Raised Bed Gardening - Oklahoma State University

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Oklahoma State University Sue Gray Tulsa County Extension Horticulturist Raised bed gardens have been in use for centuries. Permanent beds, raised a few inches above the soil level and arranged just... More

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Oklahoma State University Sue Gray Tulsa County Extension Horticulturist Raised bed gardens have been in use for centuries. Permanent beds, raised a few inches above the soil level and arranged just wide enough to reach across by hand, are an ideal way to grow vegetables and small fruit. Several rows of vegetables can be grouped together in a bed with a permanent walkway on either side. Soil in which plants are grown is never walked on and thus free of compaction. The idea of growing plants in single file, “row crops,” started when the horse and plow needed space between rows to cultivate crops on a large scale. Later, row spacings were 24 to 36 inches apart to accommodate tractors and their implements. Out of habit, many home gardeners plan single row vegetable gardens; however, foot traffic on each side of a single row can severely compact soil by the end of a growing season. Raised bed gardens can range from a simple r Less