Interested in kickstarting a raised bed organic garden? Here are four basic items needed to get started:

Grow Bed – Made of 100% recycled black plastic, these beds help retain moisture and absorb heat to speed root growth. With a 10” depth, these Grow Beds are suitable for all crops, including root crops like potatoes and carrots. They assemble easily, and are extremely durable.

Stacking Tomato Ladders – These sturdy ladders will make the most of your precious garden space, reduce damage from pests and diseases, and give you a bigger harvest of delicious, unblemished fruit. Each set includes six 32.5″ tall sections.

• Use singly to support eggplants and peppers
• Stack two for bush (determinate) tomatoes
• Stack three for tall (indeterminate) tomatoes

Coir Mulch Block – This 9 pound block of earth-friendly coir expands to a wheelbarrow full of mulch when adding water. This mulch will help your soil stay evenly moist, suppress weed growth and keep your plants cool in summer and warm in winter.

Raised Bed Booster Kit – If your new raised bed is made up of mostly topsoil, this is a great way to add some nutrient-rich organic matter.  This kit also includes organic All-Purpose Fertilizer.

For more information, see The Organic Gardening Guide.

Mel Bartholomew’s All New Square Foot Gardening is the definitive guide for efficient use of space in a raised bed garden.  With his special “Mel’s Mix” recipe for creating nutrient-rich soil, Mel instructs readers on how to maximize each foot of space to pack in a staggering amount of flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Not only does he give detailed descriptions of what you can fit into each square foot in your SFG (Square Foot Garden), he has the best method of thinning seeds that I’ve seen. In addition, Mel includes detailed descriptions of how to build raised beds and make your own sturdy vegetable supports (trellises) and mini-greenhouses.

Patricia Lanza’s first gardening book, Lasagna Gardening, laid the foundation for our interest in raised bed gardening, teaching us how easy it is to create ideal growing conditions for crops using compost and a host of other materials. Her “lasagna gardening” method helps you build nutrient-rich garden soils that do not require any weeding, digging or rototilling. Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces breaks down her lasagna gardening method for anyone unfamiliar with it, but also shows her readers how to create charming and functional gardens in small spaces. She includes many creative ideas for sneaking flower, fruit, vegetable and herb gardens into spots around your home.