outdoorsoil
Raised bed
A contained bed of soil or compost above the surrounding ground level, typically 15–45 cm deep and narrow enough to reach across.
What this changes about growing
- Drains faster and warms earlier than open ground, which brings spring sowing forward and suits wet or heavy sites.
- Because the soil is never walked on, plants can be spaced on a grid rather than in rows, fitting more into the same area.
- Dries out faster in summer for the same reason it warms faster in spring.
- Where the bed sits on a hard surface, its depth is the whole rooting depth — the constraint that decides whether deep-rooted crops work.
Safety
Reclaimed timber may have been treated with preservatives not intended for contact with food-growing soil. Use new timber of known treatment, or line the bed.
What GrowingHQ has assessed in it
Only plants with an actual assessment appear here. A plant that is absent has not been ruled out — it has not been looked at for this method.
| Plant | Suitability | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Agapanthus | Well suited | |
| Asparagus | Well suited | The best option on heavy ground, because winter drainage is what decides whether the crowns survive. |
| Bearded iris | Well suited | |
| Beetroot | Well suited | 20 cm of depth or more |
| Berberis | Well suited | |
| Blackcurrant | Well suited | |
| Blue fescue | Well suited | |
| Broad bean | Well suited | Particularly good for autumn sowing, where winter drainage decides the outcome. |
| Broccoli | Well suited | Firm the soil before planting |
| Brunnera | Well suited | |
| Brussels sprouts | Well suited | |
| Buddleja | Well suited | |
| Bugle | Well suited | |
| Cabbage | Well suited | Firmed soil before planting |
| Californian lilac | Well suited | |
| Canna | Well suited | |
| Carrot | Well suited | At least 30 cm of depth for maincrops; Mesh coverA raised bed lets a grower on clay have the deep loose soil carrots need without changing the whole plot. |
| Cauliflower | Well suited | |
| Chamomile | Well suited | |
| Chard | Well suited | |
| Chervil | Well suited | |
| Chives | Well suited | |
| Christmas box | Well suited | |
| Clematis | Well suited | |
| Coriander | Well suited | |
| Cotoneaster | Well suited | |
| Courgette | Well suited | One plant per square metre |
| Crocosmia | Well suited | |
| Crocus | Well suited | |
| Daffodil | Well suited | |
| Dahlia | Well suited | |
| Deutzia | Well suited | |
| Dill | Well suited | |
| Echinacea | Well suited | |
| Epimedium | Well suited | |
| Escallonia | Well suited | |
| Fatsia | Well suited | |
| Feather reed grass | Well suited | |
| Fennel | Well suited | |
| Firethorn | Well suited | |
| Forsythia | Well suited | |
| Foxglove | Well suited | |
| French bean | Well suited | |
| Fuchsia | Well suited | |
| Garlic | Well suited | The best option on heavy ground, because winter drainage is the whole problem. |
| Garlic chives | Well suited | |
| Gladiolus | Well suited | |
| Golden-scaled male fern | Well suited | |
| Gooseberry | Well suited | |
| Grape hyacinth | Well suited | |
| Hard shield fern | Well suited | |
| Hardy cyclamen | Well suited | |
| Hardy geranium | Well suited | |
| Hart's tongue fern | Well suited | |
| Hebe | Well suited | |
| Hellebore | Well suited | |
| Heuchera | Well suited | |
| Hippeastrum | Well suited | |
| Honeysuckle | Well suited | |
| Hosta | Well suited | |
| Hyacinth | Well suited | |
| Hydrangea | Well suited | |
| Hyssop | Well suited | |
| Japanese forest grass | Well suited | |
| Jerusalem artichoke | Well suited | |
| Kale | Well suited | |
| Kohlrabi | Well suited | |
| Lady fern | Well suited | |
| Lamb's lettuce | Well suited | |
| Land cress | Well suited | |
| Lavender | Well suited | The best option on clay, for drainage rather than for soil quality. |
| Leek | Well suited | |
| Lemon balm | Well suited | |
| Lemon thyme | Well suited | |
| Lettuce | Well suited | |
| Lily | Well suited | |
| Lovage | Well suited | |
| Mahonia | Well suited | |
| Maidenhair spleenwort | Well suited | |
| Male fern | Well suited | |
| Mexican feather grass | Well suited | |
| Mexican orange blossom | Well suited | |
| Miscanthus | Well suited | |
| Mock orange | Well suited | |
| Nerine | Well suited | |
| Onion | Well suited | Good drainage as the crop matures |
| Oregano | Well suited | |
| Ornamental allium | Well suited | |
| Osmanthus | Well suited | |
| Ostrich fern | Well suited | |
| Pak choi | Well suited | |
| Parsley | Well suited | |
| Parsnip | Well suited | |
| Pea | Well suited | A support structure the bed can anchor |
| Peony | Well suited | |
| Periwinkle | Well suited | |
| Pieris | Well suited | |
| Pumpkin | Well suited | |
| Radish | Well suited | Ideal for filling gaps between slower crops. |
| Raspberry | Well suited | |
| Redcurrant | Well suited | |
| Rocket | Well suited | |
| Rose | Well suited | |
| Rosemary | Well suited | A raised bed of gritty soil is the standard solution for Mediterranean herbs on wet ground. |
| Royal fern | Well suited | |
| Rudbeckia | Well suited | |
| Sage | Well suited | |
| Salad burnet | Well suited | |
| Salvia | Well suited | |
| Savory | Well suited | |
| Sedge | Well suited | |
| Shallot | Well suited | |
| Shiso | Well suited | |
| Skimmia | Well suited | |
| Snowdrop | Well suited | |
| Soft shield fern | Well suited | |
| Sorrel | Well suited | |
| Spinach | Well suited | |
| Spiraea | Well suited | |
| Spring onion | Well suited | |
| Strawberry | Well suited | Better drainage and easier picking. |
| Swede | Well suited | |
| Sweetcorn | Well suited | |
| Tarragon | Well suited | The best outdoor option on anything heavy, because winter drainage decides whether it survives. |
| Thyme | Well suited | |
| Tiger flower | Well suited | |
| Tomato | Well suited | Sturdy support for cordons |
| Tuberous begonia | Well suited | |
| Tulip | Well suited | |
| Turnip | Well suited | |
| Viburnum | Well suited | |
| Weigela | Well suited | |
| Whitecurrant | Well suited | |
| Winter savory | Well suited | |
| Winter squash | Well suited | |
| Armand clematis | Workable | |
| Basil | Workable | A warm sheltered site, planted late |
| Blackberry | Workable | |
| Blueberry | Workable | |
| Borage | Workable | |
| Camellia | Workable | A raised bed of ericaceous compost over chalk gradually reverts as the ground below leaches into it. |
| Celeriac | Workable | |
| Celery | Workable | |
| Chicory | Workable | |
| Climbing hydrangea | Workable | |
| Cucumber | Workable | A ridge cultivar; Support or room to trail |
| Endive | Workable | |
| Evergreen climbing hydrangea | Workable | |
| Globe artichoke | Workable | |
| Henry's honeysuckle | Workable | |
| Ivy | Workable | |
| Lemon verbena | Workable | |
| Marjoram | Workable | |
| Mint | Workable | Confinement — a sunken pot rather than free planting |
| Passionflower | Workable | |
| Potato | Workable | At least 30 cm of soil depthWorkable rather than ideal: potatoes take up a lot of bed for a crop that is cheap to buy, and earthing up in a shallow bed is awkward. |
| Rhododendron | Workable | |
| Rhubarb | Workable | Takes up a lot of a bed for a long time. |
| Runner bean | Workable | A structure the bed can anchor against wind |
| Star jasmine | Workable | |
| Sweet pepper | Workable | A warm sheltered site |
| Tayberry | Workable | |
| Thai basil | Workable | |
| Vietnamese coriander | Workable | |
| Virginia creeper | Workable | |
| Wisteria | Workable | Only where the bed adjoins a structure strong enough to carry it |
| Amelanchier | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Apple | Marginal | |
| Crab apple | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Hawthorn | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Holly | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Japanese maple | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Magnolia | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Rowan | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Silver birch | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Yew | Marginal | A raised bed rarely holds enough soil volume for a tree beyond its first few years. |
| Curry leaf | Not suitable |