In-Field

• In-field planting beds are traditional garden beds dug out of the sod. Turf is spaded up and removed or "busted" with a rototiller or plow, and the resulting exposed soil is tilled to break up dirt clods. Soil under previously grown grass may be poor-quality or heavy clay that requires improvement before planting. This soil needs organic matter such as compost, aged manure and rich topsoil tilled in and mixed well prior to planting. Disadvantages of creating in-field planting beds include the amount of digging effort involved and possible exposure to flooding and drainage problems, depending on the surrounding land.
  
  

Raised

• Raised planting beds are constructed with landscape timbers, retaining-wall block, rock or cement block framing and are filled with soil, raising the planting area above the level of in-field beds. Raised beds provide many growing advantages, including earlier warming of the soil and easier access for garden maintenance. Disadvantages of raised-bed planting include the higher initial cost of materials and the effort required to build the bed.
  
  

Terraced

• Terraced planting beds are constructed with landscape timbers, decorative rock or retaining-wall materials to accommodate sloping land and create a stable foundation for planting. Terraced beds hold soil in place, prevent erosion and enable planting where it was previously not suitable for growing. Disadvantages of terraced beds include difficulty of reaching into beds because of slope. Width of terraced sections should be kept to less than 3 feet for easier access.
  
  

No-Dig

• No-dig planting beds, also called layered beds, lasagna gardening, mulched beds and sheet composting, are planting areas prepared without digging or tilling. They are constructed by layering biodegradable, organic materials on the place you plan to plant. Newspaper, grass clippings, leaves, compost, shredded cardboard, chopped hay and any other organic matter you can find go onto the garden plot in layers. The layers are prepared in the spring for fall planting or in the fall for planting the following spring to allow the organic matter to break down. The benefits of no-dig planting beds are the elimination of difficult digging and the organic matter, which attracts earthworms and feeds plants without chemical fertilizers. The disadvantages of no-dig planting beds include the waiting period for the bed to "age," or break down some organic matter, before planting and the fact that the amount of organic material needed for the beds may be difficult to source.