How to Make a Raised Garden Bed For Beginners 2019

It is without prejudice to other professions, but going into the farming business is one of the most accomplishing jobs you can embark on, whether you’re doing it as a hobby or as a full-scale business.

Whatever the reason for starting a farming business, you would need to get some things in other, you’ll definitely need the right tools and the right farming kits and know how to maximize your farming activities.

If you’re on this page, then it means you’re serious about farming, so I’ll be giving you some tips on how to make a raised garden bed (amongst other things), and how to maximize your cultivation.

Raising a bed is not only easy to construct, but also to maintain, plus its offers to your bed, a lot of myriads.

The first thing to note when you want to raise a bed is that it takes so much diligence and hard work (just like any other profession), but in the end, it’s worth it, as you’ll begin to enjoy the benefits of your hard work.

What are Raised Garden Beds

We’ve been going on and on about how raised garden bed helps your produce, that we forgot to understand the fundamental thing; the meaning of raised garden beds.

A raised garden bed is an enclosed bed construction, a large container, that usually sits above the ground and is packed with soil. It has no bottom or a top, just a frame that holds the soil together, which is the perfect design for letting all the sunlight into it. All that you would need to do to make the bed complete, is to fill it with top grade soil, one filled with a natural mineral that will be good for the crops.

Step by Step Process of Raising a Garden Bed

Like I said earlier, raising a garden bed is not that hard, all you’ll need to do is follow these simple procedures and you’re good to go.

1.       Location is Important:

The first thing you’ll need to do is find a good location for your bed. Getting a good location to raise your bed cannot be over-emphasized. For one, you’ll need your bed to be positioned where you can get enough sunlight. Sunlight is good for the crops; it helps them grow strong and healthy. Enough sunlight will be good for the overall performance of the crops.

Another thing you should bear in mind when you’re looking for a location is its proximity to water. For those of you who have short hoses and are not planning on getting one soon, it will be wise that you make your bed as close to the tap as possible.

Finally, with regards to location, you’ll need to situate your bed where you know rodents may not be able to reach easily.

1.       Mounting your Bed:

The next thing to consider when you’re planning a bed raise is the mounting of the bed. As soon as you’re done with finding a good spot for your bed, the next will be mounting the board, and under this sub-heading, we’ll look at how we can place the boards.

•        Know the dimension of the bed: for this illustration, I’ll be using a 4 x 8-foot bed. If you want to make the bed yourself from scratch, these are the things you’ll need; four 2 by 12 planks, two of them should be 8 feet long, and the other two, 4 feet long. 12 pieces of 2 feet long rebar will be needed as well. A rubber mallet and some newspaper and cardboard.
•        Position all the boards: now you’ve gotten all you need the next step will be to position your board (planks) let all the planks be touching each side, with the 8-foot-long boards facing each other (likewise the 4 feet planks). To keep them in place, you’ll need to hammer the rebar by the side of the planks; 2 for each side of the 8-foot-long planks, and one rebar for each side of the 4-foot-long planks.
•        Hold the boards together: the next step will be to fasten the boards together, whether you’re using nails or hinges, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that the boards are fastened tight enough.
•        Add more support to the bed: there is a possibility that you won’t be moving the bed anytime soon, so what you do is that you add more rebar on all sides of the bed and hammer it to the ground. Since there are 12 rebars, you’ll distribute them accordingly; 4 on each side of the 8-foot-long planks and 2 on each side of the 4-foot-long planks.

You’re done with homemade construction. This bed is on the ground but you can make one that doesn’t have to touch the ground, but seeing as that model is hard to make, it will be advisable that you get the premade beds and just assemble them yourself.

The depth of the bed is also another factor to consider. If you’re planting crops with long roots, or tuber and root crops, then you’ll need a deep bed, as about 20 inches deep. But where the crops have surface roots, then you don’t have to worry about making the bed too deep; 7-12 inch will do.

One of the mistakes people make is that they make the bed extra wide, feeling that they may benefit more from a wide be, but no! it doesn’t work like that. When the bed is too wide, you may not be able to reach the center of the bed, thus that part will lack much attention, in terms of weeding, watering, supplementing nutrition and all the other great benefits that accrue from making a small bed. Thus it is advisable that your bed should be big enough for your hands to cover the entire perimeter.

Selecting the right kind of wood is not something that you should take trivially. Since the plan is to use the bed for a long, it is advisable that you a water-resistant wood, one that can take on all the chemicals and water intended for the crops without rotting. Woods such as oak, cedar, redwood and all the other woods that are rot resistant are the recommended wood for you.

1.    Getting the right soil and filling-in:

All the steps I’ve listed so far may seem easy, but the truth is, it’s a bit complicated and you’ll need to follow the steps diligently. And the next step will be getting your soil. The type and texture, content and porosity of the soil should all be taken into account, for they will invariably affect the produce at the end of the day. But that is not to say you would not have good produce, all I’m saying is that the kind of soil will affect your yield.

This is how your soil should look like; a dark and rich soil, that is loaded with enough microorganisms. The soil should be a blend of quality topsoil and well-aged compost. The topsoil should take about 60% of the soil, and the compost should take the remaining 40%. With this blend, you can rest assured that you get the required texture and nutrient for the bed.

Before you start a growing season, you’ll need to test the soil pH level as well as its nutrient content. The result of the test will determine the next step to take to improve the nutrient on the soil. To boost the health of the soil, you could dress the bed by adding ½ inch of compost during the growing season.

Filling the bed is simple. After you’ve gotten your soil, and newspaper or cardboard, the next thing to do is to place the cardboard or newspaper at the bottom of the bed construction till it covers everywhere, then you fill in the bed with your rich soil.

The Rationale Behind Making a Raised Garden Bed

We will be looking at the benefits, rationale, advantages, proponents (whatever you want to call it) of making a raised garden bed at home because there are some benefits to making raised garden beds at home.

The first on my list is that making a raised garden bed makes the garden chores much easier and comfortable. You’ll need to bend and kneel less, saving the back and knee from pain and strain

Another benefit of having the raised garden beds is that it that, it increases the productivity of the plants, as the drainage is better and the rooting system deeper.

Following the trends of benefits is that fact that using the raised garden bed can fit into small spaces, for those who are planning to take on farming as a leisure activity.

One other advantage of using the raised garden bed is that you have full control over your environment and your tool, from the soil to the kits. You get to pick the quality of the soil, as well as its nutrient contents. Continuing on the benefits, with raised beds you can enjoy longer seasons for growing crops. The fact that you are in control of the kind of soil you want, means a lot to you. It means you get to control the texture of the soil (making it soft and ready for cultivation), irrespective of the season and how they affect the soil.

Another good rationale behind the use of raised beds is that you get to worry about a few weeds growing on your bed. Because the soil in the bed is not directly connected to the soil on the ground, there is a possibility that the weed may not be able to get that nutrient that it needs to survive, seeing that the raised bed is a controlled environment.

There are many sites that talks about how to make a garden, but only a few, go down to the step by step process of building the garden. It might sound easy, but it would require some level of technical know-how, which is why you may need to call in a carpenter or farmer who done this bed, from time to time to help you when you’re stuck.

Making a deeper bed

There are a few of you that may want to increase the depth of the bed; well it’s easy to do so without having to spend so much. What you’ll need are some blocks that you can place on the ground before you mount the boards. This method is particularly helpful, where the crops are root crops.

Premade Beds

In other to dispense of the need to make the beds yourself, there are some premade beds that are available for you. You can get these beds at subsidized rates and discount offers (where one is available). They are however some beds that are recommended, for you. So here are some of the beds you could use.

Frame It All Composite Raised Garden Bed Kits

Overview

The frame it all bed is the perfect blend of class and ease. It is the ideal bed for planting all your veggies and herbs you can use to make your delicious green tea. The kit comes complete, loaded with stacking points. It is also an Eco-friendly kit that looks out for the environment.

It is made from recycled plastic and natural and renewable wood fiber, making it a hybrid raised garden, suitable for all kinds of situations, like, weather resistant and non-scratch surface, need I mention, it is rot resistant. These kinds of features keep the bed sharp and new all year round.

You could get the frames at very affordable prices, and is perfect for small spaces plus it can cater for all small farming needs.

Features

Some killer features of the raised garden bed include;

•        It is engineered with non-biodegradable materials, like plastic, blended with would fiber.
•        Has a five warranty plan
•        It is whether surface resistant
•        Has anti-scratching properties
•        Its finishing is crisp white
•        The model gives you an endless design option.

CedarCraft Cascading Garden Planter

Overview

This unique garden planter is one of our finest collections of cascading garden planter, that gives you the step feature, with enough space for you to grow fairly average vegetables and herbs. You can use this piece of beauty on your patios and balcony as it can fit into compacted areas and still provide enough room for you to work with. Feel free to call it the mother or space reservation, because you can maximize your footing ground around this planter, without needing to get on the bed.

Features

Some of its salient features include

•        It has a small and limited space design, perfect for all kinds of situation, with regards to space.
•        Has a vertical three-tier design which helps to maximize the square footing advantage of the users.
•        It is perfect for growing your favorite veggies like strawberries, and all your herbs, for cooking and drinking (as tea).
•        Requires no tools, to assemble
•        It is made with 100% cedar wood, which makes it resistible to rotting. Thus its lifespan is prolonged.

Frame It All Two Inch Series Composite Star Raised Garden Bed

Overview

The star raised bed is a one of a kind bed that is not as easy to set up but is very fun to use. It brings out the beauty of the crops, with the shape. Just like stars, you can make your garden bright each time you walk into it.

This bed has two levels; the higher level of the bed is in the middle for access. It has so many compartments that you could just plant a crop on each side, without really running out of space.

You could use the top level layers to plant bright plants, to bring out the color in your bed. Not only that, seeing that you would not want to disturb your bed, the flowers would act as décor, while other meals will be down, on the lower level layers.

Features

•        it is made with a sienna composite board. The woods are textured and perfectly blended to fit into any environment.
•        it has a five warranty, to show the efficacy of the plant. Not just beautiful, but also durable.
•        Is also has eco-friendly features; the composite boards are 38% post-consumer recycled plastic, and the rest is 62% sustainable hardwood fiber.
•        You will need a few tools and a few hands to help you with the setup. The boards can be cut with your hand or power saw, to get the dimensions and angles that you want.
•        It won’t rot, fade or warp easily like pure wood

Frame It All One Inch Series Composite Versatile Sunburst Raised Garden Bed Kit

Overview

With a French revolutionary design, giving you that European touch, the sunburst raised bed is one bed you can’t help but get.

There are three levels and nine separate sections for planting your veggies and herbs. Plus, with so many spaces, you can level out all your planting options. If you are out of space, you could simply just combine the veggies on a section of the raised bed.

The bed is ideal for planting annual colorful crops, making your backyard a pleasant mix of herbs and vegetables.

The insulating open-channel helps to trap air conducive for the crops grow. Plus, it also keeps the soil warmer so that the roots don’t shrivel into dry sticks. It is the perfect insulation system.

Features

•        It has 9 terraces that can hold a variety of crops
•        The wood is a combination of recycled plastics and hardwood fiber, which means that it is more susceptible to lasting longer than cedar woods.
•        You don’t need so many tools (a screw and a mallet at the most), all you need is a few manpower to help assemble the bed and you’re good to go
•        The sienna wood is so finely textured that it can blend into any environment with ease.

Palram Plant Inn Raised Garden Bed

Overview

This bed is the perfect bed for all those who want to maximize the small space they have. Its height is just perfect, as it spans up to 28-inch off the ground, allowing everyone to gain access to it. It allows for steady airflow and steady control of the temperature.

It has enough space under it to accommodate plenty of soil, meaning you can plant deep-rooted flowers, veggies, and herbs in the planter.

Features

•        it caters for those who have small spaces and need to farm. Plus, its square footing is conducive for prospective buyers.
•        Its design is a corrosive resistant aluminum, which makes it safe from rusting when you’re watering the bed.
•        Because of its design, you can use the bed for a long time, without experiencing rust, or wear and tear. Its assembly process is also another reason why it is so strong.
•        The roof up top is hinged to aid ventilation and airflow, providing the plant with enough air to grow.
•        The space underneath it is enough to accommodate a large amount of soil, making it practically able to house deep-rooted crops

CedarCraft Self-Watering Elevated Cedar Planter

Overview

The bed is both flexible and convenient in that. The bed has its own self-watering system. You can use it on your balcony, patio or backyard, and is perfect for planting crops like tomatoes, garden egg, vegetables, and herbs. With a planters kit, you could assemble the bed yourself, following the instructions on the manual.

Features

•        It is made with the finest wooden material. The wood is resistant to rotting, from the constant water that the bed will receive.
•        A self-watering system sure does save a lot of time and resources. Luckily, the bed has got just what you need, a watering schedule that takes manual watering off your hand
•        Its knee height makes it reachable from all sides to the owners of the bed.

Frame It All Two inch Series Composite L Shaped Raised Garden Bed Kit, 12′ x 12′ x 11″

Overview

The frame it all composite raised garden bed kit is noted to cater for all your farming needs. It is an easy bed to assemble. With this deep raised garden bed, you can plant all you deep-rooted crops in it. Plus, you have an option to change the size and stakes of your board.

Features

•        It is a composite bed meaning it is a blend of 60% post-consumer plastic and 40% of hardwood fiber.
•        It is a durable bed, meaning it is not susceptible to rot; at least not after years and years of usage. Which is why the bed is bought with a five-year warranty.
•        It provides for the crops; a deeper root feature, which enables the crops to thrive well, looking all lush and plump.

Raised Garden Bed, Multi-level

Overview

The natural yard garden bed is a very versatile bed with a lot to offer. It provides you with the depth, width, and length to plant all the desired crops you may want. And what’s even more, it has a two-layer setting. On the higher layer, you could plant deep-rooted crops and beautiful flowers; while you can plant your herbs and veggies on the lower layer

Features

•        With the toolset, you can easily assemble the bed on your own; and you can dispense of the need to pay someone to do that for you.
•        It design is a standard rustic grade cedar, which is pretty affordable and durable, able to withstand attacks from insects and excess moisture from the watering.
•        The bed is protected with some kind of non-toxic sealant which adds to its durability; and also prevents the crops from getting affected.

Conclusion

There really is no gainsaying the benefits of using a garden bed. It not only keeps the bed together; it also affects the overall performance of your farm. Raising a bed has a lot of benefits; it gives you a sense of accomplishment and also helps to bond families together. It will also reduce the cost of buying vegetable groceries. So why not you get a hobby in farming?