DIY Raised Beds

We took advantage of the gorgeous weather this weekend and got to work outside. We've wanted to put in some raised beds for a vegetable garden and finally got around to it this year. The past two summers I grew a few herbs and other plants in pots, but that just wasn't enough! Raised beds seem to be easier. It's easier for the plants to grow in the loose topsoil, easier to protect from animals stopping by for a snack, easier to keep weed free, and easier on your back as you harvest your bounty. I like easy. We determined the perfect spot for them getting the maximum amount of sun, next to our detached garage. Eventually the chicken coop will go there too so the chickens will be able to hang out in the garden. We decided on making three 3x10" frames. The narrow bed will allow easy access on all sides. Each is made with 4x4 posts and two 2x6 beams stacked on top of each other.

Materials Used (For one bed):

(1) 8' 4x4 Cedar
(6) 10' 2x6 Douglas Fir
(32) Epoxy coated decking screws
(3) Brown paper yard waste bags
About one half a yard of vegetable topsoil

Tools Used:

Miter Saw
Power drill
Post hole digger
Shovel
Spray Paint
Tape Measure
Pencil

Step One:
Plan where to put your bed(s). You'll want a spot that gets at least 4-5 hours of sun a day.

Step Two:
Consider your materials. We decided to use non-pressure treated wood in our beds. This makes the lumber considerably more expensive, but call me crazy, I didn't want chemicals eeking into our homegrown food. We got our wood at a home improvement store, and the non-pressure treated options were fir and cedar for the sizes we needed. An employee also informed me that animals don't like the smell of the cedar wood, so bonus. Be certain to look down the end of each board to get the straightest pieces possible.

Step Three:
This is a given, but as you gather your materials, also make sure you have all your tools ready to go. I hate when I have to stop a project because I forgot about a certain component.

Step Four:
Measure your wood, and cut your pieces with a miter saw. You'll be working with four 10' 2x6 boards, four 3' 2x6 boards and four 2' 4x4 pieces.

  

Step Five:
Assemble the end pieces. Lay down two 4x4 pieces and place two short 2x6 pieces on top. Use a level to line up the sides and the ends. Because you measured accurately, they'll line up perfectly. Screw in two decking screws on each end. We started using regular screws, and quickly realized our mistake. The epoxy coated decking screws won't rust and the square head doesn't strip the screw head as you drill it into the wood. Continue to assemble both end pieces.

Step Seven:
Balance your end pieces on their sides and lay the two 2x6 boards down (this will be much easier with two people). Arrange the boards so that there is as little space in between them as possible. At this point you have the option to leave a corner gap or line them up evenly. We chose to leave the corner gap so we can place bamboo stakes in the corners for netting around each bed. Two screws per end again. Flip it over carefully and add the last two boards.

Step Eight:
At this point the bed is assembled, now you have to get it in the ground. The purpose of the 4x4s is to anchor the beds. We placed the bed exactly where we wanted it to go then spray painted around the feet. Now we know where to start digging! I'd say this is the most labor extensive part. Our yard has a lot of stones and gravel so we started the hole with a shovel and finished it with a post digger. You could certainly do it all with a shovel but it's a little more work that way. When the holes are dug about a foot deep, lift the bed and place the legs in the holes. If your bed isn't laying flat you might have to even out the ground by digging chunks in certain spots.

Step Nine:
In order to minimize weeds in the veggies it's important to line the bed with newspaper or landscaping fabric. Remember when I said "make sure you have all your materials first"? I forgot about this part, so instead of newspaper we used large brown paper yard waste bags that we had on hand. It'll do the same job, but a stack of newspapers probably would have been cheaper.

Step Ten:
Time to add your topsoil! There are lots of different kinds of "dirt". Since we made three beds, buying bags of topsoil from Home Depot would have been silly. We got a yard of a vegetable topsoil mix from a local landscaping supplier. A "yard" of dirt is the measurement of a cubic yard. So whip out your calculator and multiply length x width x height to find the volume of the bed. A yard also happens to be about a "truckful".

This only took 4 hours from start to finish, with a lunch break in between. It's a really simple project and much easier than I anticipated. Now you can plant your seeds or plants in their new home. I planted some lettuce, carrots and onions right away!