For anyone with the space and climate (or large greenhouse), growing tomatoes in a raised bed is a great way to ensure that you can grow healthy tomato plants in a controlled area and in reasonable quantities. There are lots of ways to build a raised bed for tomatoes and vegetables and the video below describes many of most common methods with detailed instructions for how to build a raised bed using a basic timber structure.
Although, when gardening, how to build a raised bed should also consider what materials you already have available. For example, as I have a reasonable amount of timber on my land, I simply cut down a few appropriately sized logs i.e. around 6″(150mm) diameter and cut them to the required length. The recommended size when building a raised bed is 4′(1.2m) by 2′(0.6m), this will ensure that you can easily access the entire area of the raised bed without having to stand on the soil. So weeding, pest control and general maintenance can easily be carried out from the edges of the raised bed. It also makes it easier to stake your individual plants which should be spaced at least 12″(300mm) apart to ensure they have sufficient light and nutrients. 6 plants should fit comfortably in a raised bed of this size.
By using materials that were readily available to me I saved on the cost of purchasing timber from the local garden centre or DIY outlet. So it is always worth looking to see what you have available and if you have something suitable then why not use it? A raised bed made of wood does not have to be an exact science, as long as it is reasonably substantial and can take the weather for a few years it should be fine.
