Raised Garden Bed

How To Make A Raised Garden Bed

Since last year's vegetables were a disappointment rather than a delight, I decided to construct a couple of raised garden beds this spring. With a raised bed, a gardener has total control over the soil. As smaller spaces, raised garden beds warm quicker in the spring. Drainage is also better in a raised bed. Raised beds aren't that hard to construct, and they require a minimum amount of maintenance. This is not a costly project. The materials for two raised beds cost me only $45.

For simplicity's sake we'll focus on a Raised Garden Bed made from wood. The beds I created this year are made of wood and should be in use for many happy years of gardening.

Five Steps to Make a Raised Garden Bed

1. Select the area.

If the plants you are planning to grow need lots of sun, you'll want an area of your land that gets a full eight hours of sun per day. Find an area that is level. Make sure that you have enough room around where you choose to put your raised beds in order to tend to the plants that will be growing inside of them.

2. Decide on the size and shape.

There are two things to consider in the size of your Raised Garden Bed: depth and width. A six to eight inch depth of soil will work for most plants. It's important to keep the width of your Raised Garden Bed a size that will allow you to maintain the garden it contains. I kept my gardens four feet square so it will be easy to tend to the plants. My soil depth is six inches.

3. Construct the raised garden bed.

I chose two by six pine boards for my beds. Some gardeners caution against treating the wood because of possible leaching of chemicals into the soil. I treated the wood with an oil-based stain, allowed them to dry, and attached them by creating a simple butt joint at each corner and nailing them together. You can pre-drill and use galvanized screws, or get fancy with the corners and joints if you are a woodworker.

4. Prepare the perfect spot.

The area where you place your raised garden bed must be level. If it isn't, the drainage will result in puddles and dry areas. Use a level to test the frame. Level the area with a little extra soil before you put the frames in place. Cover the grass with landscape fabric, newspaper, cardboard, or plastic. If you want plants that require more room (root vegetables), dig out the area to the required added depth, then lay your landscape fabric down, fill with soil, and put your raised bed in place.

5. Fill in with soil and plant.

Now you have total soil control! Use the soil from your compost heap, mix in some topsoil, or purchase a rich blend. When everything is level, you are ready to plant.

May your garden yield abundant crops!