Make your own raised beds in less than an hour and save big bucks.
Credit: Doreen G. Howard
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EmailEvery time I open a plant catalog or see a television commercial for sale-priced $99 raised bed gardening kits, I cringe! You don't need to spend that kind of money to build your own four-by-four-foot bed or even a 20-foot-long one.
My husband builds mine. He buys two 1 x 8-inch cedar boards, which don't rot with age. They come in 8-foot lengths, which is perfect for 4 x 4-foot beds. Cut each plank in half, so that it is 4-feet long. Or, you can have a home improvement/lumber store make the cuts. Many places will do it for free.
Husband also buys a 3-foot length of a 1 x 1-inch pine stake; he cuts it into four pieces and uses them to nail the cedar boards to at corners for bracing. That's all!
Grouping together several raised beds makes a substantial vegetable garden that is easy to maintain, with no weeding and crops that mature fast
I place the boxes on cleared ground. We cut and roll up our turf, but many gardeners do not think it is necessary. The added 6 inches of soil will bury most of the grass and weeds beneath. After I situate the boxes (four or five grouped together makes a good sized garden), I put down three layers of newspaper to suppress errant weed or grass seeds that might sprout. Paper degrades fully within weeks and feeds the soil.
Another fast, cheap method of building raised beds is to use concrete construction blocks. They have a big bonus. Their holes can be filled with soil mix and planted with herbs or strawberries.
The extra gathered heat from concrete is perfect for Mediterranean-type herbs such as rosemary and lavender. Strawberry plants grow huge and fruit fast in the holes. Each block is 16 inches long by 8 inches high; I purchase mine at big box stores as find the price most reasonable. Beds of 13 feet or longer by 4 feet wide are cheaper to build using blocks than with cedar boards.
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Cement construction blocks are a cheap method of building raised beds.
You will be planting seeds and transplants close, because the beds are smaller and the soil is richer. But, plants grown close together in raised beds mature faster, because they compete for nutrients and sunlight. Each plant senses the distance of others and adjusts its metabolism to compete. Several university studies have proven this competition syndrome by identifying how plants perceive others nearby using the green light spectrum.
This 4 x 4-foot bed is crowded with productive peppers, cucumbers, a tomato plant and insect-repelling flowers that are edible.
Raised Bed Soil Mix
The more organic matter there is in soil, the better. Soil microbes are fed, oxygen and water
readily reach roots and plants thrive. Here’s the recipe I’ve developed in the last decade that
works best for my garden.
For one 4 x 4-foot raised bed. (Multiply amounts to fill larger beds.)
2 bags (2-cubic-feet each) top soil
1 pail (3-cubic-feet) peat moss
1 bag (2 to 3-cubic feet) compost or composted cow manure
2-inch layer of shredded leaves or grass clipping.
If you use grass, make sure the clippings are not from a lawn that has been sprayed with herbicides or been fertilized with a food that contains granular herbicides to kill weeds. Both persist and will kill plants beds up to three years after the initial application.
Mix all materials with a hoe or cultivator and water well. Be sure to mulch well with organic Matter such as more leaves or clippings or straw.
Doreen Howard has written for The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide for 15 years and is the former garden editor at Woman’s Day as well as a photographer. She has grown more than 300 varieties of heirloom edibles and flowers in the last two decades.
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Comments
By Kayla M
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I went to the local home depot, and couldnt find any of the cedar boards. I opted for the untreated douglas fir. The boards were around $5.50 each, for 1x6x8. I actually doubled the height for the bed and made them 4x4x1. The total cost for the project was around $27.00 with the vertical braces. I just finished the first one yesterday and cant wait to finish the second one today. Thank you for the great idea! I was debating to put some chicken wire on the bottom to keep out the gophers. Has anyone else had any problems with gophers in the raised beds?
By Frank C
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Don't know where you're sourcing your cedar boards but where I live, New Jersey, they're $15 and up. In fact I just paid $300 for lumber to build 2 beds 4 feet x 8 feet. And I know I won't get that many vegetables lol.
By Doreen G. Howard
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Since I wrote this blog nearly two years ago, lumber prices have escalated due to several factors. In your area, the Superstorm Sandy drove up prices immediately due to repairs and new construction. Why don't you build your beds with concrete construction blocks. They have gone up in price, too, but they are still reasonable in price--much cheaper than $2000-$300 raised bed kits being sold.
By Trying
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Do I have to kill the grass if I place it on the ground? My first idea was to build a raised bed 3 feet from the ground 6ft x 6ft but I am wondering what I should put on the bottom to hold the soil. Would chicken wire work?
By Almanac Staff
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You can simply put down cardboard or layers of newspaper and then the mix of soil on top of that.
By Linda V
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The cheapest pine in southern CA was $8.59 for an 8 ft board 8" wide. Cedar was out of site.
By Linda V
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That should have read 1"x8"x8'
By T Walker
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I am wanting to have a raised garden bed this year. Question I have is do I just lay bed on the ground or do I put it on something? I really want to try these this year.
By Almanac Staff
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You might want to put down cardboard or newspaper in the area where you'll put your boxes or boards. This will keep the weed and grass seeds buried. Then fill your boxes or beds with a 4 to 12 inches of compost, composted manure, and soil. Good luck!
By thepeachlady
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I used railroad ties from the garden center that were left behind when we bought our home. I covered the ties and the ground with plastic cuz I was worried what was there before me. Planted strawberries and they have progressed nicely over the last 4 years. Except for Mr. Bunny and his family. So I'm going to replace this bed with the concrete blocks. Q: Since 6 layers of newspaper disintegrates at the end of the growing season, does that mean I have to dig it all up next year and put down another 6 layers of paper?
By Doreen G. Howard
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No, you don't have to dig up dirt and replace newspaper. By the end of the first season, weeds are killed. The second season and thereafter, layer more compost and leaf mulch on beds in spring before planting. I dump my shredded leaves in the autumn on the raised beds and let them rot all winter. Then I just add a 2-3 inch layer of compost before planting.
By Naomi darby
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I have been wanting to make a raised garden can old railroad ties work or will the chemicals in them go to the plants?
I live in centeral florida and our yard is reclaimed phosphate land our "yard" is so hard sometimes takes a stick of dynamite to plant a tree or anyting.
got any tips?
By Doreen G. Howard
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I'd avoid railroad ties, even old ones. They leach toxic chemicals for decades. Concrete blocks are an inexpensive substitute.
By wyvonnia
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Can I cut down small trees to make a raised bed garden. Also will white pine needles kill my plants as there is a huge w- pine near my intended spot.
By Doreen G. Howard
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White pine needles make great mulch; they don't harm plants. I wouldn't put a bed over a freshly-cut-down tree. Remaining tree roots sprout new growth many times. Wait a couple of seasons before putting a garden there.
By tryingtogarden
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I am trying to start a garden, my mom had always gardened when I was younger. I am now a college student. I live in NC and the soil near my house is nonexistent, it is mostly clay. I was wondering if I do a raised garden bed and just put newspaper on the bottom and then buy the soil from the store will that work? I will probably go off of the ingredients listed here to put in the bed but I was not sure if it was okay to just put the raised bed on top of leaves if i put newspaper down first?
By Doreen G. Howard
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Yes, do put newspapers down first. If there is turf, mow it as low as possible or scalp the soil with a hoe first. Four layers of paper is best; then layer the organic materials. Garden soil, sold in 3 cubic-foot bags is heavy and really needs peat moss or light compost added to losen up the texture. Good luck!
By meagnene2012
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I was wondering what material you are using in this picture for the walking area of the garden? Did you also put it under the raised beds?
By Doreen G. Howard
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Dirt with straw over it. Weeds are a constant problem in the paths for me. So I scalp them all at season's beginning and then toss straw, shredded leaves or any other slow-to-decay mulch over the paths.
By Terri B
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I wish I could find cedar this cheap. I 1x6x8 is almost 16 dollars so multiply that by 2 and you are already up to 32 bucks not including screws and a piece of wood for the stake. Still love the ideas and it is still cheaper than buying them already made.
By BeckyB
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Would the cinder block bed work in the desert? We live in SW CA where the ground is hard sand.
By Doreen G. Howard
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Cement blocks will hold heat at night and add to the bed's heat during torrid days. You'd be better off with cedar boards, as they won't hold the heat.
By Gerrilf1
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I wanted a raised vegetable bed at our leased camping lot. The ground there is full of rocks. I used vinyl clad garden fencing cut to the height of 19". This was bent into the shape of a "U" by using a 2x4 as a metal break (that I stood on while bending). This left aprox 3.5" bottom of the "U" and the sides of 7.75". I used 18" rebar in the corners and every 3' inside to make it stay more sturdy. Then I got buckets of rocks from my neighbor (who has a huge pile he didn't want) and filled in the whole "U" with rocks. I placed black plastic on the inside of the bed on the walls to keep the dirt inside. The fencing was wired from the outside of the "U" to the inside of "U" on top and all were attached to the rebar also. It retained the soil very well and was very unique looking. Used material I already had or given to me for free, but, don't believe it would cost so much if you had to buy it and it.
By marceia
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I've read that concrete blocks contain chemicals that can leach into the soil and it's not good to use them for food gardens (vs flower). Have you heard of this or know anything about it? I'd LOVE to use blocks if it's safe!
By Doreen G. Howard
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I've never seen any evidence that concrete blocks contain harmful chemicals. But...if block are scavenged, you don't know what has been sprayed on them or what they have absorbed. Stick with new blocks.
By Const.Mgr
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Concrete is made up of lots of chemicals, retarders and C-ash and F-ash and cement and ....I used to make it. Ran a concrete plant. Will it harm your plants or you? I dunno...but if you're worried about the chemicals in there, use wood. :)
By Doreen G. Howard
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Prices do vary by region. You could salvage bricks and blocks from demolition sites for free. I've done that when younger and my budget was very tight. Large rocks work, too, if you can find a siet where you can dig them up for free.
By FrustratedGardener
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We have been in our home for a year now and had a fairly successful garden for a brand new garden. I would really like to make it a series of raised gardens but the cost of cedar in Ontario is aprox $20 per plank and the cement block is $3.62 per block. Both options work out to be about $100 per bed sized 4x12. Sigh any other suggestions?
By GardnerWannabee
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Hey 49hillbilly, did the gophers stay out of the raised garden? I've thought I'd have to put down some hardware cloth to keep them out, because I'm over run with them.
By Isabel Santamaria
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I'm planting garlic and onions. Could I add Vermiculite to the mixture? How much?
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