Raised beds bring the dirt closer, making them easier to tend, and maintain invasive weeds in a distance. They make life easier for many vegetables, with increased drainage and soil that warms rapidly in sunlight. Choosing the best crops to plant depends on the size of the bed and the taste buds of the gardener.

Small Crops for Little Planters

Deck or deck planters are generally smaller compared to raised beds on the ground, so it pays to stick to smaller plants. Salad herbs and greens create the most sense in this circumstance, since they can be picked daily, as needed. A raised planter 4 feet by 4 feet provides many, if not all, of the greens consumed by a small family if committed to this objective. As an example, 9 lettuce plants fit in every square foot of dirt. If every square foot is planted in series every 2 to 3 weeks, then there’s always something ready to harvest.

Root Crops

More than other vegetables, root crops benefit in the deep, loose, well-drained land of raised beds. Heavy, damp soil constrains the rise of the tubers and can cause them to rot in the ground. Potatoes (Solanum tubersoum), carrots (Daucus carota), beets (Beta vulgaris) and turnips (Brassica rapa) all grow well in raised beds — choose depending on what your family likes to eat. Of these, potatoes take up the space and are not the ideal fit where space is limited, while 32 carrot plants fit in just one square foot of the bed.

Ornamental Vegetables

Since vegetable planters are often used to tidy up the appearance of a vegetable garden, it is sensible to focus on the varieties with outstanding ornamental qualities. As an example, rainbow chard (Beta vulgarism) is just a mixture of chard varieties with distinct stem colors, forming a stunning display when planted together. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) has purple-tinged foliage, hibiscus-like blossoms and striking, smooth-textured fruits that look like something from an artist’s brush. Try combining ornamental vegetables of different sizes and colors together in an aesthetic arrangement, just like a planting of flowers.

Little Planters with Large Specimens

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), melons (Cucumis spp.) and squash (Curcurbita spp.) Are big, rambling vines, that can take over a raised bed. It’s not that they require all the root space at the bed, but their foliage needs somewhere to move. Because of this, give each a single small planter 1 to 2 feet long and wide, and they’ll react with luxuriant growth that cascades over the surfaces of the planter and bountiful crops. Provide a trellis for the vines or give them space to ramble over the floor or a terrace wall.

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