Key Takeaways
Depending on location, soil quality, and moisture levels, raised beds can be beneficial for fall veggies.Plant leafy greens and root vegetables in raised beds; they’ll benefit more from the improved soil quality.Pay close attention to your growing zone and plan accordingly to maximize your garden’s output.
With summer winding down, now is the ideal time to consider what fall veggies you’d like to grow this year, and if you’d like to use—or continuing using—raised beds.
But are these better for fall veggies than planting straight in the ground? We checked in with two gardening pros to find out.
Is It Better to Grow Fall Veggies in Raised Beds?
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Jennifer Blount / Getty Images
According to pro gardener Edwin Dysinger, the benefits of using raised beds depend on where you’re based and what you’re growing—and this all comes down to understanding the original purpose of raised beds.
“Raised bed gardening originated to elevate vegetables above wet, water logged soils, giving them a dryer growing environment,” he explains.
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Benefits of Growing in Raised Beds
If you live in a climate that’s wet and cold, raised beds can be a major help because they’re designed to warm up faster. This is one reason growers often prefer to use them in spring, but there are benefits to using raised beds in fall, too.
“Raised beds are dryer than surrounding soils [and] adjust to ambient temperatures faster than the soils of in-ground beds,” says Dysinger. “This means that, compared to in-ground beds, they will cool down faster in the fall.”
In addition to helping with temperature control, Dysinger also notes that raised beds are more accessible, typically have a greater aesthetic appeal, and allow for soil control. This can be a major upside if you have very rocky soil, for example.
With this in mind, Dysinger says there are some crops that might be worth growing in raised beds this autumn.
“Focus on cool season leafy greens and root crops,” he suggests, naming lettuce, kale, collards, and spinach, as well as carrots, radishes, beets, and turnips. “[These] often do well in raised beds because of the improved nature of the soil in it. Onions and garlic like well-drained soils and will overwinter well in a raised bed, provided they are mulched well.”
What Not to Grow in Raised Beds
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Redjina Ph / Getty Images
According to pro gardener Luke Hammond, you can plant any fall veggies you’d like in your raised beds—it all just comes down to your planning and maintenance.
“[Raised beds] may require a little different type of care throughout the season,” Hammond says. “Timing of each crop may vary compared to traditional in-ground gardens.”
The first thing to consider is your growing zone; this will impact harvest timing, as well as the forecast of which plants will survive first frost.
But you also need to consider your cooler root zone, which refers to the temperature of your plants’ roots. This will affect how far into the winter you hope to keep your garden growing.
“Raised beds’ soil will cool off quicker going into the winter because of the extra exposure and the less thermal mass,” says Hammond. “However, coming out of the winter, the opposite is true and they warm up quicker.”
Special Care for Growing Veggies in Raised Beds
As you prepare your raised beds, consider the elements that might differ from in-ground planting; this includes soil quality and moisture, as well as temperature. Because of this, you should monitor these aspects carefully, and ensure your plants remain happy and healthy.
Along with raised beds, Dysingers also points out that container planting will have a similar outcome to raised beds—except potentially accentuated due to the smaller size.
“The more soil mass you have, the less it will dry out and the less it will be subject to ambient temperature,” says Dysinger. “Of course, the opposite is true the smaller your container. Containers will be subject to freezing before a raised bed is.”
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