Step 1 - Raised Beds
Raised Bed Size Guide
Width is set by your arms, depth by your crops, and length by your space. In that order.
Janet H. - the hands-on owner behind Janet Media Group.
Published - last updated
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Four feet wide with access on both sides, 2 to 3 feet against a wall, 12 to 17 inches deep, and whatever length fits. That covers nearly every home garden, and the reasoning behind each number is worth knowing so you can break the rules deliberately.
Width: set by your reach, not by the space
The entire point of a raised bed is soil you never stand on. Compaction destroys the structure you paid to create, so the bed can only be as wide as you can comfortably reach into from the edge.
For most adults that is about 2 feet from each side, giving a 4-foot bed with access all round. Against a wall or fence you only have one side, so halve it: 2 to 3 feet. If you garden seated, reduce further -- 3 feet with both sides accessible is a more realistic maximum.
Depth: set by the deepest crop you will actually grow
| Depth | What it grows |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 in | Salad leaves, herbs, radishes, scallions, strawberries |
| 10 to 12 in | Beans, peppers, cucumbers, kale, chard, bush squash |
| 12 to 18 in | Tomatoes, brassicas, beets, onions, garlic |
| 18 in and up | Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, long-rooted crops |
Where the bed sits on open ground, roots can go deeper than the frame -- so an 11-inch bed over decent soil performs better than an 11-inch bed over concrete. Over a hard surface, the frame depth is all the depth there is.
Length: whatever fits, with one caveat
Length is limited by space and by your willingness to walk around the bed. Eight feet is the common kit size because that is a standard board length. Beyond about 10 feet, people start walking through the bed rather than round it, which brings compaction back.
Two 4 x 4 beds with a path between them are generally more useful than one 4 x 8: more edge, easier rotation, and you can net or cover one without the other.
Soil volume for every common size
| Bed size | At 6 in | At 12 in | At 17 in | At 24 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 x 4 ft | 4 cu ft | 8 cu ft | 11.3 cu ft | 16 cu ft |
| 3 x 6 ft | 9 cu ft | 18 cu ft | 25.5 cu ft | 36 cu ft |
| 4 x 4 ft | 8 cu ft | 16 cu ft | 22.7 cu ft | 32 cu ft |
| 4 x 8 ft | 16 cu ft | 32 cu ft | 45.3 cu ft | 64 cu ft |
| 4 x 12 ft | 24 cu ft | 48 cu ft | 68 cu ft | 96 cu ft |
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, which is the unit bulk suppliers deliver in. Bagged mix is usually 1, 1.5 or 2 cubic feet per bag -- so a 4 x 8 bed at 12 inches is about sixteen 2-cubic-foot bags.
Path width, which people forget
Leave at least 24 inches between beds, and 30 to 36 inches if you use a wheelbarrow or a garden cart. A path too narrow to kneel in makes the whole garden harder to work, and it is the one dimension you cannot change after the beds are filled.
Wood chips laid 3 to 4 inches deep make a good path surface: they suppress weeds and resist compaction underfoot, which extension guidance notes lets crop roots spread under the walkway.
What to buy
The products that fit the advice above, chosen by the process on our how we choose page. We have not hands-on tested them; specifications are the manufacturers’ own.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Top pickVegega 17" Metal Raised Garden Bed17 in deep, Aluzinc steel, fixed footprint | The same steel, less money | 9.0 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 |  Anleolife 8 x 4 ft Metal Raised Garden BedUp to 24 in deep, 22-gauge corrugated steel | Deep beds for root crops | 8.8 | Check price on Amazon |
#ad We may earn a commission - prices are shown by Amazon, not by us
Scores are our own editorial judgment, formed from published specifications and independent sources. They are not aggregated customer ratings, and they are not the result of hands-on testing, which we do not currently do. See how we choose.
Common questions
How wide should a raised garden bed be?
Four feet if you can reach it from both sides, 2 to 3 feet if it sits against a wall. The measurement is set by your reach, not your space: you must be able to work the middle without stepping in, because compaction undoes the point of a raised bed.
How deep should a raised bed be?
Ten to twelve inches suits most vegetables. Go to 17 inches or more for carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Six to eight inches limits you to salad crops, herbs and strawberries. If the bed sits on open ground rather than a hard surface, roots can go deeper than the frame.
How long can a raised bed be?
As long as your space allows, though beyond about 10 feet people start cutting through the bed rather than walking around it. Eight feet is the common kit length because it matches standard board sizes. Two shorter beds often beat one long one.
How wide should paths between raised beds be?
At least 24 inches, and 30 to 36 inches if you use a wheelbarrow. This is the dimension gardeners regret most, because it cannot be changed once the beds are built and filled. Wood chips 3 to 4 inches deep make a durable, weed-suppressing path surface.
Sources
Factual claims on this page are backed by the published sources below, and product specifications are the manufacturers’ own. Where a figure is not published, we say so rather than estimating it.