Raised garden beds

[Mouse]

Does anyone have experience building raised garden beds? I'm looking for ideas and possibly sources for materials. My wife wants me to build some for her garden in order to help better control weeds and to be more efficient with watering.

My wife has been showing me kits that use galvanized metal for the sides. I'd like to make these robust enough to last a few seasons, so picking the right materials is key. I don't think I want to use RR ties though.

 

[I Lean]

I used redwood 2x8's. (or 2x10's maybe?) Plus a 4x4 post in each corner. They've been good for 8 years or so now....

 

[Kevin B.]

I've got two kinds. One is just stacked masonry blocks I bought cheap from the seconds piles at the masonry place off the freeway in Lehi (I probably should have used mortar but they've lasted several years already?), the other is 2x8s and some puzzle piece blocks from Home Depot with rebar driven down the center.

 

[Unimog]

Probably not what you are looking for, but I just create furrows out of the dirt each year. Keeps water efficiently by the plants and easy to keep the weeds down between the rows. It doesn't look as nice as constructed beds, but functions the same in every way. Also not my original idea, it is just the most basic form of bed from the Mittleider method. I have liked the raised boxes I've seen some people build - way easier on the back!

 

[Herzog]

I don't think I want to use RR ties though.

You definitely don’t want to use any kind of treated wood. The treatment will leach into the soil. Not good for ya.

 

[Coco]

Funny this popped up, my wife and I are trying to figure this out now haha.

She wants to do this style:

DIY Raised Garden Beds - EASY!

Come see why these DIY garden beds are SO dang fast and easy to build. You can have your garden started in no time!

thegirlinspired.com

I want to do this style with just galvanized tanks (cheaper, and easier - I personally think it looks better too):
https://www.calranch.com/223-round-end-tank-71-gal-galvanized.html (different sizing however)

We will likely be doing it her way though. We will have to figure out a drip system at some point for them as well.

 

[Kevin B.]

You definitely don’t want to use any kind of treated wood. The treatment will leach into the soil. Not good for ya.

This. I used pressure treated dimensional and lined the box with black plastic.

 

[I Lean]

Funny this popped up, my wife and I are trying to figure this out now haha.

She wants to do this style:

DIY Raised Garden Beds - EASY!

Come see why these DIY garden beds are SO dang fast and easy to build. You can have your garden started in no time!

thegirlinspired.com

I want to do this style with just galvanized tanks (cheaper, and easier - I personally think it looks better too):
https://www.calranch.com/223-round-end-tank-71-gal-galvanized.html (different sizing however)

We will likely be doing it her way though. We will have to figure out a drip system at some point for them as well.

Drip system is KEY. Along with some sort of timer so it's automatic.

 

[Tebbsjeep]

This is what I made my wife two years ago. If I did it again, I'd make two boxes 4x4x1 instead of one 4x4x2. It was a trial run. We need to redo our gardening area this year.

 

[johngottfredson]

Decide beforehand how much time is going to be spent bent over. If a lot, not a bad plan to use larger dimension lumber or block to create a little seat wall to sit on and tend things. 18-20" high for this use is best.

I've seen raised planters 10 years old and still going built out of douglas-fir 2x material, not pressure treated or redwood, which was surprising.

If you want to be gangster get some cedar posts from IFA (or the desert). Made from utah juniper, it resists rot naturally, and you could lead out with a new rustic grow box technique. I'll give you that one for free.

 

[Kiel]

I'm working on mine this weekend. Ended up with cal rance rubbermaid stock tanks. 50 gallon. Grabbed cheaper cinder blocks to elevate them and some perforated gutter pipe for drainage and ball valves for drains

 

[DAA]

I made this one out of redwood 7 years ago.

It still looks good. Filled it with potting soil. Grows veggies like ten sunsabitches.

- DAA

 

[jeeper]

I made some out of metal. The sun can really heat them up. A couple that are in direct sun all day have a hard time growing anything. I'd go for a wood or vinyl slat box.

 

[Coco]

I just posted this in the Pic of the Day thread, but figured it was applicable here as well.

This was this weekend's project.

Friday my cousin came down from Idaho to get some seats for his RZR, and helped me drop a dead branch in our big tree.

View attachment 137166

The tree actually has several more big/dead branches way up further, so I don't know how much longer we will have this thing around. It isn't something I want to mess with.


After he left Saturday morning, we ran up to the Salt Lake dump for a bed of compost. My wife bought 2 yards... I don't think either of us realized just how much compost this was!

View attachment 137168

We tarped it down the best we could, and drove (very slowly) home to Lehi.

When we got home, I cut up the big branch, and loaded the bottom of the garden box. After that we did two bags of grass clippings, then loaded a mixture of the compost, vermiculite, and peat moss to fill the box.

View attachment 137167
View attachment 137165

This was all the dirt we ended up needing to fill that box. Ended up asking all the neighbors, friends, whoever I could to take the rest.

View attachment 137164

Monday I finished cleaning up the yard from the dead limb, mowed the backyard, and setup the drip line system in the box, as well got the sprinkling system and drip system working. Found a puncture in my funny pipe that I buried when I added an extra sprinkler, and ran the drip line over to the box. It had looked like someone ran a nail through it, but not quite sure how that would have happened. Luckily it was an easy fix.

Got all the sprinklers adjusted and set up, as well as all the plants replanted. Hopefully everything should work well, and we can get everything to grow, as long as we can keep Gunther out of it.

View attachment 137169

Still need to do the 2x6 top border/shelf, and then stain the wood (hopefully tonights project) then it should be good to go.

 

[bryson]

I have 30 of these concrete panels that I'm going to use to assemble 5 4'x8' boxes. The panels are each 4' long and 1' tall. They pin together with a single piece of #4 rebar at each joint, and can be made to any shape or dimension (multiples of 4') with right angles. They are each made with a 80# bag of concrete. They better last forever. Pic stolen from the KSL ad where I bought them.

 

[Coco]

I have 30 of these concrete panels that I'm going to use to assemble 5 4'x8' boxes. The panels are each 4' long and 1' tall. They pin together with a single piece of #4 rebar at each joint, and can be made to any shape or dimension (multiples of 4') with right angles. They are each made with a 80# bag of concrete. They better last forever. Pic stolen from the KSL ad where I bought them.

View attachment 137171

Those are pretty good looking as well! I like the simplistic design.