DIY Raised Garden Beds - 23 Designs You Can Build Today (2024)

FAQs

What is the most affordable way to build raised beds? ›

Soil is the foundation of your garden, and you want it to be healthy so you can set your plants up for success! We recommend buying high-quality, nutrient-rich soil in bulk. Or, you can make a soil mix with equal parts topsoil, organic materials (leaves, composted manure, ground bark), and coarse sand.

Although you don't usually have to worry about holes with raised garden beds, it is important to ensure proper drainage! Drainage plays an important role in plant health and prevents stunting.

Vegetable Beds: On the other hand, when it comes to vegetable beds, the bed must be approximately 12 to 18 inches deep to ensure adequate depth for the roots of your plants. This is especially important if your raised bed is placed on cement or the patio, which will inhibit roots from growing deeper into the ground.

On average, a DIY raised bed constructed from wood will cost $25 to $50 per square foot. To have a wooden raised bed constructed and installed for you, budget for at least $100 per square foot. (Find a kitchen garden company in your area.)

For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.

Landscape fabric is beneficial for raised garden beds, here are just a few of the many reasons why you should use landscape fabric for raised bed gardening: Prevents soil erosion in a raised bed: As a liner, landscape fabric lets water drain away from the soil while leaving the soil intact.

The answer is yes. You can line the bottom of your raised garden bed with cardboard and newspaper to block out weeds or act as a barrier against rhizomatous, weedy or invasive plants. While some may opt for landscape fabric, cardboard is a more cost-effective option.

Adding rocks to the bottom of a raised bed makes it challenging to amend or improve the soil over time. It restricts access to the lower layers and can impede the addition of organic matter or nutrients. Over time, rocks will get mixed in with your raised bed soil, not cool! Rocks are expensive and heavy!

What is the best filler for the bottom of a raised bed? ›

The best way to save money on soil by filling the bottom of your raised garden beds with leaves is to install the leaves in layers just 6 inches thick at a time. Compress them by walking on them and then wet them with a garden hose. Once that's done, add the next layer.

Most garden vegetables will grow well in raised beds. Try growing lettuce, greens, radishes, and strawberries. Bush type vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans also do well in raised beds.

Eighteen inches is the minimum height needed for plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and kale—plants that have a bigger root base and need more nutrients and space to spread out.

If the raised bed is on top of a hard surface, the minimum recommended height of 10 inches may not be deep enough for some crops, like potatoes. Young children need beds closer to the ground. For wheelchair access, beds should be 24 inches tall. A bed that is 36 inches off the ground helps avoid excessive bending over.

Save Money on Soil and Embrace Hugelkultur

Soil can be one of the biggest expenses when starting a raised bed garden. Instead of buying expensive bags of soil at the garden center, try making your own compost. Composting is easy and can be done with food scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials.

Pine is a cheaper alternative to more expensive types of wood and easy to find in most hardware stores. Keep in mind, however, that pine will have a much shorter life expectancy in your garden than cedar and redwood. Even within wood types, know that there can be some variation.

Types of Wood to Use for Raised Beds

My favorite wood to use is cedar because it's an incredibly durable and attractive timber that will perform well for years to come. Other woods that don't decay or rot quickly include redwood, cypress, and hemlock.

Steel Raised Beds Last About 25 to 30 Years

You can't get much more durable or strong than steel. Steel raised beds can last for decades if their exterior is treated with a rust protectant. Most of the metal raised beds you'll find available online today are made with rust-resistant steel.