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First allotment

Raised beds or rows on an allotment?

The short answer

Raised beds are worth it on heavy, poorly drained soil: they drain better, warm up sooner in spring and are workable for longer. On soil that drains well, RHS says vegetables grow just as well in the ground. Most plot holders now use beds of some kind, raised or flat, rather than long rows, because beds make weeding and watering easier.

Three choices, not two: long rows across the plot, flat beds with paths, or raised beds with sides. Each has a cost, and the soil you have decides which is worth paying.

The three layouts

Rows, flat beds and raised beds compared
What changesLong rowsFlat bedsRaised beds
What it isThe traditional allotment layoutBeds about 1.2m wide at ground level, with pathsBeds with sides, filled above ground level
Drainage on heavy soilAs the soil isAs the soil isBetter: RHS says they enhance drainage
Spring soilAs the soil isAs the soil isWarms sooner
DroughtAs the soil isAs the soil isDries out faster
CostNonePath material onlyTimber or edging, and soil to fill
TenancyNo permission issuesNo permission issuesCheck: some sites limit structures
RHS allotment and raised-bed pages; the National Allotment Society planning leaflet.

The case for raised beds

  • Raised beds enhance drainage and greatly extend the time when sticky soils are workable.(RHS)
  • Still an advantage on heavy, poorly drained soil even if you go no-dig.(RHS)
  • Warmer soil in spring.(RHS)
  • Strawberries, thyme and rosemary are better in raised beds on heavy or damp soil.(RHS, RHS, RHS)

The case against

  • Only really needed where the soil is waterlogged, says the RHS raised-beds feature; vegetables grow just as well in the ground.(RHS)
  • They dry out faster than soil at ground level, and plants in them suffer from drought sooner.(RHS, RHS)
  • A frame level with the ground is not a raised bed. Edging alone changes nothing about drainage.(RHS)

Why most plots now use beds

How to lay them out: how to divide an allotment into beds. How deep to build them: how deep should a raised bed be?

  • Allotments were traditionally laid out in long rows; many plot holders now prefer beds, for easier weeding and watering.(National Allotment Society)
  • Beds about 1.2m wide can be reached from either side without treading on the soil.(RHS)

Put your plot on the plan, free

Add your beds with their sizes, roughly is fine, and Vercro draws them to scale, keeps a record of what grew where, and shows what each empty bed could take next.

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Where this comes from

The growing advice on this page comes from the published sources below, each linked beside the point it supports. Where two good sources disagree, we show both rather than choosing the convenient one. Reviewed 19 September 2026.