Raised Beds for Dummies
March 16, 2015 2:46 PM Subscribe
I would like to build a raised bed (for vegetables) on my lawn but I know nothing about construction and very little about gardening.
I own very few tools and have never built anything. Please provide me with a step-by-step, idiot-proof way to construct a raised bed on my lawn or point me towards a resource aimed at my very low skill level.
Not looking for much advice on the gardening side of things. Once the bed is constructed and there is soil in it, I intend to just plant a bunch of stuff and see what happens.
I own very few tools and have never built anything. Please provide me with a step-by-step, idiot-proof way to construct a raised bed on my lawn or point me towards a resource aimed at my very low skill level.
Not looking for much advice on the gardening side of things. Once the bed is constructed and there is soil in it, I intend to just plant a bunch of stuff and see what happens.
(I ask because the reasons why may affect construction recommendations)
posted by muddgirl at 2:53 PM on March 16, 2015
posted by muddgirl at 2:53 PM on March 16, 2015
Response by poster: @muddgirl I haven't actually even considered an in-ground garden! A quick Internet search shows that creating an in-ground garden could also be a lot of work, but I'm definitely open to similar step-by-step, idiot-proof ways for doing so.
posted by toby_ann at 2:58 PM on March 16, 2015
posted by toby_ann at 2:58 PM on March 16, 2015
Here's how I did it the first time - I called the lumber store and ordered (4) 2x6"x8' boards cut in half, (1) 4x4"x8' cut every foot (to make eight pieces) and (8) 2x6"x8' boards uncut to make (2) 4x8' raised beds.
I picked up all that lumber in my minivan with my two kids in their carseats. Got it home and proceeded to learn that it's actually kind of hard to put the necessary pressure on a drill to put screws into boards, so I got some nails from the garage (about 3" long) to piece the beds together first.
The 4x4" pieces are for the corners. I set them down on the ground 4' apart and laid two of the short boards onto them and nailed in the edges. |====|
Actually it's really easy to do and kind of hard to describe - once the short walls were together I set them upright and nailed a long board to the corner pieces at each end. Then another one above it. That made 3 of the sides. I did it again on the other side. That was a full raised bed.
It takes a heck of a lot of soil to fill a raised bed - three van loads of bagged compost and manure (about 15 bags) filled one bed halfway. Two years later they're still not entirely full but I've been composting and now have some free nutrition to add to it.
Here's a blog post with pictures that I found that shows the same kind of construction I used but probably with smarter dimensions and cheaper lumber costs: http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/04/easy-diy-raised-garden-beds.html
posted by annathea at 3:03 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I picked up all that lumber in my minivan with my two kids in their carseats. Got it home and proceeded to learn that it's actually kind of hard to put the necessary pressure on a drill to put screws into boards, so I got some nails from the garage (about 3" long) to piece the beds together first.
The 4x4" pieces are for the corners. I set them down on the ground 4' apart and laid two of the short boards onto them and nailed in the edges. |====|
Actually it's really easy to do and kind of hard to describe - once the short walls were together I set them upright and nailed a long board to the corner pieces at each end. Then another one above it. That made 3 of the sides. I did it again on the other side. That was a full raised bed.
It takes a heck of a lot of soil to fill a raised bed - three van loads of bagged compost and manure (about 15 bags) filled one bed halfway. Two years later they're still not entirely full but I've been composting and now have some free nutrition to add to it.
Here's a blog post with pictures that I found that shows the same kind of construction I used but probably with smarter dimensions and cheaper lumber costs: http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/04/easy-diy-raised-garden-beds.html
posted by annathea at 3:03 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have a raised bed, but only because my back yard has only about 3" of topsoil over bedrock (I live in the mountains). If you have adequate topsoil, a regular garden is much easier to put in.
Gardening varies greatly by region and climate, so there isn't one go-to bible for gardening. Gardening for Dummies is a decent introduction, and the omnibus edition I linked to covers a lot of topics, including basics, vegetables and ornamentals. Given how specific gardening advice is, I suggest you contact your local master gardener program and find out if they have a mentorship program.
posted by workerant at 3:06 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Gardening varies greatly by region and climate, so there isn't one go-to bible for gardening. Gardening for Dummies is a decent introduction, and the omnibus edition I linked to covers a lot of topics, including basics, vegetables and ornamentals. Given how specific gardening advice is, I suggest you contact your local master gardener program and find out if they have a mentorship program.
posted by workerant at 3:06 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you're in Winnipeg, you may have clay soils, in which case a raised bed is usually easier than amending, which can take a season or so just to get going. Regardless of whether you go raised beds or your own soil, you should check out one of these local groups and you can probably get someone to help you. Having a local expert give you advice specific to your area is just so, so invaluable when you're just getting into garden and apt to get discouraged.
posted by resurrexit at 3:09 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by resurrexit at 3:09 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hardware stores sell kits that you can bring home and assemble.
posted by mchorn at 3:15 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by mchorn at 3:15 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hardware stores sell kits that you can bring home and assemble.
Was just going to say this! Also check your local warehouse stores and online:
http://www.costco.com/Gronomics-Raised-Garden-Bed.product.100082473.html
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/greenland-gardener-raised-bed-garden-kit/prod1170390.ip
http://www.amazon.com/Greenland-Gardener-Raised-Garden-105318/dp/B0036WWBLK
posted by longdaysjourney at 3:26 PM on March 16, 2015
Was just going to say this! Also check your local warehouse stores and online:
http://www.costco.com/Gronomics-Raised-Garden-Bed.product.100082473.html
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/greenland-gardener-raised-bed-garden-kit/prod1170390.ip
http://www.amazon.com/Greenland-Gardener-Raised-Garden-105318/dp/B0036WWBLK
posted by longdaysjourney at 3:26 PM on March 16, 2015
You will use treated wood to create the box, probably 2 x 8 or 2 x 10. If you have wood treated with creosote do not use it for your garden if you are going to eat the products. Don't use the wood from the hardware store called "landscape timbers", as these tend to rot more quickly than treated lumber. Attach your wood to short 4 x 4 posts that go in the ground. To make the result neater consider cutting the top of the 4 x 4 at a 45 degree angle. Nail or screw the boards to the posts. If your grass is particularly aggressive, dig it out before filling the box. Otherwise, just cover it up.
Fill the box with good dirt. What kind depends on what things are like in your area. Put various flowers and veggies into the dirt. Pull weeds as they come up. Repeat what grows best, next year.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 3:26 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Fill the box with good dirt. What kind depends on what things are like in your area. Put various flowers and veggies into the dirt. Pull weeds as they come up. Repeat what grows best, next year.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 3:26 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
These corner brackets will greatly simplify the construction.
posted by dogrose at 4:02 PM on March 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by dogrose at 4:02 PM on March 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
The kits are really good. Assemble them, put some dirt in them, plant some plants. You learn to garden by experience. In 2-3 years you'll want to re-work whatever raised beds you create right now, so don't overthink it, just start.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:36 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Lyn Never at 4:36 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you have gophers or similar in Winnipeg, put wire mesh on the bottom of your wood box before you fill it with earth to keep root-eating critters out. A strip of copper tape or wire (bare copper) around the top of the outside edge will keep slugs out.
posted by anadem at 4:59 PM on March 16, 2015
posted by anadem at 4:59 PM on March 16, 2015
You can also just make them from old pallets, although they won't be very deep and wouldn't work for every plant.
posted by dilettante at 6:38 PM on March 16, 2015
posted by dilettante at 6:38 PM on March 16, 2015
Raised beds are pretty easy to make, even with little to no tools/experience. If you want the easiest way out, go with the kit suggestions above. If you want to custom make them follow this advice:
1) Go to local lumber store, or even Home Depot/Lowes for 1x6 (1 inch by 6 inch) x 8 (8 feet long) cedar boards. Do NOT get treated wood. Although a little more expensive, cedar should be used because it is naturally rot resistance. Think about it, do you want to grow your food in soil kept in place by chemical filled wood? For the easiest way, also get the corner brackets (or something similar) as mentioned above).
2) Cut the boards to the desired length (e.g. if you want four foot by four foot beds, cut them in half). If you don't have a saw, most lumber stores will cut them for you for a small fee.
3) Slide boards into bracket. You'll want to stack one 1x6 on top of another to make 11 inch tall beds (1x6 boards are actually 5 1/2 inches wide).
4) Fill with growing media (not regular top soil) to start gardening ASAP.
BAM! Custom made raised garden beds. There are ton of plans with pictures online if you want more details.
posted by Mr. X at 6:42 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
1) Go to local lumber store, or even Home Depot/Lowes for 1x6 (1 inch by 6 inch) x 8 (8 feet long) cedar boards. Do NOT get treated wood. Although a little more expensive, cedar should be used because it is naturally rot resistance. Think about it, do you want to grow your food in soil kept in place by chemical filled wood? For the easiest way, also get the corner brackets (or something similar) as mentioned above).
2) Cut the boards to the desired length (e.g. if you want four foot by four foot beds, cut them in half). If you don't have a saw, most lumber stores will cut them for you for a small fee.
3) Slide boards into bracket. You'll want to stack one 1x6 on top of another to make 11 inch tall beds (1x6 boards are actually 5 1/2 inches wide).
4) Fill with growing media (not regular top soil) to start gardening ASAP.
BAM! Custom made raised garden beds. There are ton of plans with pictures online if you want more details.
posted by Mr. X at 6:42 PM on March 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would like to suggest a straw bale garden. It's super easy and has given me the best harvests I've ever had. And, at the end of the season, you just cut the twine and spread everything out to get composted into the ground. Next year, you can do another straw bale on top but now the ground below will better suited to accept the roots from the plants you grow.
posted by dawkins_7 at 8:18 PM on March 16, 2015
posted by dawkins_7 at 8:18 PM on March 16, 2015
Reasons it would make sense to put in a raised bed instead of just digging up a rectangle of lawn:
1) Your soil is terrible. (Very poorly drained, very stony, very shallow layer of soil over rock or concrete. If healthy-looking grass is growing there now and it isn't noticeably soggy after a rain, you probably don't have any of these conditions.)
2) You'd rather spend money on a lot of bags of soil than spend time digging up grass.
Let's say you want an in-ground bed that's 8 feet long by 3-4 feet wide. I've dug quite a few beds like that myself. It shouldn't take you more than a few hours total. Here's what you do:
1) Mark the corners of your bed by digging up a chunk of sod at each corner.
2) Start at one end and use your shovel to cut out small sections of sod one at a time. Knock as much loose soil as you can off each sod hunk once you've dug it up, either by picking it up and banging its bottom against your shovel or by laying it bottom up and hitting it with your shovel. Then toss them into a pile.
3) Put all the sod into a compost bin or find something else to do with it.
4) Start at one corner of the bed, sink your shovel deeply into the soil and then turn it over. Move your shovel over to the next spot and do it again. Do that with every bit of the bed.
4) Buy some compost or manure and spread it a couple of inches deep on the bed. Repeat the last step, this time digging in the manure as you work.
5) Rake the soil level. (Or not. This isn't so important that you should go out and buy a garden rake if you don't have one.)
posted by Redstart at 9:54 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
1) Your soil is terrible. (Very poorly drained, very stony, very shallow layer of soil over rock or concrete. If healthy-looking grass is growing there now and it isn't noticeably soggy after a rain, you probably don't have any of these conditions.)
2) You'd rather spend money on a lot of bags of soil than spend time digging up grass.
Let's say you want an in-ground bed that's 8 feet long by 3-4 feet wide. I've dug quite a few beds like that myself. It shouldn't take you more than a few hours total. Here's what you do:
1) Mark the corners of your bed by digging up a chunk of sod at each corner.
2) Start at one end and use your shovel to cut out small sections of sod one at a time. Knock as much loose soil as you can off each sod hunk once you've dug it up, either by picking it up and banging its bottom against your shovel or by laying it bottom up and hitting it with your shovel. Then toss them into a pile.
3) Put all the sod into a compost bin or find something else to do with it.
4) Start at one corner of the bed, sink your shovel deeply into the soil and then turn it over. Move your shovel over to the next spot and do it again. Do that with every bit of the bed.
4) Buy some compost or manure and spread it a couple of inches deep on the bed. Repeat the last step, this time digging in the manure as you work.
5) Rake the soil level. (Or not. This isn't so important that you should go out and buy a garden rake if you don't have one.)
posted by Redstart at 9:54 PM on March 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I just screw or nail 4 six by twos together into a square or rectangle and level them. Turn the dirt within that space shovel deep. Add a bale of peat and a 40 lbs of manure. Mix with the dirt you turned. You can grow anything in that.
If you have bird problems, you can nail 1*1s into the corners and net the whole thing. Slug problems? Beer in a pie pan. The slugs crawl in and leave this life happy and maybe they won't be slugs in the next one.
Last year, we were getting 16 inch cukes, 4 lb tomatoes and peppers the size of a baby's head. And a basil tree. The parsley withstood the winter. Eight foot sunflowers in the corners gave the birds something to do.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 2:27 AM on March 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you have bird problems, you can nail 1*1s into the corners and net the whole thing. Slug problems? Beer in a pie pan. The slugs crawl in and leave this life happy and maybe they won't be slugs in the next one.
Last year, we were getting 16 inch cukes, 4 lb tomatoes and peppers the size of a baby's head. And a basil tree. The parsley withstood the winter. Eight foot sunflowers in the corners gave the birds something to do.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 2:27 AM on March 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by muddgirl at 2:51 PM on March 16, 2015