3 Undeniable Benefits of Raised Garden Beds|How to Build Your Own

A Raised bed garden implies a technique of gardening that enhances your soil to a greater level. The bed level can range from 4 inches tall by utilizing a 2×4 wooden panel to a yard tall to ensure that no bending is required. Raised garden beds are sometimes termed garden boxes.

Raised beds may consist of a frame built from concrete blocks, wood, and bricks among other recycled materials. These garden boxes are on the ground’s surface, suitable for small-scale gardening, and enable rigorous gardening that you may not experience on inground planting.

Here are the undeniable benefits of raised gardening beds and how to construct your own:

Starting with Better Soil Boosts Plant Growth

The key advantage of opting for a raised bed garden instead of an in-ground one is soil health. The quality of soil tends to vary. Some soils are claylike while others are sandy and loamy. It might take several years to enhance the quality of the soil in your garden.

It is recommended to add compost to your raised bed garden gradually to help elevate your soil quality. You should avoid waiting to have quality soil to build your garden box.

For instance, if you have ever dealt with water logging in a small in-ground garden during summer, you might opt for a raised garden bed instead. The claylike soil is typically compact and lacks adequate aeration, drainage, and essential nutrients for your vegetable gardening.

If you prefer small-scale farming, then a raised bed garden is a practical way to boost the growing conditions of your garden swiftly.

Maximize Your Harvest: Techniques for a More Abundant Yield

With a raised bed garden, the soil quality is better since it encompasses proper drainage, nutrients, and great aeration. All these aspects may result in a more abundant harvest. The amount of vegetables you can grow in one raised garden bed is incredible.

You can build various sizes of raised beds for various plants like berries, herbs, and vegetables among other plants. You can use raised garden beds for flowers too. It is also beneficial to opt for raised-bed gardening because of the quantity of food you can plant in such a small area.

It is advisable to use a square-foot garden together with raised beds and you will love the outcome.

Easy Maintenance with Square Foot Gardening: Simplify Your Garden Care

Various things can be offered by raised bed gardening when it comes to garden maintenance. The primary benefit of raised bed gardening is that it prevents unwanted plants and grass from transforming your garden beds. However, the beds cannot eliminate them.

Besides, the ideal part of the raised bed gardening on maintenance is how much simpler it can be on your body. Gardening implies a passionate activity where you apply all forms of yoga during sowing, weeding, and harvesting. Gardening might result in knee and back pains sometimes.

This is something you need to be aware of and take precautions by avoiding prolonged bending. Once you have experienced any injuries or looking to prevent them, you should opt for a raised bed garden. Also, you can construct a ledge on your raised bed, to enable you to sit on the edge.

Besides, you can construct a base and some legs to help lift your raised bed to a level where you can stand while working your garden. A bed with these has great aesthetic appeal and is easy to work on.

Pest Control is Simpler with These Expert Strategies

A neat garden has minimal pests, specifically when referring to slugs. Crisp gravel pathways surrounding your raised garden beds are perfect for keeping the slug population down since they don’t like traversing them. With raised garden beds, it is simple to attach crop safeguard structures too, similar to small-scale tunnel systems.

A compact tunnel setup can be mounted on the side of a raised bed using hinged fasteners and offers easy access to the and a safe and tight fit that may not blow around when encountering heavy winds. Additionally, raised beds enhance the growth of plants.

The deep rich soil implies you will achieve more robust growth from your vegetable plants; and in many instances, you can plant more densely enhancing productivity in a small area.

How to Build Raised Garden Beds: Best Methods and Tips

If you have been curious about building a raised garden bed, this article is an excellent starting point. It will help you walk through each project, providing insights and tips you can utilize to build the best raised garden beds of your own.

Here are the best techniques and tips:

Top Places to Source Materials for Your Project

If you don’t have extra materials available at home, you should get creative and improvise some. Ask around individuals who are looking to eliminate some extra materials. You can purchase your material from an online marketplace.

Often, if you visit online platforms like Facebook marketplace, you might find someone selling the material you need. People don’t typically like to waste valuable materials.

However, they may be willing to offer them for free, especially when you can go to collect them. Besides, if you are unable to finish your project or raised garden beds dream in a year, then you can approach them in phases.

Materials Required for Better Results

• Post to stabilize the garden bed
• Concrete blend for setting the posts holding the garden bed frame
• String for aligning the corners and sides
• Cedar clippings for connecting the frames and attaching the metal to
• Metal- roofing tin, or corrugated / non-corrugated barn. If you are not choosy when it comes to color matching, scraps are generally easy to find
• Sheet metal sheers-hand held sheers may work. However, you will be dealing with plenty of tins, so you should opt for a circular saw with the ideal blade. This will enhance work speed and efficiency
• Screws– metal screws are suitable for building raised garden beds. You should go for three and a half inch or four inches deck mate star-headed screw
• Use a garden fabric for the bottom lining and prevent the grasses and unwanted weeds from, growing up
• Soil-nutrient-rich soil will be ideal. If you have suitable soil for the bottom section, then nutritional soil for the top twelve inches is a great kick-off

Choosing the Ideal Shape and Size for Your Raised Garden Bed

You can design your raised garden beds to your liking and according to what will align with your property. When building your garden, you need to explore creative possibilities. Conduct some research to ensure the plants you intend to grow will flourish in your design.

You can go for 4 feet wide by 48 feet long and 18 inches deep raised garden beds. This width implies you can navigate through the center of the beds comfortably, but facilitates vertical trellises for growing. You can also add upright arches between the beds, while still maintaining a significant amount of space for other plants to grow.

If you prefer multiple garden beds, ensure there is a space for easy movement between them. Four feet between them is a great distance to navigate freely and also to utilize small equipment such as pushing the wheelbarrow through at harvest time.

How to Install Corner Posts for Your Raised Garden Beds

• The primary step is to set the endposts
• You need to use shorter cedar posts that are about four feet tall
• Position them four feet apart and evaluate the length of your garden at 48 feet
• Set two more posts at four-feet intervals
• When it comes to these corner posts, use concrete to fix in the bed

How to Set the Remaining Posts for Your Raised Garden Beds

• Once you have installed the corner posts, stretch a string from end to end on the corner posts’ sides
• Determine the position of each post by measuring and marking every 8 feet using spray paint or markers
• Dig the hole with whatever technique you mentioned above. For these posts, make the backfilling process easier by using dirt to hold them
• Keep in mind that raised garden beds will still grow healthy vegetables whether it is perfectly squared or not

How to Use Cedar Trimming in Your Garden Project

The cedar trimming is attached to each post to fasten the metal you intend to attach in the next step. You require two cedar trimmings to set up your garden bed. Install a bottom and a top one, and run them in the inside of the posts.

Screws come at a higher price than nails but cost effective in the long run. Nails are less durable and will need to be replaced over time.

How to Cut and Secure Tin for Your Garden Bed Project

There are two main types of tins: roofing and barn tin. The roofing tin is three feet wide and the perfect for raised beds. When cut in half, it provides you with two 18-feet widths. Note that if you can access the barn tin, you can use it for areas where you require end pieces or extra support.

It helps if the ridges in the tins are matching up. You can cut tins in various ways,s including:

• Metal cutting drill attachment
• Hand snips
• Rigid skill saw

Line Your Garden Beds for Better Plant Growth

To prevent unwanted plants from invading your plants, it helps to line the bottom with garden fabric. Ensure you utilize a material composed of drainage. Finally, you can fill the beds with nutrient-rich soil.

Not everyone will have the ideal equipment and manpower resources to build raised garden beds. Don’t be discouraged by this. The project may take longer but eventually, you will finish it.