This quick guide on how to build a raised garden bed should give you a good idea as to how to go achieve it. Building A raised garden bed has many benefits, giving you more control over your chose over the quality of your soil. You should be able to produce a better-quality plant and end product.
Gardeners tend to have different tastes and end goals so will build a raised garden bed which will give them the overall result for their end goal.
Building a raised garden bed can become quite costly, however, it is totally possible to build a raised garden bed out off pretty much anything such as timber, stone, straw bales, or even plastic.
Using stone
Creating your raised garden bed from stone could be an ideal option if using stone is easier for you to come by. Building a stone raised garden bed may also be a better look for your gardens original design, such as other stone features, and will make it blend with the rest of the garden. Using stone will also be a big benefit when it comes to drainage
Using wood
The most common raised garden beds are made from wood as wood tends to be the easiest material to work with as it naturally lends itself better to normal garden design. Most gardeners prefer raised beds made from wood as they are easier to blend in with their surroundings, this means that you can use them for a variety of different planting plans.
Building your raised garden bed
Below we will go through the building process for your raised garden bed (We will use wood for this example).
First, you will need to measure out your planned area for the project. Even if you will be using a large area, it is always important to measure to see exactly just how big it will be. It will be a good idea to take a note on a pad, of the correct measurements for later on. Accurate measurements are also essential for working out:
- The amount of timber that you will need.
- The correct amount of screws you will need.
- The number of bags of topsoil.
Measurement – Length
An important rule to note: Raised garden beds with a length of 2 metres will need braces. It is advised to use internal braces on raised beds over 1 meter in length. As the soil is naturally heavy, it will cause a lot of pressure against the inner walls of the raised bed (especially when the soil gets wet).
Measurement – Width
It is recommended to have at least 90cm in width if you want to be able to have two rows of plants. If the raised garden bed is intended to be used for a smaller area such as a balcony and other restricted areas. If the raised garden bed is for vegetable growing use, then, it is recommended for a width of up to 90cm. Remember that anything over that could become burdensome when trying to access the vegetables.
Measurement – Height
As you can build it as high as you need for your own use. You need to remember to leave around 6 inches as a minimum depth. If you need to have a shallower bed then you may have to work over the ground underneath. While the majority of people building a raised garden bed, try to avoid this you will need around 6 inches of topsoil for the new plantings.
Additional tools You will need some tools for this project including a saw, screwdriver, electric drill, stainless steel screws.