If you have trouble reaching the ground, then gardening in raised beds may be the perfect solution. Assuming you prepare your soil correctly, they drain better than the ground.

Additionally, raised beds warm up faster in the spring, which means that you can plant your vegetables sooner. It may also mean that you can grow more than one crop in a year, depending on what vegetables and varieties you choose.

Consider these vegetable choices that grow well in a raised bed garden.

When it comes to the veggies themselves, there are lots to choose from. From reliable stalwarts that will yield generous crops to varieties that are a little more unusual, we’ve rounded up some of the very best vegetables to grow in raised beds below.

Raised beds are wonderful for growing almost anything, but there are some real stars that rise above the rest. Let’s take a look at the ten best vegetables for raised beds.

Why garden in raised beds

As noted above, there are a lot of advantages to growing food in raised beds. I’ve been a raised bed gardener for over fifteen years and the main reason is because they require far less work than my former in-ground garden. It didn’t take me long to realize that my raised beds also help me grow crops that used to struggle when I planted them in my native clay soil. Here are seven awesome reasons to garden in raised beds:

• The soil warms up early in spring.
• Raised beds drain-well.
• They’re ideal for sites where the existing soil is poor, rocky, or contaminated.
• Deep, loose soil makes it easier to grow root crops like carrots.
• You can plant intensively in raised beds, maximizing the harvest.
• Raised beds typically have fewer weeds.
• Elevated beds look tidy, which is an advantage if you’re growing food in a front yard.

1.Kale

When choosing varieties of kale to grow in containers, look for options marked compact and productive as you will get more kale to enjoy. Most varieties will bloom in the early spring. Once mature, cut what you need to put on your table, and it will grow again. This plant grows well in full sun or partial shade. You need to water the soil regularly so that it stays consistently moist.

2. Peas

Peas work well in raised beds too, and are best trained up a netting support – install it along one side of the bed for best use of space. Pea seeds are often eaten by mice before they germinate outdoors, so sow them indoors in long ‘root trainer’ pots – with these, there’s less root disturbance (which peas hate) when you plant them out once they’re large enough to handle. Sow seeds in March and harvest from the end of June.

3. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are heavy feeders that need nutrient-dense soil to thrive. With a raised bed you can easily customize your soil to your needs, adding in extra compost as you fill the beds. The only downside to growing tomatoes in raised beds is it’s harder for tomato cages and stakes to stand up in the loose soil.

4. Summer squash

Squash is an easy vegetable to grow, and squash blossoms are beautiful, delicate edibles. Most squashes require a lot of space and a reasonably large container. Ideal growing conditions include lots of light, good soil, as well as consistent watering and feeding.

5. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a fast-growing vegetable commonly grown in containers. These water-loving plants do best in large plastic or ceramic pots that help retain soil moisture. Growing cucumbers in raised beds is a great way to give them the heat they love (hotter ambient temperatures raise soil temperature quicker in pots than in-ground).

6. Zucchini

Vine-type zucchinis do marvelous in raised beds as long as they have something to grow on. Plant the seeds directly into your ground in a mound of soil because they do not transplant well, and they hate cold weather. You will see the zucchini plant start to vine in about five weeks. Most varieties of zucchini will be ready to harvest in about 60 days.

7. Radishes

You may want to consider growing all three types of radishes in your bed. Plant summer radishes early and expect them to take about six weeks to mature. Sow seeds at regular intervals from March to mid-August for a constant supply. You can never have too many radishes – did you know that as well as making a spicy addition to a salad, radishes are also great added to stir-fries?

8. Potatoes

Potatoes not only grow well in a raised bed, they are also much easier to harvest this way. These plants benefit from hilling soil around the shoots as they grow. In a raised bed you can easily contain your hills, and even create a bed that you can add to as your plants grow. Potatoes need loose, loamy soil that drains well. They grow best when they are able to easily spread out in the soil, and this loose soil will keep them from rotting. In a raised bed you have the benefit of complete control over the soil. Potato crops grown in raised beds tend to have higher yields with bigger tubers.

9. Carrots

Growing carrots in the open garden is near impossible if you have compacted or stony soil, as this will cause the roots to ‘fork’. In a raised bed, though, you can ensure the growing medium is just right for them. Sow seeds from April to early July, and harvest a couple of months later.

10. Garlic

Garlic is a ‘plant-it-and-forget-about-it’ vegetable. Tuck individual cloves in the garden in mid-autumn. Do not harvest until the following year in early to mid-summer.

Once planted, mulch the beds with straw to hold soil moisture and reduce weeds. Harvest when half of the leaves have yellowed, hanging the plants to cure in a dry spot for two weeks. After curing, clean and store bulbs. It really is one of the easiest vegetables to grow!