Build Your First Raised Bed in a Weekend

By Margaret Ellis | DIY Garden

Hortiena Editorial Team · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Raised beds are the single best upgrade you can make to a Florida garden. They let you bypass the sandy, nutrient-poor native soil entirely and create the perfect growing environment. Here's how to build one with basic tools and a modest budget.

Why Raised Beds Are Perfect for Florida

Florida's native soil is mostly sand — fast-draining, low in nutrients, and poor at supporting vegetable crops. Raised beds let you fill with a custom soil mix that retains moisture, drains well, and is packed with nutrients. They also warm up faster in winter, drain better during Florida's heavy summer rains, and are much easier on your back than ground-level beds.

Raised beds also deter some soil-borne pests and diseases, reduce weed pressure, and make it easy to add compost season after season to maintain soil health.

Materials You'll Need

Best wood options: Cedar is the gold standard — naturally rot-resistant and long-lasting (10+ years). Cypress is another excellent Florida choice. Avoid treated lumber for edible gardens as the chemicals can leach into soil.

For a standard 4×8 foot bed, you'll need: four 2×10 inch boards (two cut to 8 feet, two cut to 4 feet), corner brackets or wooden corner posts, exterior screws, hardware cloth (optional, for gopher protection), and your soil mix.

Step-by-Step Build Process

Step 1: Choose Your Location

Most vegetables need 6–8 hours of direct sunlight. In Florida, afternoon shade can actually be beneficial in summer — a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal for warm-season crops. Avoid placing beds under trees where roots will compete for water and nutrients.

Step 2: Prepare the Ground

Mow or cut down any grass or weeds in the area. Lay cardboard or several layers of newspaper over the ground inside the bed footprint — this smothers grass and weeds without chemicals and breaks down within a season to add organic matter. Wet it down thoroughly.

Step 3: Assemble the Frame

Screw or bolt your boards together at the corners. For a 10-inch deep bed, use a single board on each side. For a 20-inch deep bed (ideal for root vegetables), stack two boards per side. Deeper beds require less bending and allow more root room.

Step 4: Fill with Soil Mix

The best raised bed mix for Florida: 60% topsoil, 30% compost, 10% perlite or coarse sand for drainage. Fill to within 2 inches of the top. This mix drains well, retains moisture, and provides excellent nutrition. Top-dress with 1–2 inches of compost each new growing season.

Step 5: Mulch and Plant

After planting, mulch the bed with 2–3 inches of straw or shredded leaves. Mulch reduces watering frequency, keeps roots cool in Florida's heat, and suppresses weeds. Pull mulch slightly away from plant stems to prevent rot.

What to Plant First

For a fall/winter first bed in Palm Beach Gardens: tomatoes, basil, peppers, and marigolds make an excellent combination. Marigolds repel nematodes — microscopic soil pests that are common in Florida and attack vegetable roots. Plant one marigold for every two tomato plants.