5 Lessons I Learned From Building My First Raised Bed
Surviving Spring Frost as a Beginner Gardener (And Losing a Lot of Cabbage)
Sunshine & High Hopes: My First In-Ground Bed
Look…if your raised beds aren’t a little crooked, are you even growing them right?
That’s what I tell myself to soften the blow when I look out and see mismatched-sized beds all over my garden.
We’re not just building garden beds out here—we’re building personality, resilience, and character, folks.
The Build Begins
My first in-ground bed was far from perfect. Like, nowhere near close.
Around February or March, I took down the two raised beds I’d built the year before, getting ready for the upcoming season. Once they were gone, I looked out at my garden and saw… two big, lumpy piles of dirt.
Now, I’ll admit, some of this was pure impatience. I had that voice in the back of my head going:
“You’ll never get a spring harvest if you don’t plant something now!”
So I said forget it. I squished those two piles together and made my first in-ground bed.
What It Was Made Of
The dirt mix came from the raised beds I’d just dismantled. Each pile was a mix of:
Garden soil (from Home Depot)
Black Kow compost
Peat moss
Perlite
So I knew the soil had all the right ingredients for something to grow.
And best of all
I didn’t have to spend a dime to get my first bed off the ground.
(Well… in the ground, in this case. Lol.)
I didn’t measure it at the time, but later on, once other beds came into play, I clocked it at about 3 ft wide by 5 ft long.
And it turned out to be ✨perfect✨ for the cabbage seedlings that had been overgrowing their starter trays in my bedroom.
The Cabbage Chronicles
Now, this isn’t a post about “How to Properly Grow Backyard Cabbage” or “7 Steps to Cabbage Glory,” but since we’re here, let me tell you what I planted:
I started 3 heirloom varieties:
Copenhagen Market
65 days to maturity.
Crisp, sweet leaves.
Classic coleslaw cabbage.
Uniform heads around 4 lbs.
One of the only cabbage plants to survive my rookie mistakes: Copenhagen Market. Started indoors, planted too early, but still showed up strong.
Red Acre
65 days to maturity.
Deep reddish-purple heads (2–4 lbs).
Adds sweet crunch and bright color to salads or stir fry.
Though my Red Acre cabbage didn’t survive the frost, this heirloom variety adds vivid color and sweet crunch to spring gardens, if planted at the right time.
Early Flat Dutch
85 days to maturity.
Large, pale green heads (2–4 lbs),
Extra sweet flavor,
Excellent for storage
Great for sauerkraut.
This Early Flat Dutch didn’t get the smooth start it deserved. Planted too early, hit with frost, and chewed up by pests before it could even think about heading up. But it’s still in the garden—and now it’s pulling its weight as a trap crop, taking the hit so my other brassicas don’t have to.
Tip: If a plant looks rough but is still alive, don’t toss it right away. Sometimes it’s more useful as a Trap Crop than dinner.
I started all three varieties indoors about 6–8 weeks before my last expected frost. For Zone 6b here in Pittsburgh, that’s early February. I went with early-maturing types because I’d heard that long-season cabbages can be frustrating for beginners. I didn’t want my first shot to end in discouragement.
Plus, it was early in the year, still cold and rainy, which meant minimal pest and weed pressure. A blessing, honestly. I got to walk outside every morning and see my little cabbage kids standing strong against the late winter wind.
But Then I Got Humbled
I know, I know! We’re talking raised beds. But before we get back to that…
Let’s talk about frost.
We had a few days of warm, sunny weather and I jumped the gun.
The thing about spring frost is that it’s sneaky.
You’ll get a stretch of 70-degree days and start feeling bold.
But that soil can still dip below freezing overnight and young plants aren’t built for that kind of betrayal.
Because I was impatient, I planted my cabbage seedlings too early.
And to be even more honest, I can’t even tell you how long they’d been suffering from frost damage. I just remember going out one day and noticing the leaves looked dull, less vibrant, almost bruised.
Obviously, I spiraled.
I was at the gym, and in between sets, I was deep in a Google rabbit hole trying to figure out what was wrong with my cabbage.
It’s like they say: never Google your own symptoms.
Everything I read pointed to fungus or soil disease. According to the internet, there was nothing I could do but terminate the crop and try again.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I found one article that said it might just be frost damage.
And that’s when I chucked a Hail Mary to ChatGPT:
“Tell me what frost damage looks like on young cabbage plants.”
Step 1: Diagnosis. Accomplished.
Next came the scrambling.
“Do I cover them with this plastic I have?”
“Do I wait for the weather to change?”
“Is it already too late?”
Nature doesn’t care about your schedule. It moves when it’s ready.
Save yourself the anxiety and wait until your last frost date.
My Red Acre cabbages were gone. The Copenhagen ones took some damage too.
It could’ve all been avoided if I had just waited.
I took the L, tossed what was left into the compost, and kept it pushing.
But hey—rookie mistakes build real wisdom.
Lesson learned. Now, back to the build.
Check your average last frost date using a local extension office or almanac.com.
This crooked little first bed gave me all the lessons I needed to build the ones I use now.
5 Lessons from My First In-Ground Bed
My Current Soil Mix for Backyard Garden Beds
This is the exact mix I use for all my current beds. Whether I’m going in-ground or building raised ones, I stick to this combo: compost for long-term nutrients, perlite to help with drainage and compaction, garden soil as the base, and just a bit of topsoil to bulk things out. It’s not fancy, but it works—and it’s what most of my crops are thriving in right now.
💡 Before you even think about building that first bed, make sure you’ve covered the basics.
I break down the 6 most important steps to take before you plant anything—like choosing your method, prepping your soil, and knowing your frost dates—in
Start your season the right way, read the post and grab the free planning checklist to set your garden up for success.
If you’re thinking about building your first in-ground bed this season, here are a few things I learned the hard way:
1. Buy more soil than you think you’ll need.
If your budget only allows for 4 bags, cool. But if you’ve got wiggle room? Get 6. You’ll thank yourself later. And hey…it gives you an excuse to build another bed.
2. Be patient.
I know the excitement is real. I felt it. But planting too early cost me a whole variety. Just chill. Your plants will thank you.
3. Placement matters.
I got lucky with this bed. It gets full sun in spring, but partial shade during the summer. Know what your crops need before you build.
We don’t really “grow” plants, we just create the conditions they need to thrive.
4. Use fresh soil—or refresh old soil wisely.
I reused soil from my raised beds, but cabbages are heavy feeders, so I had to add fertilizers and compost to keep up. If the soil had been diseased, that would’ve been a whole other story. Be mindful.
5. Don’t skip hardening off.
Hardening off is the process of gradually acclimating indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions. Over the course of 7–10 days, plants are introduced to natural sunlight, wind, and fluctuating temperatures in small doses. This slow transition helps prevent transplant shock, strengthens stems, and prepares the seedlings to thrive in their final garden beds.
Day 1:
1–2 hours outdoors
Place in a shaded, sheltered area. No direct sunlight yet. Avoid wind.
Day 2:
2–3 hours outdoors
Still shaded, but let them feel a slight breeze. No harsh weather.
Day 3:
3–4 hours outdoors
Begin introducing some morning sun (1 hour max). Return to shade afterward.
Day 4:
4–5 hours outdoors
More direct sunlight—aim for 2 hours max. Avoid mid-day heat.
Day 5:
5–6 hours outdoors
Let them stay in partial sun. Watch for wilting or signs of stress.
Day 6:
6–8 hours outdoors
They should now handle longer sun exposure. You can skip shade breaks if temps are mild.
Day 7:
Full day (8+ hours) outdoors
Leave them out all day in their intended location. Still bring them in at night.
Day 8–10 (Optional):
Leave them out overnight if temperatures are safe (above 50°F / 10°C).
I didn’t do this.
Just threw my babies in the dirt and then came the snowstorm.
Take.
Your.
Time.
These plants deserve it.
Closing Thought
I’m not an expert. I’m just someone who, like you, wanted more from his backyard than a patch of grass.
So build your bed.
Let it be crooked.
Let it be uneven.
Let it be yours.
Don’t wait for perfect. Start with honest.
Because what matters most isn’t how straight the lines are—
It’s that you started.
Plant the first seed.
The rest will grow—just like you will.
