It is worth the effort to learn how to build a raised garden bed, as they are so easy to include in your backyard and offer endless possibilities for growing crops and flowers.
Whether you want to grow your own fruit and veg, create more planting spaces for flowers, or improve your soil, raised garden beds are the ideal solution, and there are many raised garden bed ideas you could incorporate into your garden plans.
Building a Raised Garden Bed
Scaffolding boards are used to build timber beds. Follow this step-by-step to do it.
1. Prepare the soil.
To level the surface, dig over the soil and clear the weeds and debris. In the main, raised beds are constructed on existing ground so the newly introduced soil sits on top of the existing allowing for good drainage. The new bed will enrich the soil as it decays if turf is removed deep within it.
2. Take out the corners.
The wooden posts should be around 2×2 inches. The posts should be taller than the planks to protect crops.
3. The boards should be positioned.
Put the scaffolding boards in place, then bed the edges around an inch into the ground before fastening them to the plank.
4. The raised beds should be filled with soil.
A soil mix is tailored to what you want to grow. Two thirds of a general mix is multi-purpose compost. Enrich this with some organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or homemade compost. The addition of sand will help drainage.
5. Keep raised beds low maintenance.
Use no dig gardening methods in your raised garden beds to keep weeds at bay and enrich the health of the soil.
Choosing the Location for a Raised Garden Bed
Picking the right site is the first thing to consider when building a raised garden bed.
Adding raised garden beds will add to your vegetable garden ideas because many fruits and vegetables will benefit from a sunny spot.
The position of a raised bed is important as exposure to the sun helps to warm the soil more quickly, which in turn helps plants to grow.
The advantage of raised beds is that you can introduce a different soil type to your garden within them, so you can grow plants such as blueberries, which need ericaceous compost. If you have a heavy clay soil, you can amend it to provide better growing conditions for your plants.
Growing spaces with the ideal conditions for particular varieties of flowers can be added to your flower bed ideas.
Avoid low, waterlogged areas if you have access to your water supply and drainage. Plants will be protected from rain if a raised bed is positioned next to a wall or fence.
If you’re planning on building a raised garden bed, you should consider the drainage. Water needs to be able to flow out of the bottom of the raised bed onto the concrete or gravel, but it might impede drainage. TV gardening guru Joe Gardener says that the deeper you build your beds, the less likely this will be a problem.
What type of wood is used for raised beds?
Even the toughest wood, such as oak or cedar, will rot if not treated.
At some point, all types of wood will need to be replaced. If you live in an arid climate, wood can last for several years, but only a couple of years in a hot and humid area, according to Joe Gardener.
Before installation, and at least once a year, any new timber should be re- treated to prevent rot. Most timber will fade naturally, so a colored preservative, stain or paint could be used, if so desired.
If you are interested in sustainable garden ideas, it is important that you check that the wood is FSC certified and comes from a sustainable source.
Railroad ties are used to build raised garden beds, and can be purchased new, green, or tanalised, which make them safe for use around the garden.
If you want to build a raised garden bed, be sure to consider drainage.
It’s a favourite in the country garden to edge raised beds with woven willow or hazel.
You just need a post at each corner to support the planks because of their strength. If you can’t get hold of scaffolding planks, you can ask a local sawmill to cut them to the same proportions.
Pre-made raised garden bed kits can be used to build a raised garden bed from scratch, as well as being flexible and useful for small vegetable garden ideas. These can be made from a variety of materials and are easy to assemble.
You can line the bottom of a raised garden bed to help reduce grass and weeds that pop up through the new soil.
The base of the new raised bed can be lined with old cardboard or landscaping fabric, and the inside of the upstand can be lined with black plastic to keep the moist soil away.
When building a raised bed on a hard surface, such as concrete, make sure you have adequate drainage holes in the structure, and fill it with a free draining soil mix to a depth of no less than 23 in (60 cm),’ she says.
How deep should a raised garden bed be?
There is no rule as to how deep a raised garden bed should be, and it will depend on what you intend to grow and where the bed will be positioned.
It’s important to know your reach without stepping on the soil. You need to get to the middle. Don’t make it hard for yourself to stretch across the bed because it will hurt your arms and back.
It is sensible to make the beds around 4 foot wide. If you are building more than one raised bed, make sure the path between is wide enough to push a wheelbarrow.
You should always consider the height of your beds. Joe Gardener says that building raised beds even as low as 6” (15 cm) can work and still be productive.
If you are building a bed that is shallow, you should include crops that do not have deep roots, such as those that are suitable for vegetable garden containers.
The higher the bed, the more soil will be used which will cause heave against the wall. Adding cross bars to the walls may be necessary.
What to plant in a raised garden bed
Plants that benefit more than others can be grown in a raised garden bed.
When planted in raised beds, evergreen shrubs make striking architectural features.
You can plant more densely in raised beds if you grow a cut flower garden. Sweetpeas need a lot of support, while a dahlia bed looks stunning in late summer.
Salads such as lettuce and leafy greens are suited for raised beds as they like well-drained soil. It will be easier to find cut-and-come-again varieties.
Crops with long growing seasons, such as onions, are good choices for raised beds as the soil warms more quickly than in the ground.
The root vegetables need rock-free soil. If you build raised garden beds with taller posts, you can protect your crops from pests.
Plants with specific soil needs are suited to raised beds. If you fill the bed with ericaceous compost, you can get rid of acidic soil.