Best first crops
Leaf lettuce, radishes, basil, scallions, carrots, spinach, and bush beans are forgiving and useful.
Beginner 4×4 raised bed plan
Beginner 4×4 raised bed planting plan
A 4×4 raised bed is small enough to manage and big enough to teach the habits that matter: simple crop choices, clear spacing, and replanting finished blocks.
Use four simple blocks
Start with one block of leafy greens, one block of roots such as carrots or radishes, one herb block, and one larger anchor crop only if it has support.
Keep tall crops north
In the Northern Hemisphere, put one supported tomato, cucumber, or trellis crop on the north edge when possible so it does not shade shorter greens and roots.
Replant one square at a time
When radishes or lettuce finish, replace that section with basil, bush beans, scallions, or fall greens instead of redesigning the whole bed.
One tall crop max
If you add a tomato or cucumber, put it on the north side with support so it does not shade everything.
16 square feet
A 4×4 bed is ideal for square-foot-style blocks and fast learning.
Frequently asked questions
What should a beginner plant in a 4x4 raised bed?
Start with compact crops such as lettuce, radishes, carrots, scallions, basil, spinach, bush beans, or one supported tomato rather than several large plants.
Sources and local checks
Use these pages as planning starting points, then confirm exact dates with local frost-date and extension guidance.
- Michigan State University Extension square-foot gardening guidance
- University extension vegetable gardening resources
Next step
Open the calculator with a 4×4 bed and compare two or three crops before planting. Open the calculator with these defaults, or check the monthly sowing calendar before you plant.