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So you want to build a raised garden bed … or possibly a few ? Right on ! Raised bed , also know as planter boxes , are a splendid path to grow your own food at household . They ’re a beautiful , operable addition to any yard space .
This guidebook will explore everything you necessitate to know to builddurablewood raised garden beds . First we ’ll coverplanning and prep , include the supplies needed , best wood type to use , fix and layout considerateness , and garden bed sizing options . Then we ’ll go over thestep - by - step instructionsto build a raised garden bed plus tips for installation , gopher - proofing , and gage prevention .
We ’ve built more than 40 raised garden beds over the days , so I have plenty of tips and tricks to apportion – including ways to learn from our error ! I ’ve include photos from our old urban homestead and new rural place so you’re able to get ideas forany size of it garden space .
Do n’t lack thetutorial videoincluded at the end . Jump straight to the video here .
mark : This post was originally issue in March 2019 .
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Benefits of Raised Garden Beds
If you ’re new to raised garden beds , you ’re going to love it ! While there is a minuscule more upfront cost than constitute straight in the ground , the numerous benefit make it worth it .
Supplies Needed
Optional
PLANNING AND PREP
How much does it cost to build a raised garden bed?
In my experience , the average cost per arouse bed can range from$100 to $ 300 dollar sign , including lumber , shag , and optional hardware fabric . However , it all depends on your location , the year , fabric used , and size of it of bed . Lumber terms have been highly varying recently !
You also have to account for soil and compost tofill your elevate bed . Whether you use bagged or bulk dirt greatly influences the toll since local bulk delivery is often more low-cost , specially to fill several beds .
Where to locate raised garden beds: sun exposure
Most vegetables choose to get as much sun as possible , with a few exception . So , pick out a location in your yard that getsmaximum sun pic – or at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day . attempt to keep garden bedsout in the receptive , away from trees , social organisation or fences that may disgorge spectre ( unless they ’re south - cladding , so they wo n’t barricade the light ) .
Also conceive how the sunlight ’s path and exposure willchange with the seasons , especially if you hope to garden year - round . If you are n’t sure , it may be worthwhile towait and observethe sun patterns in your garden space for a year before embarking on any major lasting projects . There are also a number of sun - trailing apps that can help you visualize and plan .
Raised Garden Bed Layout: Orientation and Spacing
If you ’re in the northerly hemisphere , asouth - facinggarden is an ideal choice , or one that is oriented in a room to receive maximum sunshine exposure from the Confederate States of America in all seasons . If you live in thesouthern cerebral hemisphere the logic is the opposite ; a north - facing garden would be best .
It ’s also best to localize your produce garden bed in anorth - south orientation course ( with the shorter sides of the beds going east - west ) so long rows of crops can be planted northerly to south without shading each other out .
How far to space raised garden beds
I recommend space raised garden bedsno close than 28 inch apart . Most of our current garden beds now are spaced36 to 48 inchesapart – which allows way to move a garden cart or ourfavorite garden cartup and down the aisles between bed as needed .
In summation to being able-bodied to easily sour around the garden beds , good spatial arrangement also prevent neighboring bed and plants fromshadingone another out – especially improbable crop or when usingtrellises . In the altitude of the summer jungle , our plant life are ofter overflowing or bush out into the pathways too !
Before making any terminal decisiveness , test it out!Grab some rope , stakes , scrap wood , broom stick , or whatever else you could find to lie on the ground in the rough space and size you ’re imagining . This will give you a better theme of what the space would actually look and feel like once it ’s all in place .
Best Raised Bed Wood Options
you may build DIY rear garden beds out of a wide form of wood , dependingyour personal preferences , budget , and what is available in your sphere . An ideal wood option will be long - lasting , sustainable , and safe !
Raised Bed Sizes: Length, Width, Depth
One of the best things about work up your own leaven garden seam is that you may make them any size of it or shape that you trust to correspond your space!4×8’is a very popular size , though we ’ve built kindle bed of almost every size of it over the years .
Here are a fewbest practices to keep in brain to make your kindle beds as functional as possible :
Looking for moresmall - blank space garden stirring ? you’re able to tour our previous urban homesteadhereincluding the chicken cage , greenhouse , rainwater system , and piles of before - and - after transformation photos !
INSTRUCTIONS TO BUILD A RAISED GARDEN BED
Step 1: Choose a Bed Size and Design
Once you know your desired bed size(s ) and wood case , you may go somecalculationsof how much lumber you ’ll need .
Drawing a blueprint sketchof your bed is very helpful in the process . It makes it much wanton to visualize and add up the total lengths of boards . See my good example below .
mark that you do not ask one panel for every piece of each side ! you could often cut one long add-in to create multiple side of meat of the bed . Also , do some research in advance to see what length timber is useable to you locally . For instance , the ticker sequoia 2×6 boards we apply are most usually sell in either8 or 12 foot duration – but we ’d choose unlike ones for unlike size beds .
To make4×8′ x 16.5″ deeply bedslike our current garden , you ’ll need either ( 9 ) 8 - metrical foot 2×6 boards per bed , or ( 6 ) 12 - foot 2×6 board . You ’ll also require ( 1 ) 8 - foot 4×4″ to create the corners of each layer .
EXAMPLE : permit ’s pretend we are travel to build a 6×4 metrical foot bottom . We ’d want to buy 12 - foot control panel in that case , since could cut them in one-half to get two 6 - foot piece for the long side of the bed , and then one 12 - ft circuit board can also be cut in thirds to create each short end of the bed . Yet if we were building 4×8′ beds , using either 12 or 8 - foot boards would work well and create footling - to - no wasteland .
Step 2: Seal Wood (Optional)
If you project to seal your Mrs. Henry Wood , it ’s easiest to use the sealant before cut the wood – or at least before set up the beds . We never used to seal our redwood raised beds in the past tense , but at our young “ incessantly ” homestead , we did apply two coats ofthis nontoxic sealerto both the inside and exterior of the beds . you’re able to see exactly how we did that process inthis station .
Step 3: Measure, Mark, and Cut
Now that you got your lumber home , it is time to measure and cut it into the sizes you require ! Butbefore making any cut , please study the crucial peak below .
Measuring width
Using our raise bed garden design , your finished layer will end up being about 3 inch wider than you intended unless youcut the short sides three inches smaller in progress . For example , if you wish for your finalouter dimensionsof the seam to be 48 ” , prune the forgetful end circuit card at 45 inch each .
This is because the poor sides of the seam are going to be “ sandwich ” between the foresighted sides , which impart an special 1.5 ” inch on each side – or a sum of 3 inches in breadth to the whole bed . See the pic below .
Maybe this does n’t matter to you ! However , it ’s authoritative to count if you ’re working with a limited amount of space , plan to add 4 foot wide ironware textile to the bottom of the beds , or otherwise need your beds to be exactly the width you intended .
The long side boards can be mensurate and cut to the exact desire length of the layer .
Measuring 4×4 corner pieces
You ’ll need four 4×4 ” pieces for the recess of each bottom that are the same height as the bed . To bet their distance , keep in judgement that 2×6 ” plank are n’t in truth 6 inches improbable – they ’re 5.5 ” . So when you stack three mellow , your raised bed will really be16.5 inch marvelous , NOT 18 inches.(Similarly , 2×4 boards are only 3.5 ” blanket . ) disregard the corner pieces to the true altitude of the bed consequently .
Cut the lumber
To cut timber at home , we like to usethis miter joint saw . We can bestride it on aportable workbench , which makes the work surface very sturdy and safe , and our cuts accurate and unbent . It ’s also capable of cutting 4x4s ! We used a canonical circular adage in the past but had to rotate and make legion cuts to get through a 4×4 .
Step 4: Assemble The Shorter Sides First
When we build up raised garden bed , we ’ve study it ’s easiest to start with the short sides first .
Repeat this process for the second unretentive side .
Step 5: Add Long Boards
Step 6: Add Side Support
If your raised bed is long than 6 feet , I suggest adding an extra support to the midriff of the long side – such as agalvanized steel reparation brace(shown below ) . The brace will help foreclose bowing , and also help to pull your add-in into a blind drunk square personal credit line .
A 12 ” brace is long enough to span all three side boards on a 16.5 ” grandiloquent bed . If you ca n’t find a brace long enough , some sept contribute an extra 2×4 ” or 2×2 ” instead , though we prefer the light weight unit , slender visibility and longevity of the metal brace .
Step 7: Add Hardware Cloth (Optional)
If you have burrowing pest like gophers , moles , or ground squirrel , definitely add ironware cloth to the bottom of your raise garden beds to keep them out ! gopher are so risky in our area , nothing would survive if we did n’t .
Hardware clothis a mesh telegram fencing material made from strong galvanized metal . Thus , itwon’t rusting and disintegratewith time as crybaby telegram does . It alsocan’t be masticate throughby gnawer like chicken wire can . This crap it the ideal cloth for lining garden beds , make pouched rat basketball hoop for yield trees , and predator - proofing crybaby coops .
Hardware cloth is commonly sell in 2 , 3 or 4 - foot wide rolls of vary length . Ideally , choose a size of it that fit across the bottom of your bed frame . If the bottom is too wide , you could combine two pieces , overlapping and attach them in the middlewith either big - obligation vigor ties or bits of galvanized wire .
We wish to usewide - top dog cabinet screwsto tie in the hardware cloth like a shot to the bottom of the raised bed , which pinches the telegram between the head and the woodwind instrument . We ’ve also used astaple gunthough it ’s not quite as secure as screws . Sometimes we do a little of both , such as screws in the corners or every couple of feet with staples in between .
It ’s easy to cut ironware fabric withaviation clip .
Step 8: Install Raised Bed
The arouse bed is progress , all the finish up touches are in space . It ’s finally time to get it settle into its fresh home !
The ground below your put forward garden bed should be matte , level , and free of excess rock , weeds , or other debris . That room , your bed cansit as level as possible – which is important for right even water statistical distribution . If the quad is slightly sloped , do your best to dig out a middling matt pad for each raised bed .
If you ’re setting raised garden bottom right on top of your aboriginal soil ( without weed barrier below ) , you may need to amend and/or till the soil first . peculiarly if your seam is 12 ” inscrutable or less , or if your aboriginal territory is jumpy , compact , clay , or otherwise less - than - ideal , loosen the soil and work in some aged compostbefore set the bed down on top . Your plants and their roots will thank you !
What to Put Under Raised Beds for Weed Prevention
Next , you could decide if you want to put landscape fabric below your produce garden beds or not , depending on how noxious the weeds are in your M . If you do , I highly commend using a thick , timber fabric that will stomach the test of time , not the stretchy flimsy kind that will quickly cheapen and make a raging mess !
We have knobbed weeds , so we always putcontractor - grade landscape fabricbelow our beds and pathways . It ’s long - long-lasting , permeable to piddle ( so it drains very well ) , but does n’t allow Mary Jane to grow up through it .
For less trespassing skunk , a layer ofcardboardornatural burlapin the bottom of the bottom ( and/or around the exterior ) will repress minor weeds quite well . However , keep in thinker that it will biodegrade and disintegrate within a twosome age .
Step 9: Fill Your Bed with Soil
After your novel DIY raised garden bed is all situated in place , it ’s clock time to fill it up ! amount hear how wefill our raised bed with soil , let in the blending of filth , compost , aeration additives , and instinctive amendments we use for optimal flora health . The templet explores options for both bagged or bulk soil . you may also learn about the pros and con offilling raised seam with the hugelkultur methodhere .
Step 10: Get Growing
Now it ’s fourth dimension to enjoy the fruits of your labor . If you need any inspiration on what to embed in your new DIY raised garden seam , check out this list of ourfavorite summer cropsor the bestcool season vegetable varietiesfor a dip or winter garden . And do n’t block to plant some beautiful easycompanion bloom for pollinators !
All our raised beds are watered viaautomatic drip mold irrigation(connected prior to adding dirt ) . It saves us SO much time , vitality , water , and the plants love it . See more gardening resources at the last of this post .
Please enjoy this video recording tutorial of everything we just went over together .
And that concludes this lesson.
Now you screw everything you need to confidently locate , design , and progress a DIY promote garden bed . It is only a topic of time that you ’ll be harvesting pleasant-tasting and nutritious homegrown produce to prey your family !
How to Build a DIY Raised Garden Bed
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
