Build a Raised Garden Bed in 5 Easy Steps - On a Budget
So, you want to build a raised garden bed... There are many options for both style and material out there. You want the bed to look good, function well and last for a long time. Wether you are hoping to grow your own vegetables or just add an interesting element to your yard, raised gardens could be the right choice for you. Below are 5 easy steps to get your yard working for you.
Step 1: Size and Location
We decided to add an extra 4' x 4' 2 tier garden bed to balance out our veggie garden area. As you can see in the photo, we already had 3 raised gardens in this area. We decided to make this one a 2 tier garden to balance out the over all look. Some people might ask "why do you need another raised garden?" I look at raised garden beds like tattoos, once you make one you are going to make a bunch more. This will be our 10th raised bed, not including our greenhouse.
"I look at raised garden beds like tattoos, once you make one you are going to make a bunch more."
You can never have to many in our opinion. On top of using these gardens to add to the overall appearance of your yard they are way better for the environment. Plus, you get to grow some delicious veggies for your friends and family to enjoy. Who doesn't want to be able to go into your back yard and grab some fresh tomatoes to add to your salad.
Note: When choosing a spot you want to make sure that area has plenty of sunlight, as well as easy access to all sides of the garden.
Step 2: Choose your materials
We have tried a few different materials including corrugated metal, cedar and pressure treated lumber. They all have their advantages, but for this demonstration we tried to keep the price as low as possible, to make it easy for someone on a tight budget to get a veggie garden up and running. So, we chose to go with pressure treated wood. This type does cost more than non-treated, but will last for years.Here is a breakdown cost of the materials we used:
$36 = 4 - 2x6x8
$12 = 1 - 4x4x8$9 = 1 - Box of 2.5" (star head) screws once you use these screws you will never go back to normal headed screws.$28 = 15 - bags of All Purpose Soil (about 15cu ft)
$85 Total
Note: You might have noticed that weed preventative material is not on our list. We learned early on that the gardens beds do much better if they are connected to the earth. You might have to do a little more weeding at the beginning of the season. But, allowing this helps regulate the moisture as well as the temperature of the bed.
Step 3: Cut the lumber
Since we decided to make a 4'x4' bed with 2 tiers, we cut each of the 2x6x8 pieces in half at 4'. This made 8 equal pieces of 2x6. We wanted the corner 4x4 pieces to stick out the top about 1-2 inches, so we cut each piece 16" long (remember the 2x6's are actually 1.5" x 5.5") Some people dig down to put some of the 4x4 in the ground, I haven't found this to be a necessary step.
Note: make sure to always measure twice, so you only have to cut once! A lesson every DIYer learns at some point ;)
Step 4: Assemble your bed
This is my favorite part! Once all your pieces have been cut, it is time to put it together. Bring all your materials to the spot you are going to assemble the raised garden bed.Before you assemble make sure to check to see if the area you are going to place the fame is level. I typically place each piece in the location it will be and then use a shovel to dig out any high spots there might be.
Now you might ask, why do I need the 4x4s? I use them as the anchor points to hold sides together. I don't actually screw the 2x6s together. You can see me doing this in the picture below.
One all the first level of 2x6s are level and secured to the 4x4s. It is time to add the second level of 2x6s.
Note: the best trick to see if your raised bed is square is to measure the diagonal corners. If the 2 diagonals are equal in length, your bed is square!
Step 5: Add Dirt
We have tried our best to keep all pesticides and other chemicals out of our vegetable gardens. Thus we don't use a brand name "fortified" soil such as Miracle-Gro. These soils that already have fertilizer are fine to use, but they typically contain pesticides and other stuff that we would rather not ingest. They are also way more expensive then the brand we purchase that is local to Colorado and 100% organic.If you are worried about what is in your dirt, you can call around to local dirt delivery companies and find out more about where your dirt is sourced from.
It took about 15cu feet of dirt to fill up our bed.