Raised Bed Gardening Guides
Practical, source-cited guides covering every step of raised bed planning. Every factual claim is traceable to named horticultural references.
How-to guides
Step by step, in plain words — the same guides each job in the JoeBees app opens.
- How to cover plants for frostFrost can kill tender plants in one night. A cover holds in the warmth the soil gives off after dark and keeps frost off the leaves.
- How to pinch and trim plantsRemoving a few shoots, flowers or leaves sends a plant's energy where you want it: more fruit, bushier herbs or more flowers.
- How to harden off seedlingsSeedlings grown indoors need about a week of short, lengthening visits outside before they live there. Skipping it can scorch or stunt them.
- How to plant seedlings in the gardenMoving young plants from pots into the garden, gently, so they keep growing without a setback.
- How to sow seedsPlanting seeds straight into the garden, or indoors in small pots to move outside later.
- How to thin seedlingsSeeds are sown thickly because not all of them come up. Thinning removes the extras so the rest have room — crowded carrots and beets never fill out.
- How to water your gardenWater deeply and less often, at the base of the plants, in the morning.
- How to feed your plantsFertilizer and compost replace what hungry plants use up. A little, at the right time, is plenty.
- How to support tall and climbing plantsPut supports in early, while plants are small. Adding them later damages roots and branches.
- How to mulchA layer of mulch keeps soil damp, blocks weeds and keeps soil from splashing onto leaves.
- How to plant another roundFast crops like lettuce, radishes, beans and cilantro are all ready at once. Sowing a small new batch every couple of weeks keeps them coming.
- How to harvestPicking at the right time, the right way, gives the best flavor — and for many plants, more to pick.
- How to clear out finished plantsWhen a plant is done, clearing it makes room for the next one and keeps pests and diseases from sticking around.
Planning guides
Raised Bed Sizes & Materials
Standard dimensions (4×4, 4×8, 4×12), optimal depth, and material choices including cedar and galvanized steel.
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Raised Bed Soil Mix
The Mel's Mix formula, soil type profiles, pH bands, and amendments for common raised-bed plant groupings.
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Companion Planting
Which plants benefit each other and which should be kept apart — with sourced mechanisms, not folklore.
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Square Foot Gardening
How square-foot spacing works, how many of each plant fit per square, and grid setup tips.
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What to Plant When
Month-by-month planting and harvest matrix for all vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers in the database.
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USDA Hardiness Zones Explained
What your hardiness zone means, how to find it by ZIP code, frost dates by zone, and how raised beds effectively extend your season.
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Garden Planting Calendar
Month-by-month planting and harvest calendar — when to start seeds indoors, transplant, direct sow, and harvest by season.
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How the AI Planner Works
Zone lookup, companion conflict detection, AI layout generation, and chat assistant — how each feature works.
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