Get It Growing for 10/09/26

The traditional notion of a backyard vegetable garden looks something like this: neat rows of crops grown directly in the ground.

But in some yards, the ground simply isn’t conducive to growing vegetables. The native soil may be compacted or contain a lot of clay, making it difficult to work. Maybe drainage is a problem, or perhaps you have dealt with persistent weed or disease infestations.

Vegetable gardening is not out the window in any of these situations, however. Christine Coker, LSU AgCenter vegetable specialist, said raised beds offer a solution.

“You get to control the environment because they’re kind of like a big container,” she said. “And because of that, you get to control the media that’s in here. You get to control the water, and they really help with controlling the weeds. We get to start with a fresh slate.”

Raised beds have other benefits, too, and people sometimes opt for them even if in-ground gardening is possible in their yard. They lend an orderly, geometric aesthetic that defines gardening areas in the landscape, and some folks appreciate the opportunity to customize beds with unique colors and materials.

Raised beds also are great for gardeners with mobility issues.

“This is a much more ergonomic solution,” Coker said. “I don’t have to bend over or kneel down. I can reach well into the bed without straining any of my joints.”

Though some are closer to the ground, many raised bed designs put the growing surface and plants at a comfortable 16 to 24 inches high. Some are even deeper or sit on legs like a table, making things even easier. These elevated styles also give you the option of gardening on top of hard surfaces like a patio or driveway — a real plus if you have limited outdoor space.

You can purchase prefabricated raised beds, often made of corrugated sheet metal, in a variety of shapes and sizes. Just note that you’ll probably have to do some assembly, especially if ordering online.

Or, if you’re handy with a few tools, you can construct your own bed using metal, wood, cinder blocks or other materials. There are plenty of tutorials out there to inspire and guide you.

Make sure to size your bed carefully so you can easily perform routine maintenance tasks and harvest your crops. You should be able to reach across the bed from the edge. Coker recommends keeping the bed width under 4 feet.

“More than that, and you really start overstretching or you have to get into the bed, and we want to stay out,” she said.

If you are tight on space and need to place a bed against a fence or other structure, keep in mind that your access to one or more sides of the bed will be limited. That makes it particularly important for everything to be within arm’s reach.

Once your bed is set up, you’ll need to fill it with growing media. Don’t use potting mix or topsoil.

Instead, choose a mix formulated specifically for raised beds from your local garden center — ideally one mostly made up of ground pine bark.

“It drains really well, and it’s really inexpensive,” Coker said.

If you have a really deep raised bed, you don’t have to fill the entire thing with raised bed mix. Use items like leaves and compost as filler, then add raised bed mix on top. Exactly how deep your growing media needs to be depends on the crops you are planting, but in general, this layer should be at least 8 inches deep.

Early fall is a great time to plant some vegetables in your garden. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg talks with AgCenter vegetable specialist Christine Coker about the advantages of using raised beds for your vegetable garden.

Raised beds offer a solution to a number of hurdles to gardening, including poor native soil and mobility issues. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter vegetable specialist Christine Coker holds raised bed mix containing ground pine bark. These mixes are formulated specifically for raised beds and encourage good drainage. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter