How to Plant Tomatoes in Raised Beds
Updated April 9, 2025
Looking for a simple way to upgrade your garden and grow healthy, productive tomatoes? Growing tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) in raised beds is a popular option among home gardeners—and for good reason. A raised garden bed for tomatoes not only looks tidy and organized, but it also creates the ideal environment for plants to thrive. From increased soil drainage and decreased erosion to improved access to sunlight and better pest control, there are plenty of advantages that can be gained by adding raised tomato planters to your backyard oasis.
In this post, we’ll walk you through why raised beds work so well for tomatoes, how to set up your bed, and how to care for your plants throughout the season.
This post is all about how to plant tomatoes in raised beds.
Table of Contents
What Is a Raised Bed and Why Use One for Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow, and they’re extremely versatile in where they can be planted—containers, in-ground plots, or hanging baskets. They’re the superstars of the garden! However, one of the best places to grow them is in a raised bed tomato garden.
What Is a Raised Bed?
A raised bed is essentially a garden box built above the natural soil level. It can be made of wood, metal, logs, or composite materials.
Gardeners use raised beds for a variety of reasons:
- Better drainage than traditional in-ground gardens
- Easier access for planting, pruning, and harvesting. Ergonomically, raised beds can help gardeners by reducing bending.
- More control over soil quality
- Defined, tidy garden spaces that are visually appealing
- Ideal for areas with poor or rocky soil – they help provide a planting bed when the existing soil is poor. The soil can either be rocky and not be the right mixture, providing a quicker solution and set up. Amending soil can take years!
- They are totally customizable! From what materials are used to garden placement, a raised bed garden flexibility through customization.
When building your raised garden bed for tomatoes, make sure to choose a sunny location—tomatoes need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. They’re a heat loving plant…to a point though. When it’s extremely hot outside, they do like some sort of reprieve. If you live in a really hot climate, consider getting some shade cloths to put up when temps get too high.
Benefits of Planting Tomatoes in Raised Beds
I won’t go too much in depth about the benefits of growing in raised beds as I thoroughly went over them in a previous blog post, “Why Have Raised Beds: 11 Pros and 10 Cons to Raised Bed Gardening”.
If you’re thinking about planting tomatoes in raised beds, here’s what you can look forward to:
- Improved drainage, reducing the risk of root rot
- Faster soil warming in spring, encouraging early growth. On the flip side, the soil cools down faster when the weather cools.
- Easier pest and disease monitoring
- Higher plant density, which can lead to higher yields
- Better root development, thanks to loose, deep soil
- Less bending and straining during garden tasks because access to the beds is ergonomically better.
Downsides to Consider
As with everything, there are cons to having raised beds. In my opinion, it’s always best to weigh the pros and cons to decide what suits our needs best. As great as raised beds are, they do come with a few challenges:
- Higher upfront cost, depending on the materials used
- Faster soil drying in hot weather. The drainage in raised beds is great but it causes the soil to dry out faster. Plants require more watering since the soil dries out faster.
- May not be ideal for dry, arid climates without consistent watering
- Smaller footprint—meaning less room to grow, however, this may be countered with planting density.
- Beds may need replacement or repair over time. This depends on the types of material you use.
Preparing Your Raised Beds for Tomatoes
To prepare my beds, I always think a year ahead. At the end of each year, I put more compost down, collect all the leaves off of our property and mulch them. After mulching the leaves, I spread a thick layer over the top of the soil. I’ve also used straw in my raised beds instead of mulched leaves. Either way, use some sort of mulch to protect the soil. In the springtime, I mix in all the leaves or straw. The leaves and the straw will continue to break down and compost. I put more compost on top, plant my crops, and then add a fresh layer of straw.
This is just to give you an idea of what a typical year looks like for me.
Start by choosing a location with full sun—tomatoes need 6–8 hours of sunlight each day for best results. Make sure your raised bed is filled with well-draining soil rich in organic matter such as compost or aged manure. If your garden soil is heavy clay or poorly drained, raised beds are an especially good idea.
Before planting, check nighttime temperatures. Wait until the danger of frost has passed and late spring has arrived. In early summer, soil and air temperatures are ideal for planting young tomato plants or tomato seeds.
To prepare your raised bed tomato garden, start by building a strong foundation of nutrient-rich soil. In your first year, you have a few options:
Option 1: Bulk Soil + Compost
Buy bulk soil and compost from a local nursery. This is often more cost-effective than purchasing bagged soil. This is how we filled our raised beds. We bought soil in bulk from our local nursery and had it delivered.
Option 2: Hugelkultur
Hugelkultur is an old European gardening technique that uses logs, branches, leaves, and composted manure to build up rich, moisture-retaining soil. This why of filling the raised beds is often used in permaculture systems. Essentially it mimics the natural process that occurs in woodlands.
If you’re just getting started with raised beds and need to fill them, you may want to consider hugelkulture.
Gather the following items which you may already have right on your property:
- Fallen logs and leaves, branches, and twigs.
- These will all help not only fill the raised beds, but also help to retain moisture. Things like rotted wood act as a sponge and absorb water.
- Smaller logs may need to be used as you’ll have a smaller area to fill in.
- Nitrogen-rich material such as manure or kitchen waste.
- Personally, I like to use composted cow manure in my garden.
- Topsoil
- There should be enough topsoil that fills in 1 to 2 inches deep.
- Mulching material like straw
- Regardless of what you choose to fill in your beds, always have a mulching material on hand. Always cover your soil and never leave it bare.
Over time, these elements eventually compost and provide rich, fertile soil. The result is a low-maintenance raised bed that may require less irrigation and fertilizing.
How to Build a Hugelkultur Base
- Place logs at the bottom of the bed.
- Layer branches and twigs on top.
- Add leaves or other organic material.
- Water thoroughly.
- Top with nutrient-rich soil and mulch.
This method is perfect if you want to create long-lasting fertility while reusing organic materials from your yard. This method works the best if prepped a few months in advance before planting so what you used has time to “cure”. However you can begin planting immediately.
Tomato Raised Bed Spacing and Varieties
Choosing the right type of tomato is key for success. While you can grow vining (indeterminate) tomatoes in raised beds, bush (determinate) varieties are usually better suited because of their compact size.
Tomato Raised Bed Spacing Guidelines:
- Bush varieties: Space about 24 inches apart
- Vining varieties: Space 18–24 inches apart, but provide sturdy support
- An example of a vining variety is cherry tomatoes
- Planting too close can reduce airflow and increase the risk of disease
- Companion planting (like basil, marigolds, or lettuce) around the perimeter is a great way to maximize your growing space
Soil Amendments for Thriving Tomato Plants
Tomatoes love slightly acidic, well-balanced soil. Consider amending your soil with:
- Espoma Organic Tomato-tone
- Burpee Organic Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer
- Down to Earth Organic All-Purpose 4-6-2 Fertilizer
- Pulverized Garden Lime (if your soil is too acidic)
Planting Tips
When planting, remove the lower leaves of your transplants and bury the tomato stems deep in the soil—up to the main stem. This encourages root development from the buried stem, resulting in stronger plants. Space your plants to ensure plenty of space and good air circulation, which helps prevent fungal diseases.
Apply mulch to the soil surface to retain soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and regulate temperature. This is especially important during hot spells or extreme heat.
Caring for Tomatoes in Raised Beds
Watering
Raised beds drain better, which is great for tomatoes—but they also dry out faster. Tomatoes need 1–2 inches of water per week. Deep watering encourages strong root systems. Avoid inconsistent watering, which can lead to issues like blossom end rot.
Pruning
How much pruning you’ll have to do will be determined by the variety of the plant you chose.
- Determinate (bush) tomatoes: Light pruning, mainly to improve airflow
- Indeterminate (vining) tomatoes: Remove “suckers” to direct energy to fruit production
On a side of caution, I trim my determinate plant to ensure a good air flow. They can get pretty bushy and it can lead to poor air circulation. Indeterminate plants require more pruning. Pinch off any “suckers”. A sucker is a shoot that sprouts out between the stem and a branch of the plant. These take away energy from the plant. By pinching them off, it gives energy back to the plant and it can then focus more on fruit production.
Fertilizing
Follow package instructions. Fertilize consistently throughout the season to encourage healthy growth and fruiting. Consider using a high nitrogen fertilizer only during the early stages. Once flowering begins, switch to a balanced organic fertilizer to support fruit development and avoid issues like blossom-end rot.
Pest and Disease Monitoring
Even in raised beds, tomato plants are vulnerable to pests like aphids or diseases like blight. Monitor plants regularly, and act quickly if you see signs of trouble.
A watchful eye is key to a healthy harvest. Check regularly for signs of early blight, late blight, or other fungal diseases. Crop rotation is essential—don’t plant tomatoes in the same spot more than once every three years. This prevents a buildup of soilborne diseases.
If you see green tomatoes late in the season, don’t worry. You can pick them before the first frost and let them ripen indoors. However, they must first have a little bit of a blush. Otherwise, pick them anyway since you can definitely do something with green tomatoes!
Weeding
Weeds are less of an issue in raised beds, but they can still show up. Mulching with straw or leaves helps suppress them and retain moisture.
Supporting Your Tomatoes
Install tomato cages or stakes early to avoid disturbing the roots later. Keeping the fruit off the soil helps reduce exposure to fungal spores and common pests like flea beetles.
Prune new growth around the base of the plant to focus energy on fruit production. Remove any leaves that touch the soil surface to prevent the spread of disease.
Final Thoughts: Is a Raised Garden Bed for Tomatoes Right for You?
Growing your own tomatoes in raised beds is a rewarding experience. With the right soil, enough room, and a bit of attention to detail, your raised bed can yield a bounty of flavorful tomatoes all season long. Whether you’re planting from tomato seeds or buying young tomato plants, raised beds are the best choice for growing healthy, productive tomatoes.
Add some organic matter, pick the right tomato varieties, and give them hours of sunlight—you’ll be well on your way to garden-fresh tomato bliss!
What tips do you have for growing tomatoes in raised beds? Let us know in the comments below!
This post was all about how to plant tomatoes in raised beds.
