garden bed outshines the DIY raised garden beds. Making a raised garden bed for yourself can be a bit hectic because you will need to shop for the materials you need, cut them to the required size, and put them together.
On the other hand, the raised garden bed usually comes with everything you need to make a raised garden bed, where some of these raised garden beds are made within a few minutes. Notably, depending on how much handy work you would like to do and can do, a raised garden kit will always match your skill level.
4. Bonus Features
The best-raised garden beds have plenty of special features such as built-in trellises, built-in irrigation systems, removable greenhouse covers, wheels for portability, or legs that elevate the bed. Another beneficial feature would be stackability, where some raised garden beds are usually stacked to offer a different configuration or more depth. All in all, no matter what your growing environment looks like and what bonus features you would prefer, there is a raised garden bed specially made for your needs.
5. Shape
The best-raised garden beds are available in different shapes, such as round and square beds, but the rectangular shape is the most common. You can choose the shape of your garden bed depending on your preference.
6. Self-watering options
Some raised beds usually feature a self-watering system that usually extends the time between the waterings and can create more moisture throughout the bed. These options are suitable because your gardening and plants will grow better and make more products, and you get to water them less often.
7. Location
Location is an important consideration since it is where you will be placing your vegetable gardening structure, and it's important to ensure the location you want to can be able to get enough sunlight. One way you can check this is by going outside at 9 am and check which area starts to get sunlight in the morning; note it and check hourly to know the sun will be traveling in your patio or garden.
Notably, not all plants require the same amounts of sunlight but generally, it's important to ensure your plants get the full sun of over 6 hours and partial sun of around four to five hours. You will need a minimum of 2 hours with a part shade, and with a full shade, your plants will thrive in less than an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Raised Garden Beds
1. What do you place at the bottom of a raised garden bed?
A raised bed should have a layer of wood chips, grass clippings, straw, leaves, and other organic materials at the bottom, and you should place a cardboard on top of the layer. The organic material is useful as it will turn into compost, and the cardboard will help prevent weeds.
2. What should you use to line raised beds?
Due to the improved drainage that comes with a raised garden bed, plants and flowers can suffer quicker and severely from drought, so you should always ensure your watering needs are checked. Notably, some modern wood treatments don't contain harmful heavy metals, and therefore, they can be safe to use but if you are unsure of this, line the inside of your raised bed using polythene.
