Best Size For Vegetable Beds
The higher the bed the less you have to bend down.
Best size for vegetable beds. Ideally you dont want to have to walk in the growing space nor do you want to struggle to tend your crops so without Inspector Go-go-gadget arms the maximum width is 15 metres approximately 5 ft. How to Plan Bed Size and Orientation It should be possible to reach the centre of each bed without overstretching. Me being over 6ft it still is a reach sometimes to the middle but as long as you have ample room on the other side like a path or something you should be fine.
The height of a garden bed can be 20cm low 40cm medium or 60cm medium-high or 80cm high depending again on your needs and your budget. In this video I describe my personal 3 criteria for how I determine what size I am going to build my raised garden bed. Beds against a wall or fence should be about 2-3 feet 60-90cm wide as youll only have access from one side.
The best plants to grow in raised beds are those with shallow roots. Usually 4ft is about the largest you want to go without stepping in it. Plants like tomatoes or root vegetables like carrots however need much deeper soil to establish themselves.
Heres an example of how you can layer the soil in your garden bed. Aim for a minimum height of 6 inches 15cm while up to a foot 30cm is ideal for root crops. You can use top-soil for this or ask your local nursery for advice on the best.
Raised beds are also a useful way to garden if you have restricted mobility as they reduce the need to bend. Aim for a bed width of three to four feet 90-120cm dependent on your reach. Ideally a garden bed should be no more than 12m 4 wide if it is accessed from both sides as this width allows an adult to reach just past the centre from any side giving optimum accessibility to the gardening area.
Once youre comfortable with vegetable gardening increase the size to 300-500 square feet. Edge your beds with copper tape. My raised bed is 4x8 and it works nicely for me.

