Does the Color of Metal Raised Garden Beds Improve Crop Yields?
A lot of things impact the success of the garden. Of course, some things impact it more than others. Here, the first things that pop to mind are soil quality, water schedules, sunlight, and types of plants. But have you ever wondered if the color of your metal raised garden bed influences your results?
Well, we’re happy to say that we thought about it too, so we decided to test it ourselves. Using two Vegega metal raised garden beds, we conducted a fascinating experiment to see if the color of the beds could make a difference in growing sweet potatoes. Spoiler alert: it does! Here’s how the test unfolded and what we learned.
How Metal Raised Garden Bed Color Impacts Crop Yields
To test the influence of raised bed color on soil temperature, one of our celebrities started experimenting with two colors, night blue and oyster white, and observed the sweet potato yields grown in the two beds.
Let’s talk about it in detail, for our test, we used two of our Vegega metal raised beds measuring 17-inches tall 8ft x 2ft beds. One bed was a dark blue color, called Night Blue, and the other was a lighter Oyster White. Both beds had the same high-quality soil mix, the same growing conditions, and the same crops (sweet potatoes) planted at the same time.
17'' Tall 8x2 Metal Raised Garden Beds (9 in 1)【Upgrade 2.0】
The 17" tall 8x2 metal planter boxes are the most popular garden beds among all Vegega products. These metal raised planters allow you to create a beautiful and neat garden quickly. The 17" tall design reduces the effort needed for plants to grow more easily and helps you achieve a successful garden.
Benefits of Metal Planter Boxes in Garden
Metal Planter Boxes: Maximizing Garden Space
Our 2x8 ft planter boxes provide plenty of room for cultivating a wide variety of plants, from vegetables to flowers. This ensures that even with limited space, you can grow abundant crops. Additionally, these planters:
- Support vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens.
- Can be placed in smaller spaces or urban gardens.
- Promote healthy plant growth through better air circulation and light exposure.
Corrugated Metal Planter Boxes: Simple Assembly
Thanks to the modular design, these corrugated metal planter boxes are extremely easy to assemble. You won’t need any complex tools, making it simple to set up your garden quickly and effortlessly. This flexibility allows you to get started with gardening immediately and adapt your planters for seasonal changes.
Ideal for Climbing Plants
These outdoor metal planter boxes are perfect for vertical gardening. You can maximize your garden space and boost productivity by supporting climbing plants like beans, peas, and cucumbers. The trellis-compatible design helps plants grow upward, which saves space and encourages higher yields.
Durable and Stylish
Crafted from Zn-Al-Mg steel, these planters are built to last and bring a modern aesthetic to your garden. The strong steel ensures long-term performance, while the sleek design enhances the overall look of your outdoor space. These planters resist weather and maintain their appearance even in harsh conditions.
Space Optimization for Smaller Gardens
These corrugated metal planter boxes can maximize gardening potential in smaller or urban spaces. Whether you have a small backyard or a balcony, these planters make it possible to create a productive garden in any environment.
Easy Maintenance and Weed Control
One key advantage of these outdoor planter boxes is their low maintenance. The sturdy structure prevents weeds from invading, allowing you to focus on growing your plants rather than dealing with constant weeding. Moreover, they make it easier to manage soil quality, ensuring that your plants receive the nutrients they need to thrive.
The question was simple - Does the color of a raised bed influence crop growth and yield?
Here is what we discovered.
1. Metal Raised Garden Beds Heat Absorption
Early on, the raised bed color difference showed its first impact. The Night Blue garden bed absorbed more heat from the sun in early spring. The sweet potatoes thrived in this warmer environment.
But, in the white bed, which reflected more sunlight and absorbed less heat, they were cool. While the sweet potatoes in this bed still grew well, their early growth was slightly slower compared to those in the dark blue bed.
This highlights an important consideration: the thermal properties of the bed color can directly affect soil temperature, which is crucial for the establishment of heat-loving plants like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.
Here is an article that detailedly introduces How Metal Raised Bed Color Affects Soil Temperature. View it Now.
2. Raised Beds Color for Maximum Crop Growth
Throughout most of the growing season, the plants in both raised beds looked very similar. The foliage was lush, green, and basically wonderful. This even made us question if the bed color would have any meaningful impact on the final result.
But as the season changed, something very surprising happened. The sweet potato plants in the Oyster White bed began to die back about two weeks earlier than those in the Night Blue bed. This meant that the plants in the white bed had less time to develop compared to those in the blue bed. Here are our notes below:
The Harvest: Night Blue vs. Oyster White
The real proof came at harvest time. Here’s how the yields stacked up:
Night Blue Bed: 35 pounds (16 kilograms) of sweet potatoes
Oyster White Bed: 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of sweet potatoes
That’s a significant difference - almost 60% more sweet potatoes came from the dark blue bed! (Here is the detailed experimenting process on Reddit)
While we found this result surprising, it makes sense when we think about it. The extra heat the dark blue bed absorbs gives the sweet potatoes a head start in spring. It helped them continue growing way into the fall.
Optimal Color for Raised Garden Beds
Our observing experiment clearly shows that the color of metal raised garden beds can affect crop growth, especially for heat-loving plants. Here’s what we learned:
- Dark Colors Absorb Heat - Beds like the Night Blue model are ideal for crops that thrive in warm soil. Think sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and melons.
- Light Colors Reflect Heat - Beds in lighter shades, like our Oyster White, stay cool. Here, think lettuce, kale, peas, and herbs.
- Color Matters in Transitional Seasons - The heat-retention properties of darker beds may extend the season.
Here's the another test about Do Metal Raised Garden Beds Heat The Soil? Read it now.
Choose the Best Color for Metal Garden Beds for Plant Growth
If you want to set up metal raised garden beds, you can use this information. Optimize your garden layout and your crop choices too. Here are some tips:
1.Choose Raised Bed Colors Based on Crop Needs
Crops that love heat - Use darker colors for plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and sweet potatoes.
Crops that love cold - Use lighter colors for plants such as spinach, lettuce, carrots, and cabbage.
2. Rotate Crops Seasonally
Use lighter color garden beds for cool-weather crops in spring and fall. Once it’s the summer crop’s turn, switch to darker garden beds. This approach will maximize the benefits of the bed’s properties.
3. Plan Your Garden Layout
If you want to set up multiple raised beds, put the darker beds in sunnier spots and the lighter beds in places with partial shade. This can help balance soil temperatures. Also, this is how you create ideal growth conditions for each crop. And here is an article about Raised Garden Bed Layout Planting Ideas for your reference.
4. Monitor Soil Moisture
Remember that those beds that retain heat dry out faster - especially during hot weather. If you want healthy plant growth, frequently water them.
Are Darker Raised Garden Beds Better?
While the dark blue bed outperformed the white bed for sweet potatoes, it’s important to remember that not all crops prefer warm soil. Some prefer cooler temperatures – such as lettuce or spinach.
Future Experiments on Testing Raised Garden Bed Color
This test focused on sweet potatoes, but it raises exciting possibilities for future experiments. Could the raised garden beds color affect other crops in similar ways? What about flowers or ornamental plants?
We plan to continue experimenting, using the lighter bed for cool-weather crops like peas, kale, and lettuce - while reserving the dark blue bed for heat-loving plants.
Conclusion
So, does does metal raised garden beds color affect plant growth? Based on our experiment, the answer is a resounding yes - at least for certain crops. If we all understand how garden bed color influences soil temperature and plant growth, we can make smarter choices about what to plant (and where).
The garden bed color is such a fun and practical way to experiment and improve the productivity of your garden. That’s right - something as simple as color could make such a big difference.
