Garden Bed FAQ

Garden Bed Frequently Asked Questions

The team at Produce Denver has decades of experience building and maintaining garden beds in the Denver Metro Area. Our experts are here to answer some of the most common questions about backyard gardening in raised beds.

Do you have more questions about gardening in raised beds on the front range of Colorado? Book an initial consultation for one of our experts to visit your home and help you optimize your gardening efforts.

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When to plant my garden in Colorado?

You can grow year-round on the Front Range by over-wintering cool-season crops such as green onions, spinach, kale, chard, arugula, lettuce and others!

In the Spring, you can start your garden in-doors by starting seeds such as leeks in early February. You can start your other cool season plants then too if you want your plants to be bigger for a earlier harvest. I start my kale, chard, lettuces, arugula and transplant in early march in my outside garden and use row-cover and hoops to protect them from the Spring frost and snow.

What are the best summer crops for Colorado? When should I plant them?

The climate on the front range can be fantastic for growing tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini, squash and many other of your favorite vegetables.

Depending on where you live in Colorado, you can plant any crop on the Front Range if you plan ahead. I've planted tumeric and ginger keeping them under hoophouses or small cold frames, or planted long season crops such as watermelon starting them early covered and harvested in October for a sweet fruit!

Depending on what you have and where you live it's a safe bet to plant your warm summer plants around June 1st. A lot of people wait till Mother's Day but it usually snows! I recommend waiting until early June unless you live on the Western Slope or Southern Colorado. And always watch the 10 day forecast. Always have a plan to cover your plants for severe weather! Early summer hail storms can devastate a healthy garden.

How big should I build my garden bed?

Depending on the space, I like to build either 3-4 ft wide beds so that I can easily get to each side of bed. I have found that it is most economical to use 8 ft. cedar boards because they last the longest (20-30 years). I like to have 3 ft. pathways so that I can use a wheelbarrow around the beds

What type of soil should use in my garden box?

Soil is probably the most important element for healthy plants. 90 % of plant problems are usually related to the soil. Starting off with good soil is important and will save you from problems in the future. Soils vary greatly in their properties so you need to know what is already in your yard. Getting a soil test with your existing soil is the first step. You may be lucky and be able to use what you have. But, If your like me, I have heavy clay soils and need to bring in better soil to grow healthy food!

There are so many soil types sold in bulk or in bags. You can spend $1000 or less than $100 per bed. Depending on your budget, there are a couple of things to consider:

1. Getting the right soil in Bulk:

1. Getting bulk soil may save you money, but there there may be some problems:

Most bulk soils at landscaping companies are not fully cured or may be hot. You should not plant directly into the soil but give it time to cool down. Water it well and make sure it is not warm when planting into it.
- Get a soil test result of the soil.

- - Most of the bulk soil from companies will have soil test results that they can send you. You want to make sure that the salts are not too high. If your location is limited on access for good soil, sometimes you may have to amend the existing soil.

- - I use bulk soil for jobs that use cattle manure and have high salts and high Ph. I add gypsum (calcium sulfate) to flush the salts and lower the Ph. This only works for soil that does not have free lime.

2. You want a soil that drains well but allows water good water retention.

A lot of bagged soils for raised beds already have perlite or other amendments added to it so that it drains well and allows air in the soil for plants. If you get a bulk soil that doesn't drain, add perlite or bags of coco fiber to allow your soil to drain while adding moisture retention.

Should I put gravel on the bottom of my garden bed?

A lot of people think that adding gravel to the bottom of your bed may help with drainage but this is a myth. In fact, the abrupt change in space actually creates a boundary line that affects the movement of water, air, and root movement. This is called Texture interface. It is best practice to dig into the native soil with the added soil so there is a better transition.

Why should I garden in raised beds?

I prefer to garden raised beds for a couple reasons:

The soil warms up quicker in Spring rather than having in-ground beds. This allows earlier harvesting of over-wintered crops such as arugula or spinach.

The amount of labor is the biggest challenge about gardening. I like to focus my labor on clear defined gardens so that I don't feel overwhelmed in early summer when the weeds start to take over! I also appreciate the ability to focus my irrigation on a specific surface area so that I use my water efficiently!

It is also easier to identify/address pest and mold issues in a contained raised garden bed.

What are the best spring crops for Coloardo? When should I plant them?

Depending on where you live in Colorado, I love growing Arugula and spinach on the Front Range!

I seed my spinach and arugula in October the previous year and then keep my rowcover and hoops over the beds throughout the Winter. This year, I harvested late February when the weather was warm.

Other cool season crops can be planted in early march. I plant my peas, onions, carrots, radish and lettuce in early March and keep them well watered and covered.

What type of materials should I use for my garden bed?

We usually use cedar or redwood for our garden beds. However, Most redwood today is mostly sapwood and isn't hardwood and will rot after 10-20 years. I haven't ever ran into problems with the resin in cedar. Some research shows that some plants are affected by the resin but I have never seen any problems.

I also recommend using corrugated stainless steel. Your local hardware store usually carries a 3ft. corrugated galvanized steel panel. I use less cedar for this method by building a box and using the steel panel as siding. The downside of this is sharp edges! Be careful and make sure you hide all the edges. I have even installed animal stock tanks for garden beds by drilling holes in the bottom to allow draining.

There are a lot of other non-toxic or less toxic products such as using Trex (recycled plastic) or Acetylated Wood. Check with your local lumber or hardware store before choosing the product right for you.

How high should I fill my garden box with soil?

You want to fill the bed all the way to the top as your new soil will generally settle 6 inches throughout the season.

What type of irrigation do I need for my garden bed?

We like to add drip and spray to our garden beds with shut offs to each line to allow maximum versatility. I use micro sprayers when germinating seeds such as spinach or lettuces that I broadcasted with seed. When the plants are more mature, I shut off the sprayers and use the drip. I use drip for transplants such as tomatoes and change the watering time throughout the season.