My question is, with no really funds to purchase wood I thought I would use left over fence boards form a couple of seasons ago. The problem is that it is treated lumber. Is it safe to use since it has been outside a couple or years? What you have should be fine. My beds were made with treated pine and I researched my face off on the topic, and read many studies and many opinions. Just a will to get it done. Kelly had some great suggestions. I have a question about the soil in the raised bed.
Should it be removed and new soil put in. It seems like my plants are not doing as good as they used to about 5 years ago. I do put manure in the bed and mix it into the soil that is there. I am so excited to start my raised beds this year!! I wonder, in terms of grass, I am looking to build in a great section of our yard. What do I do about the grass? Could I till it up or should I put something down? I am against the use plastic in our garden, however.
What would you suggest? I also wonder, since it is so warm, could I just plant seeds and let them go or should I sprout them ahead if time? Thank you so much. Now usually you would leave it for a bit so the grass can decompose, but I say just put the raised beds overtop of the cardboard and mulch and fill with soil! You should be fine direct-sowing seeds in the garden at this point.
Check the seed packets to see how warm the soil has to be to plant, but I feel like you should be good. You are SO far ahead of where I live! Hi Carolyn, I would make sure that you amend the soil with compost.
You could add a light mulch, like straw, which will keep the weeds down and help retain moisture. I am adding raised beds to my garden. These boxes are going to be used for tomatoes. Our existing garden has become the shaded area of the yard, the neighbors planted a tree. Hi Allison, I usually recommend about 10 to 12 inches high for a standard raised bed. I am looking to try a couple of raised beds or containers this year with hopes to do much more next year.
The only open, sunny spaces I have are over my leach field, and I am told that I cannot grow food plants there. So, can I grow in large containers that do not allow any root contact with the actual hard clay dirt? If so, do they need to be deeper than the feet you advise for raised beds? Should I use a couple of inches of gravel at the bottom for drainage to keep the soil from being too wet? Sorry so many questions. This is all very new to me. Can I use a tarp under my raised beds to deter weeds and grass from growing.
I was thinking I could poke holes in it for drainage? Also, the weeds will then be able to grow up through the holes. I would recommend landscape fabric, which is permeable. Great article. I have been looking into this for a long time, as I have a bad back and would like to have raised beds to give myself an easier time.
I am worried about the soil weight, of course, but was thinking I could build my beds with concrete or something like that. Are there other issues I should be concerned about with that kind of a setup?
Thank you so much! If you are concerned about weight, though, you could fill the bottom half depending on the depth with plastic plant containers or water bottles to lightly fill some of that space before filling with soil!
Would you recommend in-line braces mid way? Hi John, Great question! When I give my raised bed talk to garden clubs, etc. So yes, I would definitely recommend in-line braces mid-way, especially if your bed is 8 feet long and you live in a region where the ground freezes in winter.
Would you sit the raised bed on top of the ground albeit with stakes to hold in place , or have the wood go down an inch or so into the ground level for mooring?
I had a very casual bed that I replaced that I did the latter way, and it seemed the wood had been damaged by boring, bermuda grass working its way in, etc….. Some of my raised beds have stakes, so those have gone into the soil to moor the bed in place, but the raised bed itself just sits on top of the soil. You could try to site the garden as far away as possible from the chemical sprays and perhaps plant non edibles around the garden that will shield it a bit.
I am starting my first raised beds this weekend. They will be going directly on top of soil although I will be using a landscape fabric as a weed barrier. Do you think I can fill my beds with soil from the garden pathways around raised beds and then mix with compost bought from garden centre?
Alternately will I be ok to use and can you recommend some ready mixed stuff from a garden centre? For mine, I used a triple mix that I had delivered and then top-dressed with compost.
I have found the perfect FREE raised garden beds. Just put braces so the back window will not accidentally open. A lot of people will even deliver them, so they do not have to pay a land fill to get rid of them.
You have the initial cost of the soil, but after that, they are perfect. I built covers for mine from CPVC pipe and plastic garden fence, both cheap. Hi, I have been researching about the terrace gardening options, and i wanted to know if the raised bed method on terraces or any hard surfaces would give results as good as beds made on land?
And what about productivity? Do the quantities differ? The key is healthy soil! How would I start this process when the snow melts to bed ready to plant in may? Would I have to dig up the ground? Hi Kelsey, You can dig up the grass, which can be time-consuming, or you can use the cardboard trick. Simply place cardboard overtop of the area where you want your raised bed and place the raised bed overtop.
Once you fill it with soil, the grass underneath the cardboard will decompose over time. Hi Tara! Second, assess your reach. It is vital to be able to reach the center of the bed from either side to avoid stepping on the bed, which compresses the soil. For most people, this means limiting the width to about 4 feet. If your bed is only accessible from one side, limit the width to a maximum of 3 feet. Length is limited only by the size of your garden and by building materials.
Most raised beds range from 6 to 12 inches, with some as high as 36 inches. In general, the worse the underlying soil, the deeper you will want a bed to maximize the amount of good soil available to plants.
And, more depth means more room for roots to grow. Deeper beds hold more soil and, thus, more moisture, reducing watering needs. Remember that the taller the sides, the more pressure the weight of the soil places on them.
You may need to compensate with thicker wood or cross supports to prevent the wood from bowing. Raised beds are traditionally made using naturally rot-resistant cedar. But, honestly you can build the bed wall with almost any material that will contain the soil, including stone, woven willow, and concrete.
For vegetable and herb gardens it is important to avoid using pressure-treated lumber, which can leach heavy metals into the soil. Untreated, naturally rot-resistant lumber is the gold standard of building materials.
Be sure to use eco-friendly stains and paints that are safe to use on edible beds for more detail see our 5 Favorite Eco Friendly Stains. A raised garden bed is an easy DIY project. Essentially you build a bottomless box.
Search for:. These are known for their rot-resistant properties and last for many years, even under moist conditions. These woods can be difficult to find available for purchase in some areas.
They are also expensive. Untreated pine is a less expensive untreated option, but it will also have a shorter lifespan. Another consideration: Aside from pine, these woods are not as sustainable as other materials. Often, these woods are harvested from old-growth forest. If you choose to use one of these woods, check that it is coming from a sustainable source. The FSC is an international organization that has developed standards for responsible forest management. All types untreated wood will need to be replaced at some point.
The lifespan of your wood will depend on wood type and your environment. If you live in an arid climate, untreated wood can last for several years. If you live in a hot and muggy area, untreated wood may only see you through a couple of years. A robust raised bed garden form built with wooden structures.
Replacing your wood does not signify failure. The untreated wood is decomposing and even adding some nutrients to your garden bed in the process. You may opt to extend the life of your untreated wood by staining or painting it. I recommend using a natural treatment like raw linseed oil or raw tung oil. The chemicals are added to speed up the oil drying process, so by using the raw versions, allow for additional drying time. Another thing to bear in mind is that linseed oil is a food source for mildew, so if mildew is a problem in your area, that may not be a good choice for you.
Paint and stain ingredients vary, and overall, the impact is relatively unknown. But common sense should remind you that these all include chemicals of some nature, and those chemicals may impact your crop. I recommend against painting the exterior only of your raised bed structure. Treated wood has been infused with chemical elements to preserve the wood. The primary concern with treated wood is that those infused elements leach out of the wood.
The arsenic in CCA led manufacturers of CCA-treated wood to discontinue its availability for residential applications in Raised bed garden structures being built of treated wood and ready to be filled. So to put this into an interesting perspective, studies exploring the impact of treated wood when used for raised beds have shown that the greatest risk is actually in touching the exterior of the bed. When you or especially, your kids sit on or lean on treated wood, your skin or clothing is most likely to absorb the copper or arsenic leaching out of the wood to remain on the surface.
In other words, really healthy soil with lots of organic matter does not take up arsenic by plant roots. Yet the more acidic or alkaline your soil, the more likelihood of those elements being taken up by your plants. So, just another reason for getting a soil test to get your soil closer to a neutral pH 6.
Ditto for soil with a low amount of organic matter, so make sure your soil analysis tests for organic matter percentage as well. Even if copper levels are high and being taken up, the plants will die before you ever have a chance to think about eating them. At any rate, that would be a good indicator of a potential problem — in which case you might want to think about having your soil tested for metal concentrations.
Studies further show that those root vegetables are impacted most on their surface. So by thoroughly washing all the impacted soil off and peeling the skin off your potatoes, beets, etc. Your tomatoes and your eggplant could absorb copper or arsenic into their roots, but it is generally not shown to affect the fruit. Leafy greens are an exception and can take up arsenic in their leaves.
In short: Keep your soil near neutral and add lots of compost more on both of these later , thoroughly wash off the soil and peel the skin from your root vegetables, and avoid contact with the exterior surface of the treated wood.
A final note: When building treated wood beds, make your cuts somewhere that allows you to contain the sawdust. Wear a dust mask and gloves, and remove and dispose of the sawdust promptly. The truth is, these days the terms are used interchangeably. What are your concrete blocks made from? That depends somewhat on your area, but there are consistencies. So, yes, those metals are in the concrete blocks that line your vegetable garden too.
A concrete block raised garden bed under construction. While that might sound scary, the risk of those metals becoming available in the soil only happens if part of the concrete block is pulverized. First, the proximity of plant roots to the damaged area. Next, soils higher in organic matter are always beneficial but especially in this case, because they help chemically bind the metals — making them unavailable for absorption into the plant.
Just as with CCA-treated wood, root crops and leafy greens are most susceptible when exposed to higher concentrations. So, how much fly ash is absorbed by soil held within a concrete block structure?
Well, if the block is intact, little to none. Some of the things you must consider are:. If you are going to use any leftover wood or concrete blocks from a recent project in your home, then you could save more on building the beds. Also, you have to think about the options available and where you can save more. Materials such as treated lumber may be less expensive than naturally rot-resistant woods.
However, investing in naturally rot-resistant wood is much better since it will last longer than treated wood. Taller beds mean you need more wood or any framing material. So, you should decide whether you could afford the materials for the garden or make use of what you already have and settle with whatever height you can build for your bed.
Also, this will benefit most crops as they get sufficient drainage. There should be about 12 inches of soil under the bed. The good soil below the bed will give your plants more room to grow healthy. When planting, you need to know the required soil depth of the intended crops. For most gardens, 6 inches of the top of the soil is where most nutrients needed by plants are found.
Nutrients like fertilizers and compost are usually added from above and then tilled lightly.
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