Plant Care

Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Layout: Planning for Maximum Production

Last updated: November 23, 2025

Strategic raised bed vegetable garden layout planning maximizes space, increases yields, and simplifies maintenance through proper spacing, companion planting, and succession techniques.

DDorothy "Dot" Williams

November 23, 2025

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Raised bed vegetable garden layout with tomatoes, lettuce, carrots and herbs in organized square foot sections — — Image © PlantReference.org 2026

TL;DR

Smart raised bed vegetable garden layout doubles your harvest through strategic planning. Use square foot gardening principles with 12-inch spacing, place tall plants north to avoid shading, and practice succession planting every 2-3 weeks. Companion planting combinations like tomatoes with basil, and carrots with lettuce maximize space efficiency while improving growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best layout for a 4x8 raised bed for beginners?

For beginning gardeners, I recommend dividing your 4x8 bed into sixteen 12-inch squares using the square foot gardening method. Place tall plants like tomatoes and peppers on the north end with one plant per square, medium-height plants like lettuce and chard in the center with four plants per square, and quick-growing crops like radishes and carrots on the south end with 16 plants per square. This layout prevents shading while maximizing production and simplifying maintenance for new gardeners.

How do you space vegetables in a raised bed garden?

Raised bed vegetable spacing follows intensive planting principles rather than traditional row spacing. Use 12-inch square foot sections as your guide: large plants like tomatoes and peppers need one full square each, medium plants like lettuce need 4 plants per square, and small crops like carrots or radishes can fit 16 plants per square. This close spacing works because raised bed soil stays loose and nutrient-rich, eliminating the wide spacing needed for cultivating between rows in traditional gardens.

Should tall plants go on the north or south side of raised beds?

Always place tall plants on the north side of your raised bed to prevent shading shorter crops. Position indeterminate tomatoes, pole beans, and trellised cucumbers along the north edge, medium-height plants like peppers and bush beans in the center, and short crops like lettuce and herbs on the south side. This arrangement ensures all plants receive adequate sunlight throughout the day, maximizing photosynthesis and production in your intensive raised bed layout.

What vegetables should not be planted together in raised beds?

Avoid these companion planting combinations in your raised bed layout: beans near onions or garlic (growth inhibition), carrots near dill when flowering (attracts pests), cucumbers near aromatic herbs like sage (reduced growth), and tomatoes near fennel or black walnut trees (allelopathy issues). Additionally, don't plant heavy feeders together without adequate spacing—multiple tomato plants in adjacent squares will compete for nutrients and reduce overall production.

How do you plan succession planting in a raised bed layout?

Succession planting requires dividing your crop space into sections and staggering planting times. For lettuce, divide your allocated squares into thirds and plant one section every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest. Quick-growing crops like radishes and spinach (30-50 days) can be succession planted every 2 weeks, while longer crops like carrots (70+ days) should be planted every 3-4 weeks. Plan your initial raised bed layout with succession timing in mind, leaving flexibility for replanting as crops are harvested.

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Tagged with

#raised bed gardening #vegetable garden layout #square foot gardening #companion planting #succession planting #garden planning #intensive gardening #crop rotation #vertical gardening #raised bed vegetables

Written By

Dorothy "Dot" Williams

Dot grew up on a small farm in rural Virginia and has maintained a vegetable garden for decades. After retiring from teaching elementary school, she became a Master Gardener volunteer and spends her time mentoring new gardeners at community garden plots in Richmond. She's especially knowledgeable about heirloom varieties, seed saving, and traditional growing methods passed down from her grandmother. Dot's no-nonsense advice comes from extensive trial and error—she's seen every tomato disease, pest problem, and weather disaster imaginable. Her biggest pet peeve is gardeners who overcomplicate simple tasks. "Plants want to grow," she often says. "Your job is to not get in their way."