This Old House: How To Build An Raised Garden Bed?

A raised garden bed can be constructed in any sunny, level area of your yard, but may need to be excavated if the spot has a slight slope. The size of your lumber will determine the number of pieces needed for the project, with larger timbers requiring fewer pieces overall. Cedar and rot-resistant lumber are suitable for this project. Building a raised wooden garden bed is an excellent way to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers while adding visual interest to your yard. This project is perfect for both novice and experienced gardeners, and requires no special DIY skills.

A raised vegetable garden brings plants to a comfortable working height, improves drainage, and gives more control over plants and soil. Raised beds are also a great project for kids. To build a raised garden bed, follow these steps: mark the bed’s outline, dig trenches for the walls, set the first course of timbers, fasten the frame with rebar, and assemble the bed’s walls.

To create the first soil, mix equal parts compost with peat moss (or coconut coir) and vermiculite (or perlite). Blend compost 50-50 with topsoil or bagged garden soil. This project was made 20 years ago using 6×6″ timber, making it an expensive raised garden.

Should raised garden beds have bottoms?

Raised beds typically have no bottom, except for those placed on surfaces like wooden patio decks, balconies, porches, or concrete walkways. Most online raised bed kits and instructions do not have bottoms. Four-sided beds, like those shown, are designed for optimal drainage and should be set on gravel, grass, or mulch, filled with good soil. This ensures that the bed does not turn into a bathtub, which is ideal for herbs and veggies that prefer a good soak but do not want their roots to sit in water too long. Most raised bed kits and instructions do not include bottoms.

How to make raised garden beds last longer?

To ensure the longevity of your raised bed, consider using eco-friendly wood treatments like linseed oil or beeswax. Lining between the bed and soil can protect the wood, but it may not prevent water seepage. Instead, use a wood preservative-lined lining. A mineral-based preservative can add a silvery patina when dried. If you don’t want the color of the bed to change, treat the interior and leave the exterior untreated.

This will still provide years of durability with more durable wood like cedar. For pine, which is less resistant to rot and decay, treat both the inside and outside. The Eco Restore Wood Treatment is a popular choice for raised beds.

What do you put on the bottom of a raised garden bed?

Cardboard or newspaper can be used to line the bottom of raised garden beds to deter pests and weeds on a budget. Choose cardboard with minimal markings and no tape for a safer option. Stainless steel gopher nets can be used for extra protection, as seen in Vego Garden’s modular cover system. Landscaping fabric can prevent soil erosion, promote water retention, and keep out invasive grasses. While it doesn’t break down over time like cardboard, it limits shallow-rooted plant growth, earthworm movement, and soil mixing. Deeper beds may not need it unless a weed problem is present.

What is the best way to build a raised garden bed?

This guide provides a step-by-step guide on how to build a raised garden bed using minimal tools. The author, a gardener by trade, created a simple method for constructing a wooden raised bed using minimal tools. The guide outlines the steps to create a beautiful, long-lasting raised garden bed using the original $100 cost of cedar boards, framing angles, and hardware. However, the price of cedar has increased, so the total budget should be slightly over $100.

The guide also includes instructions on how to begin other sides of the wooden raised bed and complete the first raised bed corner. The author’s favorite way to build an inexpensive raised bed is by following these steps and using any suggested modifications.

What is the longest lasting type of raised bed?

Steel raised beds can last 25 to 30 years if their exterior is treated with a rust protectant. Most metal raised beds are made with rust-resistant steel, including Corten steel, which is designed to weather to a certain point before stopping. Popular types of steel for raised beds include Corten steel, powder-coated steel, and galvanized steel. Galvanized steel, formed by coating the steel in a thin layer of zinc, is the most durable type of steel, as it creates a protective barrier against rust and corrosion. This zinc coating is safe to have in your garden.

What not to fill a raised garden bed with?

Raised beds, particularly small and shallow ones under 12 inches deep, should be filled with soil to avoid interference with plant root growth and water drainage. Bagged raised bed potting mix is commonly used in small raised beds, but can be purchased in bulk from local landscape companies or made by blending topsoil, compost, and sand. Alternatively, the Lasagna Garden Method can be used to fill large raised beds with other materials, such as in-ground gardens or raised beds, to create a more cost-effective and efficient gardening solution. Both methods can help maintain the soil and water balance in the soil, ensuring optimal plant growth and drainage.

How deep should a raised garden bed be?

Vegetable beds should be 12-18 inches deep to accommodate plant roots, especially if placed on cement or patios. These beds are suitable for cultivating a variety of vegetables, including those with deep root systems. Deeper beds also allow for more moisture retention, reducing watering and drying out. Common garden plants include garlic, onions, chives, lettuce, corn, cabbage, radishes, strawberries, beans, peas, cantaloupes, squash, eggplants, carrots, turnips, beets, and potatoes. These beds are ideal for a variety of vegetables, including those with deep root systems.

What is best to line a raised garden bed?

Wide-mesh hardware cloth, stainless steel mesh, landscape fabric, burlap sack, or newspaper/cardboard can be used to line the bottom of raised garden beds. These materials keep weeds and burrowing animals out, but allow earthworms to pass through. Earthworms are nature’s gardeners, aerating and enriching soil for plants. Staple the cloth to the bed frame during construction and ensure it remains in place for years to come. This durable material is designed to prevent burrowing animals from affecting the bed frame’s functionality.

What are the disadvantages of raised beds?

Raised beds can be an economically viable option for horticulture, yet they necessitate more frequent irrigation due to their exposure to the atmosphere and the accelerated drying process, which can result in a more rapid loss of nutrients from the soil in comparison to in-ground gardens.

When not to use raised beds?

If your yard has naturally deep, level, and well-drained soil, you don’t need raised garden beds. Instead, you should place your beds at ground level and create pathways around them. The soil in your pathways will become compressed over time, and your soft garden beds will remain slightly raised. Raised beds have several disadvantages, including higher heat and drying times, high costs for creating frames and soil, difficulty in using green manures or cover crops, and more work to change the layout compared to ground-level gardens.

Gardeners often find that their interests or needs change over time, making it more challenging to adapt to raised beds with or without framing. Therefore, it’s better to use ground-level gardens and create pathways around your garden beds.