Gardening can be a rewarding and satisfying hobby, but not everyone has a yard or soil that’s suitable for growing plants. That’s where raised garden beds come in handy. They’re perfect for beginners because they’re easy to build, maintain, and customize. A raised garden bed is an elevated gardening area that provides many benefits such as improved soil quality, better drainage, and easier access for gardening. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of building a raised garden bed for beginners.
Step 1: Choose the Location and Size of Your Garden Bed
Before you start building your raised garden bed, you need to choose the location and size of your garden bed. The location should be flat, receive at least 6 hours of sunlight daily and be easily accessible for watering and maintenance. You can choose a spot in your backyard, on a balcony (with proper drainage), or even on a rooftop if you live in an urban area. Once you’ve found the perfect location, measure the area to determine how big you want your garden bed to be. The size of your garden bed will depend on how much space you have and how much you want to plant. A good size for beginners is 3ft x 6ft or 4ft x 8ft.
As for how deep you make your garden bed, each person will have different opinions. You should at least follow a minimum depth guide for what you want to plant.
- Shallow-rooted plant (lettuce and herbs) – 6 inches of soil or deeper
- Medium-rooted plants (carrots, radishes or peppers) – 12 inches of soil or deeper
- Deep-rooted plants (cucumbers, tomatoes, kale or zucchini/squash) – 18 inches of soil or deeper
Your raised garden can either lay flat on the ground or be up in the air with legs like a table to your desired height.
Step 2: Gather Materials
The materials you will need for building your raised garden bed include:
- Wood planks (Untreated lumber, cedar, redwood, pine, or recycled plastic lumber)
- 1×6 inch by 6 feet or 8 feet boards can be used for the sides
- 2×2 inch boards to be used to join the 4 corners
- Wood saw (unless you can buy exact dimension boards)
- Galvanized screws (2-1/2 inches long or longer if you are using thicker side boards)
- Drill
- Measuring Tape
- Level
- Weed barrier fabric or landscape fabric
- Scissors or knife to cut the fabric
- Compost or soil
- Mulch or straw (optional)
You can buy the lumber and screws at your local hardware store, and the weed barrier or landscape fabric can be found at the same store or a garden center. If you’re using recycled plastic lumber, you can purchase it from an online retailer or a garden center that specializes in eco-friendly products.
Step 3: Build the Frame
Now that you have chosen the location, size and gathered the materials, it’s time to start building your raised garden bed. Follow these steps:
- Start by cutting the lumber to the desired length and width of your garden bed. A standard size for a raised garden bed is 4 feet by 8 feet, but you can adjust the size to fit your space.
- Cut the 2×2 board to the desired height of your garden bed (example being 12 or 18 inches).
- Build your garden bed on the location you want to place it or near to your desired location.
- Make sure the frame is level. Use galvanized screws to attach the corners of the frame together. Screw the ends of your planks to the 2×2 boards to form right angles with the short and long side boards. Keep doing this to form a rectangle. Optionally, you can use a drill to make pilot holes before screwing the planks together. Once completed, you should have 4 walls (2 short and 2 long) with the top and bottom of the rectangle open.
- Optionally, you can add a couple more 2×2 boards vertically in the middle of the longer sides to strengthen them.
If you want your raised garden to be taller and up in the air like a table, make sure to cut the 2×2 boards longer and add a reinforced wooden bottom to your garden bed.
Step 4: Install the Weed Barrier
After you’ve built the frame, it’s time to install the weed barrier or landscape fabric. This will prevent weeds from growing up through the soil and into your garden bed. Cut the weed barrier to the size of your frame and lay it inside the frame. Make sure the barrier covers the entire bottom of the frame and that there are no gaps or holes. Overlap the weed barrier as needed.
Alternatively, you can use big pieces of cardboard slightly overlapping each other to prevent weeds from growing through. The cardboard will eventually decompose into compost over time and add to the soil. Cardboard may only last for a growing season.
Step 5: Fill the Frame with Soil
Once the weed barrier is in place, it’s time to fill the frame with soil or compost. You can use a mix of topsoil, compost, and peat moss, or purchase a pre-mixed soil specifically designed for raised garden beds. Optionally, you can make your own compost and either use it next year or add it to your garden for a boost in nutrients. Fill the frame to the top, leaving about an inch of space at the top to allow for mulch or straw.
Step 6: Add Mulch or Straw
Finally, add a layer of mulch or straw to the top of your soil. This will help retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing. You can use any type of organic mulch, such as leaves, grass clippings, straw, or wood chips. Spread the mulch or straw evenly across the surface of the soil, leaving about an inch of space around the edges of the frame. Note that if you use grass clippings, make sure the clippings don’t have any weed seeds mixed into them nor have been sprayed by chemicals for weed control.
Step 7: Plant Your Garden
Now that your raised garden bed is built and filled with soil, it’s time to plant your garden. Here are some tips for planting:
- Choose plants that are suitable for the location and the season. Check the plant tag/packaging or consult a gardening guide for information about the plant’s sunlight, water, and soil requirements.
- Space your plants according to their mature size. Overcrowding can lead to poor growth and disease.
- Water your plants regularly. Raised garden beds can dry out quickly, so check the soil moisture daily and water as needed.
- Add organic matter such as compost or mulch to your garden bed regularly to improve soil quality and fertility.
- Protect your plants from pests and diseases by monitoring them regularly and applying organic pesticides or fungicides as needed.
Conclusion
Building a raised garden bed is a great way for beginners to start gardening. It’s an easy and affordable project that can be completed in just a few hours. With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can have a beautiful garden that provides fresh produce, herbs, and flowers all season long. Happy gardening!