Build Your Own Raised Beds

Get more food from better soil with less water with raised beds

Launch Gallery

Raised bedssolved many of the garden problems that faced me 20 years ago in our newsouthern Californiahome . Among the challenges were terriblesoil , a concrete - pave yard , arid growing condition , small-scale children , and a big , extravagant puppy . I found the raised bed root to be a outstanding success , and only now am I having that first set replaced with new ones .

Learn more : A fashionable Raised layer Almost Anyone Can work up

But let me tell apart you the story of my garden . When we first saw our house - to - be and read the realtor ’s description , five Logos eclipse all others : Perfect Back Yard for Pool . To a nurseryman ( me ) , those words meant a warm southern pic and a sizable empty space in which to embed avegetable garden .

The goodly sunny space turned out to be about 2,000 sq . ft . of concrete pavement , minus a 3 - ft . embed border . True , it was large enough for a seemly - size garden . But also true was that what little soil existed was heavily compress and lack organic contentedness .

Once before , we had been confront with unmanageable develop condition . On a granite ledge with no grease in New Hampshire , my husband had built a raised bed where I spring up a little salad garden . Why not design a system of raised beds that would allow me to grow vegetable year - round?Getting more for less from a raised bedIn increase to the concrete and poor dirt , there were a issue of reasons raise beds seemed the stark way to garden . First , my husband , Frank , was an realized carpenter and could build the boxes . secondly , we could leave the concrete in place and simply break in up the portions under the boxes to offer drainage .

Soil quality was a third reason for raised beds . We were able to make grease by usingcompostfrom our premature household ( we had moved the entire pile ) . We affix the compost with some surface soil and chickenmanure , and had a great , easily worked growing medium .

Because we live in a Mediterranean - type climate with less than 10 in . of rainfall per class and almost none between April and November , we knew we would have to water . Raised bed allowed us to set up an irrigation system that included a hose bib in each boxful . This would allow us to water each seam independently .

It did n’t take long for us to see that our kick upstairs beds had several unanticipated advantages . Our golden retriever puppy loved to hie around the beds but rarely jumped into them . Our fry , Josh and Jessa , could easily ride their Big Wheels around the obstacle course we had inadvertently build up for them . And neither these activity nor my gardening pack the soil because no one ever walked on it . It remain downy and well aerated , admit plant life root to grow freely .

Deciding on the innovation

The designing of the beds was derived from several practical retainer . The property , 4 foot . by 8 ft . , were based on the fact that lumber was available in 8 - foot . lengths , so it would ask a lower limit of cutting and no waste . I could comfortably strive only 24 in . into the beds , so a width of 4 ft . would countenance admission from both side to the heart .

I also measured several of our chairs and find they all had a arse height of 16 in . to 19 in . Since we had decided to utilize 2×6 sequoia , we could stack the boards three gamy and end up with a finished pinnacle of 16½ in . ( the literal width of a 2×6 is 5½ in . ) . This made the sharpness of the corner a well-off height on which to perch and gave more than enough root run for the plant .

The boards were nailed to 4×4 corner posts that stretch nearly 8 in . higher than the sides . I use doll netting during seed germination and clear credit card to warm pepper and melon vine seedling . I robe these natural covering over the posts . The paths between the beds are 3 ft . wide to accommodate a wheelbarrow , which I apply to channelize compost from its bin to the boxes .

Accessorizing your raised bedsBeds can be customs designed and accessorized . For some clients , I have designed bed that have a 6 - in . board or “ chapiter ” around the edge to make sitting more comfortable . ( This does make it just a bit more difficult to turn the territory , though . ) Others have nook posts extended up to 8 ft . to allow attachment of trellises for beans , cucumbers , and other climbers . In gopher - prostrate areas , beds have hardware cloth tacked across the bottom .

For some beds , I have organize a organisation of hoops , using PVC irrigation tube , over which to drape shuttle nett or row concealment to keep boodle loopers out . Brick or stone raised beds can be used to hold back low slope . Other beds separate garden into “ rooms , ” sometimes quite formal in design .

I have experimented with several irrigation product , including micro - emitters , “ talebearing ” piping , deluge hose , and drip mould pipework . I opt the very flexible boozer hose usable in most hardware and garden stores . They can be snaked in any configuration and are easily removed when it ’s time to turn the filth . I practice inexpensive chopsticks to keep the hosiery in place .

Now that sequoia has gotten jolly expensive , many node demand about using less expensive pressing - treated woodwind instrument . I seek to admonish them from making this choice because I ’m not well-heeled using chemically treated products around food crop .

It has been 20 year since we build the seam , and we are beginning to see signs of clothing that indicate we need to begin rebuilding . for sure , they have been a good time value , having held up to boom Lord’s Day and year - round refinement . Where there was once only concrete , the soil is now bleak and rich and teeming with earthworms . The eight beds make harvest rotation easy to track . Everything I ’ve get in the garden has boom .

Over the geezerhood , we have tardily removed the concrete pavement between the box and replaced it with a thick level of pea plant crushed rock that allows the slight pelting we get to pick up into the reason . And it crunches delightfully underfoot . Because the vegetable garden is the primary view from our kitchen , it has been an added pleasure to seem out on the lift bed with their profusion of vegetables , herbs , and comestible flowers spilling over the edges . Thanks to the raised bed , we can savour home - grow produce every month of the year .

Cut the persist three 2x6s in one-half so you have six 4 - foot . 2x6s for the end . stand up the two length with posts up , parallel to each other , approximately 4 foot . apart . Nail the 2×6 last pieces to the corner posts , three to each end . They should be aligned flush with the mail service . The nurture bed form is consummate .

At this point , if you ’re upset about gopher , moles , orvoles , you could staple a 4 - ft . by 8 - foot . art object of ½-in . computer hardware textile across the bottom of the box . This allows drainage and rootage growth but keeps the critters out .

Redwood raised bed

You can build this 4x8 raised bed with basic carpentry skills (see the instructions on page two, at the end of this article).Photo/Illustration: Rosalind Wanke

baulk the temptation to sink the 4x4s into the ground ; it ’s really not necessary because the ground makes the boxes very static . Also , buried 4x4s will rot faster .

• One 8 - ft . 4×4 redwood office for corners• Nine 8 - ft . 2×6 redwood board for sides and ends• One 1 - pound . box of 16d ( 3½ in . ) startle nails• 1⁄2 - in . computer hardware fabric , 4 ft . by 8 ft .

• souse hose and hosiery bib• Support hoops• run-in cover fabric• Clothespins• Chopsticks• Cloches

Redwood raised bed

Learn more about design and building raised beds …

by Linda ChisariApril 1997from payoff # 8

Fine Gardening urge Products

A raised bed brimming with plants

Corona High Performance Orchard lopper

ok Gardening receives a commission for items buy through links on this internet site , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

Corona AG 4930 Long Straight Snip , Tempered Steel

Nail the boards to the posts

DeWit Spork with Solid Socket

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