How To Make Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds are a wonderful way to grow vegetables and plants when you are limited on space, want to add nice looking features to your landscape, or have limitations with stooping or kneeling.

Raised garden beds can also be used indoors so you may grow vegetables and plants all year long. There are many designs of raised garden beds that can be purchased. There are many available in a multitude of designs such as round, rectangular, and corner shaped beds just to mention a few.

It's also possible to make your own raised garden beds. Depending on how handy you are with tools and making things out of lumber, you can build your own raised garden bed.

It's best to build a garden bed out of redwood or cedar since these will prevent rot, mold, and mildew. For people who have trouble with standing or kneeling, very long legs can be attached to the beds. Bird netting can also be placed over the bed to prevent birds, small animals, and wildlife from disturbing the garden.

You will need to have the following supplies available in order to construct your raised garden bed: One 6 ft. long 4x4, six 8 ft. long 2x6, one 10 ft. long 1 inch PVC pipe, two 10 ft. long 1/2 inch PVC pipe, 32 of 3 1/2 inch #14 wood screws, 16 of 1/2 inch #8 wood screws, one 4x10 ft. roll of 1/4 inch mesh hardware cloth, eight of 1 inch galvanized tube straps/semicircular brackets, and 32 cu. ft. of planting mix/soil. Remember it is best to use redwood or cedar since these will prevent rot, mold, and mildew.

To begin you will need to decide on the location you would like your raised garden bed to be located at in your yard. It's best to chose an area where it receives at least 6 hours of sunlight. A north/south exposure would be ideal. Once you have determined where you will be placing the bed, remove any grass that may be growing in the area. After the grass has been removed, the soil will need to be tilled. With a garden rake, even out the soil to make the area level.

With a table or power saw cut the 4x4's into sixteen tall posts for each corner. Cut two of the 2x6 boards in half. Cut the 1 inch PVC pipe into four 12 inch long pieces. Cut the 1/2 inch PVC pipe into 6 foot long pieces. Be sure to assemble the bed on a hard and flat surface. Also be sure to build the bed with it upside down.

First set a 4 ft. 2x6 on its thin edge on a hard surface such as a concrete slab, pavement, or sidewalk. Place a 16 inch post at one end and secure this with 2 - 3 1/2 inch wood screws. Do this at the other end as well. Now join the short sides of wood with an 8 ft. board and secure them with 2 - 3 1/2 inch wood screws. Add the other long side of wood and the second layer of 2x6 boards.

Now you are ready to flip the bed over. Place the bed in the position you would like it in your yard. Mark each location of the corner posts with a trowel. Move the bed to the side so you can complete the installation. Dig a 6 inch hole for each corner post. After you have completed this, move the bed back to its desired position except this time with the posts in the holes you just dug. With your potting soil or planting mix, fill in the areas around each corner post.

To install the hardware cloth you will first need to rake the soil to level the area. Pat the soil down lightly to make it more level. Line the garden bed with the hardware cloth. Trim the cloth with a pair of scissors to fit around each of the posts. Now attach four 12 inch pieces of 1 inch PVC pipe inside the raised garden bed. On the long side of the boards, space the PVC pipes 4 ft. apart and 2 ft. from each end. Screw on two of the tube straps to secure each of the pipes.

You are now ready to fill your raised garden bed with soil. After you have put the soil in the bed use a rake to smooth and level it out.

If you would like to add a bird netting to the raised bed, bend two 6 ft. pieces of 1/2 inch PVC pipes to make a half circle shape. Slip the ends into each of the 1 inch pipes inside the bed. Drape the bird netting over the top of the formed pipes.

The UL-T-Mate 2x4x10 inch Light Cedar Raised Garden Bed Kit is made of light brown cedar wood which will not rot, decay, rust, splinter, mildew or mold. The bed does not require the use of fasteners and is resistant to weather, lawn and garden chemicals and fertilizer. The kit is also backed by a 20 year warranty.

The Frame-it-All 4x4 foot raised garden is made of 60% recycled plastics and 40% wood flour. The bed assembles in minutes and comes with 4 stacking joints, composite plastic timbers and hardware. The measurements of the bed are 48 inches x 48 inches x 6 inches and it weighs a total of 24 pounds.

The Square Foot Garden Kit by Greenland is a stackable unit that does not require any tools to assemble. The raised bed is made of composite lumber and is resistant to rot, mildew, and mold. The bed is also environmentally friendly, weather resistant, and made is the U.S.A.

The raised garden kit by Suncast is a bed constructed of wall panels and connectors. It includes 8 panels, 12 connectors and 16 stainless steel spikes. It's easy and quick to set-up. It's made of a rigid resin construction for a maintenance free design. The bed holds up to 14 cu. ft. of soil and the dimensions are: 46 x 11 inches. The total weight of the raised bed is right around 15 pounds.

There are also barriers you can purchase to place around the sides of your raised garden to keep small animals and wildlife out. These are expandable stainless steel fences that are easy to install. There are also irrigation systems available to use with your raised garden beds you can purchase as a kit.

Additional benefits to raised garden beds is the location of the garden can be moved closer to your home or to an area where it is easy to care for. Square foot gardening also requires only 20 percent of the space a conventional garden takes up.

You will not have to worry about the soils pH level or making any improvements to the soil since you are using potting soil and other compost material to fill the bed. You only need to prepare the box to a 6 inch depth since most plants thrive and grow well in this amount of soil. If you start out with potting soil there is no need to add fertilizer to the box since you are giving the plants prepared soil with nutrients.