Blank Slate to Bountiful Harvest: 3 Salad Planting Plans for Your Cedar Raised Garden Bed

Whether you’ve already clicked "order" and are eagerly awaiting your new Cedar Planter, or you’re still sitting on the fence wondering if you have enough space to grow a real harvest—this guide is for you.

One of the biggest hurdles for new gardeners isn't just getting the garden built; it's the overwhelm of the blank slate. You have the soil, you have the sun, but what goes where? The truth is, you don’t need a huge amount of space to enjoy a successful harvest. By utilizing these planting plans and techniques, your raised garden bed produces a high yield every season, no matter the size!

Expert-Designed Layouts for Every Space

Here are three planting plan layouts for our most popular sizes to help you maximize every square inch of your raised garden bed.

1. The 18” x 36” Raised Garden Bed

Best for: Small Balconies & Urban Patios

This plan focuses on "high-rotation" crops—plants that grow fast so you can eat, replant, and eat again. It’s about speed and efficiency in the compact footprint of our 18"x 36" Raised Garden Bed .

• 1 Bush Tomato: Your central producer and the "anchor" of the bed.

• 6 Mixed Lettuce Plants: Scattered throughout for "cut and come again" harvesting.

• 8 Radishes: Fast-growing fillers that are ready in as little as 25 days.Carrots are a great alternative for a slower, steady harvest!

• 8 Green Onions: Planted between the radishes for a vertical flavor boost.

2. The 18” x 48” Raised Garden Bed

Best for: Beginners & Salad Lovers

The 18"x48" Raised Garden Bed is our best-selling model. It’s large enough to allow for "companion planting," with 6sqft of growing space, where different species are grouped together to help one another thrive.

• 1 Bush Tomato: The primary producer placed in the center.

• 6 Spinach Plants: Thrives in the slight shade provided by the tomato.

• 16+ Radishes: Dense, fast-growing crops to fill the gaps. Carrots are a great alternative for a slower, steady harvest!

• 4 Lettuce Plants: Leafy greens for daily salads.

• 4 Arugula Plants: Adds a peppery kick to your harvest.

• 16 Green Onions: Vertical growers that take up very little "real estate."

3. The 18” x 72” Raised Garden Bed

Best for: Big Harvests 

With 9 sq. ft. of growing space, our largest  18"x72" Raised Garden Bed allows you to introduce "vining" crops that sprawl or climb, significantly increasing your total yield.

• 1-2 Bush Tomatoes: Double the production for canning or sharing.

• 1-2 Cucumber Plants (Bush variety): Perfect for fresh summer snacking.

• 6-12 Spinach Plants: Placed at the ends for easy access.

• 6-12 Loose-Leaf Lettuce OR Herbs: Provides a continuous supply of greens or fresh aromatics like basil, cilantro, and parsley.

• 16+ Radishes: Tucked into the front rows. Carrots are a great alternative for a slower, steady harvest!

• 20+ Green Onions: A massive yield of aromatics for the kitchen

Maximize Your Growth: Our Essential Accessories

Level Up Your Support with Vegetable Cages

As your garden begins to flourish—especially those "anchor" crops like tomatoes and cucumbers—proper support is the difference between a tangled mess and a massive harvest. 

Our Vegetable Cages are designed specifically to integrate seamlessly with your Cedar Raised Garden Bed.

• Snap & Secure: Simply snap the sections together for instant, sturdy support.

• Grow With Your Plant: The adjustable design lets you customize the height as your plants reach for the sun.

• Versatile Usage: Perfect for keeping peppers upright and giving cucumbers a sturdy frame to lean on

Extra Expert Advice for Raised Bed Success

Soil is Everything

Don't just use "dirt" from the yard. Use a high-quality raised bed mix from your local nursery. Or, create your own high-performance mix:

• 1/3 Compost (Nutrients)

• 1/3 Black Garden Soil (Structure)

• 1/3 Horticultural Sand or Perlite (Drainage)

The Power of Companion Planting

Notice how we pair heavy feeders (like tomatoes) with fast growers (like radishes). The radishes are usually out of the ground by the time the tomato needs that extra space! You can also plant basil next to your tomatoes—this classic pairing enhances the flavors of both!

Garden Tip: Marigolds make an amazing companion plant to

 pair in any garden. Here are a few of our favorites below

Tomatoes + Basil: Improves tomato flavor and repels flies and mosquitoes.

Tomatoes + Spinach: Tall tomato plants provide the shade spinach needs to stay cool.

Greens + Marigolds: Marigolds deter garden pests and attract helpful pollinators.

Lettuce + Arugula + Spinach: Planting these together creates a "living mulch" that keeps soil moist.

Cut and Come Again

Don't be afraid to pick your harvest—it actually helps the plant grow!

• The "Cut and Come Again" Method: For plants like lettuce and kale, snip the outermost leaves and keep the center intact. The plant will keep producing new leaves for weeks to come!

• Pinch Your Herbs: For Basil, pinch off the top set of leaves. This encourages the plant to grow bushier and produce more flavorful leaves instead of getting tall and "leggy."

Ready to start your most successful growing season yet?

Shop all Raised Garden Beds here.