W

ide-row planting, square-foot

gardening, and raised beds
are specialized gardening tech-
niques that are especially popular
with urban gardeners since they
allow intensive gardening in rela-
tively small spaces. These tech-
niques are similar in some respects,
and you can use them individually
or combine them to fit your garden-
ing needs.
Wide-row planting
Wide-row planting is just what its
name indicatessimply planting
seeds in a band rather than a single
row. Wide-row plantings do not
have to be raised-bed plantingsin
fact, they usually are not. But like
raised beds, the width of the row
should be such that you can easily
reach the center of the bed from
each side (about 3 feet).
Planting. For wide-row planting,
prepare a seed bed just as you
would with traditional row plant-
ing. Use string and stakes to ensure
a straight band or bed by placing a
taut string on either side of the
3-foot bed. Then scatter the seed
over the bed and cover according to
crop directions. If you dont like to
thin seedlings, place one or two
seeds in holes spaced equal dis-
tances in all directions.
Crops that grow quickly do best in
wide-row plantings, forming a leaf
canopy that effectively competes
with weeds. Most leafy crops fall
into this category including chard,
kale, leaf lettuce, mustard, and
spinach. Crops that are poor weed
competitors, such as carrots and
onions, do not work well in wide
rows since weeding is more difficult
than in traditional row planting.
Square-foot gardening
Square-foot gardening is a form of
intensive gardening where you
block off squares of space for crops
rather than planting them in rows.
The name comes from partitioning
off blocks of garden space that are
1 ft x 1 ft.
Acommon arrangement is to mark
off squares that are 4 ft x 4 ft
(16 square feet). This area is then
divided into four parts 2 ft x 2 ft (or
each 4 square feet) with walkways
around each main 16 square foot
section (figure 1).
Planting. Within each small
4 square foot block a different crop
is planted. Although plant or seed
count depends on crop size, it is
usually greater than regular row
gardeningincreasing production
per unit area. Each plant or seed is
planted an equal distance from all
other plants or seeds of that variety.
A3384
Specialized gardening techniques:
Wide-row planting, square-foot gardening, and raised beds
Helen C. Harrison
Wide-row planting
Figure 1. Acommon square-foot
gardening arrangement.
walkway
2 ft
4 ft
Mulching usually is recommended
for square-foot gardening since
weed control can be tedious.
Mulching also helps retain soil
water which is important since
crops need more fertilizer and water
as the distance between plants
decrease.
Raised beds
In raised-bed gardening the plant-
ing surface is elevated to a predeter-
mined height. You can do this
several ways. Perhaps the easiest
method is to simply mound up
garden soil (about 6 inches), allow-
ing the sides to slope gently to the
ground. These are nonpermanent
beds, and as the growing season
progresses, they shrink as rain
erodes and compacts the soil. Thus,
this type of bed is ideal for annual
plantings in the home garden since
it does not interfere with fall or
spring soil cultivation.
If you want to elevate a bed more
than 6 inches or if the bed will be
used to grow perennials, youll need
a more permanent bed. The most
2
S P E C I A L I Z E D G A R D E N I N G T E C H N I Q U E S
MATERIALS
(All wood treated)
4 x 4 12 feet white pine
2 x 4 15 feet white pine
2 x 2 12 feet cedar
2 x 12 26 feet cedar
3
4-inch exterior grade plywood1 sheet (4 x 8 feet)
5
16-inch x 4-inch lag bolts16
Figure 2. Design for raised bed with wheelchair access.
2"
Bottom = 1-inch boards or
3
4-inch exterior grade plywood
Plywood joint if needed
1
1
2-inch x 1
1
2-inch cleats
between 2 x 4s (optional)
Notch to fit legs
2 x 12 ends
5
16-inch x 4-inch lag
bolts with washers
1
2-inch drain holes, one per 6 square inches
4 x 4 legs
2 x 12
sides
2 x 4
each end
B
C
A
A = max 3 feet
B = max 10 feet
C = 3038 inches (to suit user)
Optional suggestion:
Center brace on bed
common permanent raised bed is
one that has four built sides (but no
built top or bottom). Usually boards
and railroad ties are used to build
up the bed to the desired height, but
layered rocks, cinder blocks or other
strong materials also can be used.
Prepare the soil beneath the bed
before placing side structures on the
ground.
Another type of raised bed is a
wheelchair-access beddesigned
for gardeners in wheelchairs or
those who cant bend over while
gardening. It is basically a large rec-
tangular open box on legs. Agood
size is 10 feet long, 3 feet wide,
1 foot deep, and 3 feet off the
ground (figure 2). This size accom-
modates approximately eight
persons in wheelchairs.
In all raised beds, the width should
be such that you can easily reach the
center from each side without dam-
aging the bed (about 3 feet). If a
raised bed will be against the house,
garage or fence, then it needs to be
half as wide as one that is accessible
on both sidesabout 1
1
2 to 2 feet
wide. Do not step or lean on your
raised bed or soil compaction will
occur.
Soil. Soil in raised beds should be
friable (crumble easily). Agood soil
mixture for raised beds is one part
organic material (such as peat moss,
compost, leaf mold, or dehydrated
cow manure), two parts topsoil, and
one part perlite, vermiculite, or
sharp sand for drainage. You can
use a water-soluble fertilizer such as
Peters throughout the season or
incorporate a slow-release fertilizer
such as osmocote into the soil mix.
Fertilizer rates should be deter-
mined by soil test results and what
crops you grow.
Planting. You can plant
raised beds in several
ways. You may want to
have one to three con-
ventional rows of plants
running parallel to the
raised bed, depending
on the width of the bed
and size of the plants.
Or, you can plant more
intensively as with
wide-row planting and
square-foot gardeningthat is,
plant each seed or plant an equal
distance from every other plant. All
plants should be at least 6 inches
from the side of the bed to prevent
root drying and exposure. Plant
large crops such as melons in one
central row with each plant cen-
tered in the bed.
Treating wood used for
raised beds. Wood used to build
permanent types of raised beds
should be treated with wood preser-
vatives unless redwood or cedar is
selected. Both are long lived under
most weather conditions, but tend
to be more expensive than other
alternatives.
The simplest method is to purchase
wood treated with chromated
copper arsenate salts (CCAsalts).
This is the best type of preservative
for wood that comes in contact with
soil. CCAis applied to lumber
under pressure and is so strongly
bound to the wood that leaching is
not a problem. In addition, CCAis
rarely toxic to plants. The life of
CCA-treated wood in soil contact is
40 years.
CCAis not available for homeowners
but CCA-treated lumber is available
at most local lumber yards. It has a
slightly green cast to it and is sold for
use as landscape timbers, fencing,
and decks.
Ask your dealer for the Consumer
Information Sheet on CCAsalts.
This sheet instructs users on the
proper precautions to take when
handling, sawing, or disposing of
CCA-treated wood.
Pentachlorophenol and creosote are
also wood preservatives, but are not
available to homeowners. Lumber
treated with pentachlorophenol or
creosote should not be used to build
raised beds. Both preservatives cause
skin and eye irritation and frequent
contact with penta or creosote-
treated wood can lead to skin disor-
ders. In addition, some plants are
sensitive to these compounds and
fail to thrive or may even die when
exposed to them.
Copper and zinc naphthenate are
wood preservative compounds
which you can buy and apply to
wood yourself. You paint wood sur-
faces with these compounds, but the
paint only penetrates about
1
8 inch.
Thus, the life of wood treated with
these products is much shorter than
that of CCA-treated wood. Research
results do not agree as to possible
toxicity of copper and zinc naph-
thenate to plants, although there
appears to be little damage to most
species.
3
W I D E - R O W P L A N T I N G , S Q U A R E - F O O T G A R D E N I N G , A N D R A I S E D B E D S
Permanent raised bed
S P E C I A L I Z E D G A R D E N I N G T E C H N I Q U E S
Weighing the advantages and
disadvantages of raised beds.
Probably the biggest advantage of
raised beds is improved soil
drainage. Raised beds are particu-
larly useful if you have a garden
that doesnt drain well because of
heavy clay soil or because it is in a
low-lying area. In addition, in an
extra damp area, plants that dont
like having wet feetsuch as
okra, kale, and gourdsgrow well
in raised beds. Raised beds also
benefit root crops grown on
heavy soils, such as beets, carrots,
onions, potatoes, radishes, rutaba-
gas, and turnips.
Another advantage of raised beds is
they allow you to plant under less
then ideal conditionssuch as
around some trees (check species
for tolerance). Tree roots can be a
real obstacle to bed preparation, so
raised beds let you plant your
flowers without any trouble. Raised
beds also can add an attractive
touch to your landscape. Finally,
they can offer gardening access to
persons who otherwise would be
unable to participate in this activity.
But raised beds have their disad-
vantages, too. Perhaps the biggest
disadvantage of raised beds is their
tendency to dry out. Beds may
require more than twice as much
water per week as conventional
plantings, depending on the height
of the beds and soil texture.
Raised beds are not recommended
for sandy soils, because the soil
dries out fast and beds wash away
quickly unless they have permanent
sides. However, proper mulching
can help alleviate these droughty
conditions. For more information
see Extension publication Mulches
for Home Gardens and Plantings
(A3383).
Another disadvantage of raised
beds is that they can be more work
to prepare and maintain then con-
ventional garden arrangements.
Thus, you should carefully weigh
the advantages and disadvantages
of raised beds for your particular
situation.
References to chemical products in
this publication are for your conve-
nience and are not an endorsement of
one product over other similar prod-
ucts. You are responsible for using
material according to the manufac-
turers current label directions.
Copyright 2001 University of Wisconsin-System Board of Regents and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative
Extension.
Author: Helen C. Harrison is professor of horticulture, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-
Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Produced by Cooperative Extension Publishing,
University of Wisconsin-Extension.
University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
Wisconsin counties, publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914 Acts of Congress; and
provides equal opportunities and affirmative action in employment and programming. If you need this information in an
alternative format, contact Cooperative Extension Publishing at 608-262-2655 or the UWEX Affirmative Action Office.
This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from Cooperative Extension Publishing,
45 N. Charter St., Madison, Wisconsin 53715, Phone 608-262-3346. Web address: www.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/.
A3384 Specialized Gardening Techniques:
Wide-Row Planting, Square-Foot Gardening, and Raised Beds SR-08-01-2M-50