What type of soil is best for a raised bed garden? - Ask Extension
We are new to raised bed gardening. What type of soil or soil mixture is best to use? Should we use filler in the bottom of the beds?
There are 101 i...
Knowledgebase
What type of soil is best for a raised bed garden? #900703
Asked May 09, 2025, 8:20 AM EDT
We are new to raised bed gardening. What type of soil or soil mixture is best to use? Should we use filler in the bottom of the beds?
There are 101 ideas online and it has become very confusing.
Thank you,
Annette Greenwald
Stark County Ohio
Expert Response
The University of Minnesota Extension recommends if you buy in bulk, " a mixture of around 2/3 to 1/2 topsoil and 1/2 to 1/3 plant-based compost." If you purchase bags of soil, look for soil mixtures labeled “raised bed mix” or something similar. With respect to your other questions, the answers will depend on how deep your raised bed is, whether you are planting on top of grass (which should be removed), whether you roto-till to loosen the base soil, etc.
Following are a few links to various University Extension sites with info about gardening in raised beds. If they don't answer your questions, don't hesitate to submit additional questions.
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/raised-bed-gardens
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/fs-270-raised-bed-gardening
Following are a few links to various University Extension sites with info about gardening in raised beds. If they don't answer your questions, don't hesitate to submit additional questions.
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/raised-bed-gardens
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/fs-270-raised-bed-gardening
Thank you for responding to my email so quickly. I appreciate the information. Happy gardening!
