What to plant in a raised bed with legs
Most planters on legs hold 10 to 12 inches of soil: room for salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries and bush beans. The University of Maryland Extension grows leafy greens, beans and cucumbers in 8 inches of soil on a hard surface, and lettuce, radishes, basil and bush beans in its 3½-inch-deep Salad Table on legs. Peppers and tomatoes want 12 to 24 inches, so in a 10- to 12-inch planter choose a dwarf or patio variety. The planters on legs we list hold 5.25 to 14 inches.
What grows in 10 to 12 inches of soil
The depths extension services grow each crop in where the soil has a floor under it, as a planter on legs does:
| Crop | Grown in | In a 10 to 12 in planter |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce and salad greensLettuce, endive, arugula, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard | 3½ in on Maryland’s Salad Table; 8 in on a hard surface | Yes: the best use of a shallow planter. |
| Radishes | 3½ in on Maryland’s Salad Table | Yes. |
| HerbsParsley, cilantro and basil on the Salad Table; also dill, rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, mint, chives, oregano and tarragon in containers | 3½ in for the small herbs on Maryland’s Salad Table | Yes. Maryland gives each large herb (rosemary, sage, lavender, dill) 5 gallons or more: about 0.8 sq ft of a 10-inch planter. |
| Strawberries | Most of the roots in the top 10 to 12 in (Utah State) | Yes: Utah State says they do well in planters. Water often. |
| Bush beans | 3½ in on Maryland’s Salad Table; 8 in on a hard surface | Yes. |
| Dwarf tomatoes, peppers and bush cucumbersVarieties sold as dwarf, bush, compact or patio | A 9 to 10 in frame on Maryland’s Salad Table | Yes, in a planter 10 in deep or more. |
| Full-size tomatoes, peppers and squashIndeterminate tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini | 12 to 24 in on a hard surface | Only at 12 in or more, and better in a deeper bed. |
| Potatoes, corn, melons, sweet potatoes | Maryland calls them more challenging in containers | No: grow them in an open-bottom bed. |
A planter on legs has a floor, so the roots cannot carry on into the ground below as they can under an open-bottom bed. The University of Georgia Extension notes that raised planters can be built 10 inches deep but lifted off the ground on legs or blocks, which suits wheelchair users and needs less bought soil, and that on a hard surface 10 inches may not be deep enough for some crops, like potatoes. For those, choose an open-bottom bed: the depth guide has the figures by crop.
The planters on legs we list, and what each grows
The depth each maker states for the soil, not the height to the rim.
| Planter | Soil depth | Grows |
|---|---|---|
| Vego Classic Elevated Garden Bed | 12 in | Salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, dwarf tomatoes and peppers; full-size peppers and tomatoes at the shallow end of their 12 to 24 in. |
| Vego Slim Elevated Garden Bed | 12 in | Salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, dwarf tomatoes and peppers; full-size peppers and tomatoes at the shallow end of their 12 to 24 in. |
| Vego Jumbo Elevated Garden Bed | 12 in | Salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, dwarf tomatoes and peppers; full-size peppers and tomatoes at the shallow end of their 12 to 24 in. |
| Gardener’s Supply Elevated Cedar Raised Beds | 10 in | Salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, and dwarf tomatoes, peppers and bush cucumbers. |
| Gardener’s Supply Elevated Cedar Planter Box with Shelf | 10 in | Salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, and dwarf tomatoes, peppers and bush cucumbers. |
| Gardener’s Supply Elevated Cedar Patio Garden with Shelf | 5.25 in | Salad greens, radishes, small herbs and bush beans, as on Maryland’s 3½-inch Salad Table. |
| Gronomics 24 × 48 Elevated Cedar Garden Bed | 10.5 in or 14 in | At 10.5 in: salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, and dwarf tomatoes, peppers and bush cucumbers. At 14 in: salad greens, herbs, radishes, strawberries, bush beans, dwarf tomatoes and peppers; full-size peppers and tomatoes at the shallow end of their 12 to 24 in. |
| Outdoor Living Today Urban Cedar Raised Bed | Not stated | Not stated by the maker: measure inside before you plant. |
| VegTrug Classic 1.8 m Cedar Planter | Not stated | Not stated by the maker: measure inside before you plant. |
Compare them by height, size and capacity on the elevated beds page.
A 2 × 4 ft planter, planted
A salad planting for a 2 × 4 ft growing area, drawn to scale at Colorado State University Extension’s spacings: lettuce, spinach, chard and radishes from Maryland’s Salad Table list, with bunching onions.
- 2 heads of lettuce
- 2 leaf lettuce plants
- 4 spinach plants
- 2 chard plants
- 16 radishes
- 16 bunching onions
Measure the inside of your planter first: walls and corner posts make the growing area smaller than the size it is sold by. More plans and other sizes: 2 × 4 ft planting layouts and every bed size.
References
- Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds, University of Maryland Extension
- Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables, University of Maryland Extension
- Strawberries in the Garden, Utah State University Extension
- Raised Garden Bed Dimensions (Circular 1027-4), University of Georgia Cooperative Extension