- Can you plant tomatoes in a raised bed?
- Raised bed for tomatoes: what should you pay attention to?
- Planting tomatoes in the raised bed
- Which tomato varieties are suitable for raised beds?
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In addition to various types of vegetables, tomatoes can also be successfully grown in raised beds. Here you can find out what you should consider when choosing a variety and growing tomatoes on the raised bed.
A raised bed not only makes gardening easier and protects your back, but can also be implemented in problematic locations, difficult soil and as a balcony raised bed. We'll show you how to grow tomatoes on the raised bed and produce plenty of fruit.
Can you plant tomatoes in a raised bed?
Most types of vegetables can be cultivated in a raised bed just as well as in natural soil. Tomato plants can also be grown in raised beds. The most important things here are the choice of variety and a good composition of the soil layers.
Raised bed for tomatoes: what should you pay attention to?
Basically, all common materials such as bricks, wood, metal or short-lived bales of straw are suitable for the construction of raised beds. Ready-made raised beds save a lot of time and can be put into operation quickly. Self-made variants can be designed according to your wishes and bring a personal touch to the garden or balcony. We have summarized all the considerations as to whether you should build your raised bed yourself or buy it, as well as the advantages and disadvantages, in the special article. However, the raised bed should be at least 70 to 100 cm high for an effective back-friendly working method.
Planting tomatoes in the raised bed
Tomatoes need a warm, sunny spot to bear fruit properly. The raised bed should face south for this purpose. The top layer of soil, in which the tomato plants are rooted, is ideally permeable, humic and rich in nutrients. It is best to use a high-quality vegetable soil that provides all the necessary nutrients for strong tomato plants, such as our peat-free Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil.
Tip: Our Plantura organic compost is ideal for theSuitable for filling the middle raised bed layer. The compost soil stores water and heat between the coarse basic filling of branches, wood chips and other coarse material and the uppermost, finely crumbly layer of vegetation. It thus contributes to the rotting of the coarse materials and also supplies moisture to the plant roots above if necessary. In addition, the formation of humus and soil life in the top layer are stimulated, which contributes to soil fertility.
There should be a distance of 50 to 70 cm between the individual tomato plants in the raised bed. From mid-May after the ice saints, the tomatoes can be planted in the raised bed. Unlike varieties that grow indefinitely, do not plant the young plants of bush tomatoes deeper into the ground than they were already in the pot. Then water vigorously and, if necessary, provide the young plants with a short, sturdy stake to support the tomatoes.
Which tomato varieties are suitable for raised beds?
High-growing vine tomatoes in raised beds quickly take the light out of other crops, must also be well supported and are comparatively difficult to harvest. Robust and short-growing, determinate tomato varieties, on the other hand, are ideal for growing in raised beds. Even hardy wild tomatoes that branch out heavily and grow bushy can be cultivated well in raised beds. If you plant them at the edge of the bed, they can droop and take up little space. Incidentally, all the varieties mentioned below do not even have to be exhausted. Suitable raised bed tomatoes are the following:
Bush Tomatoes
- 'Caitydid'
- 'Fred's Tie Dye'
- 'Raspberry Rose'
- 'Hoffmann's Rentita'
- 'Ida Gold'
- 'Little Red Riding Hood'
- 'Silver Fir'
- 'Tigerette'
- 'Tiny Tim'
Wild Tomatoes
- Galapagos Tomato
- ‘Golden Currant‘ and other currant tomatoes
- 'Red Marble'
The mixed culture of tomatoes can also be implemented in small spaces and in raised beds and offers many advantages such as reduced pest pressure and higher yields. Read more about this form of cultivation in our special article.