Build a Raised Bed Garden Step-By-Step - Gardening Tips

Raised bed gardening is a trendy trend with plenty of reasons. You won't have to bend as far with a raised bed. A bed, on the other hand, encourages greater plant development by increasing the amount of heat that your soil receives from the sun. Raised beds also have less weeds and have a more attractive, neat appearance. In addition, if your soil is really compact, you can build a raised bed right on top of it!

How to Calculate for a Raised Garden Bed

Height: Your raised bed should be at least six inches tall to allow area for the roots to grow. If you're constructing over concrete or stone, you'll need 10-12 inches of clearance. Higher beds make it even simpler to access the garden by bending down.

Length and Width: The optimal length for your bed is determined by the size you want and the amount of room you have. You should be able to reach the middle of the bed without walking on the soil when deciding on the width. As a result, restrict it to a maximum of 4 feet broad, or somewhat wider if you have a long reach.

How to Pick the Right Wood for Your Raised Garden Bed

Some people construct beds out of stone retaining walls, but the most frequent and least expensive material is wood. Always use untreated wood to preserve your vegetables chemical-free. The best choice is cedar, which is inherently resistant to decay. Expect the boards to endure 5 to 10 years if you don't use rot-resistant wood.

Pro tip: Staple a strong plastic liner to the interior of the boards to increase the life of your raised bed. Another method is to construct the box in such a way that single boards may be easily replaced as they decay.

How to Design a Raised Bed

• Let's start with board thickness: This is partly a matter of aesthetics, wood pricing, and the structural strength you want. The majority of individuals utilize boards that are 1 or 2 inches thick. Posts at the corners or midway between corners provide additional support and prevent the boards from warping over time.

• Is it necessary for me to plant a stake in the ground? To keep the frame in place, some individuals pound stakes into the ground. This step isn't required, but it does make it more stable. The elevated bed will not move due to the weight of the soil alone.

• Flair and Comfort: A top rim (e.g., a 24 nailed flat on top of the bed walls) provides a bit of style and a comfy ledge to sit on while planting.

Types of Raised Bed

You may create a broad range of raised gardens depending on the material and design. Based on the material used, the following are some popular varieties of raised garden beds:

Wooden Raised Bed

To construct the different layers of the raised garden, you may use new or repurposed wood. The most common material used to construct a raised garden bed is wood. We suggest using cedar woods since they are naturally resistant to decay and insects.

It's also easy to color wood, so it'll match your landscaping nicely. Major shops such as Home Depot and Costco provide cedar raised garden bed kits.

Note: If you want to produce veggies, flowers, or herbs, a wooden raised bed is the best option. It's light and strong, making it ideal for patio, decks, porches, and balconies.

Composite Raised Garden Bed

Plastic and wood fiber components are used to create the composite garden bed. It combines the advantages of both worlds. The composite board will not decay, warp, splinter, or fade as rapidly as a wooden garden bed. This extends the life of the garden bed while requiring minimal upkeep and care.

Some composite raised garden bed designs allow you to stack many beds together to create a taller box. Composite material's higher strength allows it to support far more weight than wood alone.

Concrete Raised Garden Bed

If you wish to have a designer garden, the concrete raised garden bed is useful. These concrete blocks are manufactured using a variety of molds. When opposed to carving a block of wood for an elaborate design, concrete makes it significantly easier to produce a complicated shape with enough strength.

There are no screws or measurements required with these concrete blocks, and they arrive in parts. You can purchase the needed number of blocks based on the size of your garden beds.

Assembly is simple, as you simply follow the directions to complete your raised garden. Steel bars can be used to secure concrete barriers in the ground for further stability. A wood capping can also be attached to the garden bed with deck screws.

Vinyl Raised Garden Bed

Consumer recyclable plastics are used to make the vinyl raised garden bed. These are low-maintenance boards that are resistant to rot, warping, splintering, and fading. Its innovative design makes it simple to install without having to manually cut the boards or fiddle with drill bits.

You may also chop the board to fit into your limited area. A vinyl garden bed is a low-cost option. It is far less expensive than other solutions while still remaining lightweight and durable.

The ultimate issue solution is a raised garden bed, which is effectively a huge planting box: It provides excellent drainage, insect prevention, and quick access to crops. It's also ideal for transforming your backyard into the farm of your dreams. If you follow our instructions, you'll be able to complete the 4-by-8-foot bed depicted here in a weekend.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Four 16 inch-long 4-by-4s*, to act as corner posts
• Two 4-foot-long 2-by-12s*, for bed ends
• Two 8-foot-long 2-by-12s*, for bed sides
• Twenty-four 3 1/2-inch #14 galvanized or stainless steel screws 
• Twenty-four 1/2-inch #8 galvanized or stainless steel screws; optional
• Six 12-inch-long pieces of 1/2-inch PVC pipes; optional
• Three 10-foot-long pieces of 3/8-gauge rebar; optional
• Three 3- by 5-foot rolls of 1/4-inch-mesh hardware cloth, to deter burrowing animals; optional
• Twelve 1-inch galvanized tube straps; optional
• 1 roll bird netting or floating row cover; optional
• 16 cubic feet of planting soil
• 16 cubic feet of compost
• Drip-watering system; optional

Tools

• Drill
• 5/32-inch drill bit
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Shovel or trowel
• Level (optional)
• Gloves
• Staple gun
• Wire cutters
• 4 adjustable woodworking bar clamps: 2 short (12 inches) and 2 long (6 feet); optional

Frame

You'll construct the bed backwards. Set a 4-foot 2-by-12 board on its narrow side edge on the pavement on a level surface (such as a patio); at one end of the board, place a 16-inch 4-by-4 corner post upright and flush with the end of the board. To hold both pieces of wood flat on the sides and bottom, use two adjustable woodworking clamps—or a buddy.

Drill To Attach

Predrill three equally spaced holes in the board with the 5/32-inch drill bit before securing the post to the 4-foot board to prevent the wood from splitting. Then use three 3 1/2-inch screws to fasten the board to the post. (If used, remove the woodworking clamps once the board is attached to the post.)

Repeat To Complete

Now that you've completed the post-adding technique from the previous step, apply it to the opposite end of the 4-foot board to attach a corner post. Then, with the remaining 4-foot board, secure each end with a corner post.

Now that you have the two 4-foot ends of your raised bed, you can join the longer sides: Between the two 4-foot bed ends, place the first of your 8-foot 2-by-12 side boards. Predrill three holes in each board end and fasten it to a post with three 3 1/2-inch screws after ensuring the 8-foot board is flat with each corner post (keep them steady with the woodworking clamps—or grab that friend again). Attach the remaining 8-foot side board to the corner posts as before.

Your raised bed is now complete!

Position For Sun

Flip the bed right side up and into place with the help of a partner. Choose a location in your garden that receives full sun—at least 6 hours of sun every day—if you wish to plant veggies. The bed should be oriented north-south to provide even sun exposure.

Anchor The Bed

Dig a 5- to 6-inch-deep hole for each of the corner posts once you've chosen on a bed site. After that, put each post in the ground.

Level The Bed

Make sure the bed is level on all sides (using a level if you have one) so that irrigation may flow evenly. After that, backfill the corner holes with earth to keep the posts in place.

Keep Out Birds And Frost

Consider using hoops to hold up bird netting or a floating row cover to protect your veggies from birds and frost. Attach the PVC support tubes to these three optional hoops now if you choose to use them (before you fill up the bed with dirt).

Here's how to do it: Three 12-inch lengths of 1/2-inch PVC pipe should be evenly spaced on the inside of each of the raised bed's long (8-foot) sides. Set the pipes upright against the bed's sides, ensuring that each PVC pipe is mirrored across the bed by a parallel pipe (so each pair can act as support tubes for the hoops).

Two tube straps, each with two 1/2-inch screws, secure each PVC pipe upright to the inside of the bed.

Deter Burrowing Pests

You don't want gophers and moles eating your vegetables. If they're a problem in your area, use a layer of hardware cloth before pouring in your planting soil to keep them out of your raised bed.

Here's what you should do: Rake the existing dirt to level it at the bottom of the bed, then tamp it flat. Line the bed bottom with hardware cloth while wearing gloves, ensuring sure the fabric is flat on the bottom and curving up to touch each edge of the bed. Stapling the fabric to the bed's sides will keep it in place. Trim excess cloth and make the cloth fit flush around the corner posts with wire cutters.

Add Soil

Fill the bed half-and-half with planting soil and compost. After the bed has been filled, rake the soil smooth and spray it with a gentle hose spray. Also Read these guides Well drained soil and How to mix Compost into Soil.

Set Up Irrigation

Simply connect this bed to your current irrigation line if you have a drip system. We attached 1/4-inch emitter lines (placed every 12 inches) to 1/2-inch tubing to evenly cover our 4- by 8-foot bed.

Plant

Fruits, herbs, and veggies may now be planted in your bed. With this guide on producing an edible garden, you'll know where to begin.