Cut off corner posts flush with top of frame. Raising your beds also means moving crops away from dogs that may otherwise (ahem) urinate on your garden. Attach the 4-by-4-inch posts to the other end of the boards in the same way. And speaking of time, these kits come with a 50 year warranty, which is pretty hard to match. A raised garden bed also tends to be warmer than the ground, so you can plant a couple weeks earlier than you could just planting in the ground. Keyhole Garden. Four 4’ 2 x 6″ cedar boards Center the stand to the raised garden bed, as shown in the free building plans. When you have the time and skill to make your own, DIY raised garden beds are often the most economical choice. Drill four pilot holes, equally spaced, near the ends of all of the 2-by-8-inch boards. Saw the 4-by-4-inch posts to 36-inch lengths, making four posts. Editor’s note: this article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. How to Build Garden Container Beds From Composite Lumber, Addicted 2 Decorating: How to Build an Elevated Garden, University of Florida IFAS Extension: How to Build an Elevated Square Foot Garden, How to Make a Deck to Elevate a Back Row in a Movie Room, How to Build a Planter Box From Fence Boards. Yet, they make a … If your garden soil is normally wet into springtime, elevated beds solve this problem by lifting the soil above ground level and giving your plant roots room to breathe. This composite bed takes about thirty minutes to put together. How to Keep Animal Pests Out of Your Garden, Here’s How to Grow the Best Food Imaginable in Your Raised Garden Beds, Raised Garden Beds: Soil Depth Requirements, 6 Tips for Building Soil for Your Raised Garden Beds and Planters, Preparing Your Raised Garden Beds for Spring, How to Build a Bean Trellis for Raised Garden Beds, Gardening on Concrete with Raised Beds and Patio Containers, Backyard Vegetable Garden: Getting Started. This is the design our founder and his family have used in their garden for over 40 years. There are also do-it-yourself options if you have the time or the inclination. Choose a flat, sunny spot to build your raised garden bed. Whether you’re handy with tools or don’t know a drill press from a driver, there are kits on the market that are easy to build with little time or expense. To avoid this, use coated deck screws or stainless steel. Keyhole gardens are a little fancier than other raised bed options. Avoid buying pressure-treated or stained wood, unless it’s specifically designed for using in and around garden beds. 5) Stand the legs up so that they form H’s with the cross piece toward the top. Four 8’ 2 x 6″ cedar boards Next in terms of price are kits made from a blend of hardwood fibers and post-consumer recycled plastic. So why should you bother assembling or building a raised bed garden? These kits are the longest lasting and share the same low maintenance features as the composite lumber beds above. Here are some other tips to remember when using your beds. Square up the ends of the 2-by-8-inch boards so they are even and flush with the post using the carpenter’s square. It’s also lightweight enough to handle for one person if dried thoroughly. Raised garden boxes are known to deter rabbits, which will handily nibble in-ground crops growing at eye level. This is the support ledge that will hold the bottom decking. Level Make sure the top boards are flush with the top of the posts and the lower boards are snug against the top boards. I make mine with 6 legs, 32" tall, … In this way, beds built 12 inches deep or more have the added benefit of giving plants a longer growing season. If bending and stooping is not for you, create a waist-high planting box or built-up garden bed. The joints each have stake that needs pressing into the ground. To simplify the job even further, you can purchase pre-made anchor joints for your garden box corners. If you use conventional lumber, line the bottom of the raised bed box with 6-mil black plastic to extend the life of the bed. If these are too expensive in your area, consider using fir or spruce, with the understanding that they will not last as long. The boards do not need to be secured in place. 6) Continue building the sides of the bed by placing the remaining side pieces around the outside of the bed. You may have to dig in places to get your bed to level. Some of the least expensive kits are made from raw, natural wood or wood treated with natural wood stabilizers. Galvanized Garden Beds. Unfortunately some raised bed systems are costly to buy and time consuming to install. If you have 12” of usable soil beneath your bed, build up another 12-24” to accommodate the crops on your list. Concrete blocks, bathtubs, metal feed troughs and even old canoes can all work for instant raised garden beds. Starting with first corner, attach frame to corner post using two screws per side, leveling as you go. Driver. Pressure-treated lumber should be only used if it is certified safe to use with edible plants. Repeat to build the other side of the raised bed box. Use a shovel to remove ground that prevents the frame from resting in a level position. Smooth the edges … Take a long side bed piece and use it to connect the legs together as shown in the picture. The following instructions demonstrate how to make a simple raised bed with basic materials. You can extend the length to fit your space, but if your bed is going to be longer than 8’, you’ll need to add extra posts mid-span to prevent bowing and to provide a place to secure cross supports. If the ground beneath your bed has never been used for gardening, you can prepare it by turning over to a depth of about 16 inches deep. Add legs to a raised bed and you can garden without kneeling, or turn an apartment patio into a garden. Don't worry about the condition of the soil in your chosen … Just be sure your creative choices don’t expose your soil and plants to toxic chemicals from paints, stains, or other finishes. If you want to learn more about how to build a waist high raised garden bed you have to take a close look over the free plans in the article.I have designed this planter so you can grow vegetable and other plans in your own backyard or on a patio. Recycled boards repurposed from other projects are another lower cost option, as long as they aren’t treated. As you can easily notice in the plans, you should use 2×6 lumber and 44 corner posts. High Elevated, Functional Garden Planter. It’s not necessary to use landscaping fabric at the bottom of your bed. It covers the important basics of building a productive raised bed, such as planning, material selections, designs and tips on how to fill your raised beds! The first step of the project is to build the legs for the raised garden bed. Smooth ground around bed and fill bed with soil. Whatever you choose, raised gardens are a satisfying way to grow your own food without the strain and stress on your body. In case you missed part 1, here it is. Cut six 1x6s to this size less 1/4″. Screw the boards to the post using 2 1/2-inch deck screws. Wood composite is warp resistant and maintenance free. The final type of raised garden kit on the market is made from recycled plastic. Lay another 2-by-8-inch board just below the first board, adjust it so it is snug against the first board. And beware of adding anything to your beds that may contain weed seeds (unprocessed manure, unfinished compost, etc.) Then lay those 6 board slats out on top of … This is lumber cut to the full two inches thick and (in this case) six inches wide, instead of the standard cut you will get if you purchase from a commercial supplier (which will be slightly smaller due to shrinkage and planing). The blog editor at Eartheasy.com, Shannon lives on six acres of land with her husband, daughters, and backyard poultry flock. My beds are roughly 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 12 inches high – but you could just add another board to sides to make … The best thing about this project is that you don’t have to lean to take care of the plans … Measure the inside of the box, at the bottom, from post to post. Attach one of the 5-feet 4-inch long boards to a 4-by-4-inch post by laying it flush with the top of the post and the end of the board flush with the side of the post. Building your own elevated garden boxes is a straightforward project for anyone with access to materials, along with the space and skill to fashion the parts. I really like this idea for a raised garden bed. While there is no clear winner in terms of materials, wood beds biodegrade at the end of their lifespan, meaning no waste gets left behind. If you don’t have the time or resources to muster the raw materials for building a raised garden bed from scratch, you can purchase one of the easy-to-assemble kits on the market. The list of reasons for switching to raised vegetable garden beds is long, but these are the main advantages: Tending raised plants is a lot easier on the back and knees. The beauty of this particular raised bed build is that it is cheap and easy to build. This is the perfect raised garden bed if you’re on a budget. They are easy to assemble in about 20 minutes and don’t require any tools to put together. Stepping on the soil will compress the air pockets needed for plant roots to take up water and nutrients. It should be flush with the bottom of the box. Measure the inside of the box from the support ledge on one side to the support ledge on the opposite side. Building a Raised Garden Bed. Drill four pilot holes, equally spaced, near the ends of all of the 2-by-8-inch boards. A raised bed should be a minimum of 6-12 inches deep, so there is enough room for your plants to develop a good, deep root system, but you can make the raised bed as deep as you would like. Repeat for the remaining three pieces. In general, beds that are no more than 4’ across are usually easiest to access. They also make it easy to install copper slug ‘fencing’ and other deterrents around the perimeter. First of all you need to build the frame of the raised garden bed. If you live in an area where burrowing pests are a problem, add a layer of hardware cloth (or another fine metal mesh) across the bottom of your garden bed and about 3” up the insides. Level the entire bed. This will create better conditions for plant roots that need extra depth to grow. The plans make one 4 x 8’ raised garden bed. For more discussion about the merits of different raised bed materials, read our article Cedar vs. Other options include black locust and redwood. Raised beds filled with nutrient rich, organic soil warm faster in spring due to their elevation away from the cold ground—and their improved drainage. They will last for many years and weather to a soft, silver grey. Use standard sizes, starting with 2 x 6 for the most basic bed with good soil underneath, all the way up to 2 x 12 if you need a taller bed for plants with deeper roots. Add legs to a raised bed and you can garden without kneeling, or turn an. Avoid pressure treated wood and pressure treated lumber. The plans make one 4 x 8’ raised garden bed. This is a simplistic design that can be used for most other examples. Four lengths of 4 x 4″ lumber, cut about 15” long, for corner posts Stack them together in minutes without tools, fill with soil, and your garden is ready to go. Approved for organic growing, these kits are durable, light, long lasting, and easy to assemble. To prolong the life of your bed, construct it from redwood or cedar, or another weather-resistant material that is safe to use around vegetables. … They also resemble natural grain wood in color and texture. These instructions describe building a 4-foot by 6-foot by 10-1/2-inch bed … Assembly involves sliding each timber into a joint and fastening with zinc-plated screws (provided with the kit). As noted above, cedar is one of the most rot resistant woods available. It’s not necessary to cover the ground with landscaping fabric. Raised bed designs come in a variety of heights to make reaching your crops less stressful on your body over time. If you need your bed to go together quickly, if you don’t have the tools or space to make your own, or if you need a long-lasting plastic or composite system that’s easy to clean and move, a pre-fab kit is the better choice for your situation. Use ½” aluminum flat stock cut to match the inside width of your bed. In general, most garden vegetables need 12 – 24” of soil depth to grow, with a few others needing as much as 36” of depth. DIY U-Shaped Raised Garden Bed Assembly consisted of screwing the sides together with the Galvanized screws to form a simple box. Instead, look for soil labeled “triple mix” (a mix of topsoil, rotted compost, and peat moss) or garden soil. For more benefits, see 10 Reasons to Add Raised Garden Beds to Your Garden. To slow this process, you can treat your boards before building your beds, but be sure to use a non-toxic wood treatment that won’t leach harmful chemicals into your soil—and potentially your plants. These easy-to-assemble beds are made from Vermont white cedar. Attach one of the … Williams is a winner of Writer’s Digest Magazine's annual writing competition. I have made 8 of these beds (6 for our local elementary school garden and 2 as gifts) that are 8' x 4' and they are holding up very well, even out here at the coast. Saw the 2-by-8-inch boards, making four boards in lengths of 5 feet 4 inches for the sides of the raised bed, and four boards in lengths 3 feet 4 inches for the ends of the raised bed. There are many ways to build raised beds from elaborate and tall sides to simple and easy – I went with the most inexpensive version I could do while still using wood that would hold up outside. See note above about bracing your beds with crossbeams. The technique … Raised beds … 01. 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