Raised Bed Gardeing

Raised Bed Garden

Materials:
This plan uses two stacked 2 x 6" boards for each side.

Lumber: Use cedar 2 x 6’s for the sides, and 4 x 4’s for the corner posts. If you have wood wider than 2 x 6", it's fine to use but the overall height of the bed should be 12" or less. If cedar is not available, ask your lumber dealer for locally available weather resistant wood.
Fastenings: Use 3.5” galvanized 'spiral' nails. You'll need 32 - 40 nails for this project. (3" galvanized screws can used in place of nails - they will hold better but are a little more expensive.)

Size: The bed can be made any size you like, but consider:

Width: 4' should be a maximum width, so it's easy to reach the middle of the bed.

Length: The bed shown here is 3' x 6'. Raised beds longer than 6' will require additional stakes in the middle of the two long sides to keep them from bowing under the weight of the soil.

construction:
1. Cut the 4x 4’s to four 18” lengths. Sharpen the ends with a handsaw or hatchet. (This does not have to be pretty - only the worms will see it.)

2. Assemble the two short sides first, on a firm, flat surface. Lay two of the sharpened corner pieces down, set two of the 2 x 6's on top and line up the edges. Pre-drill the nail holes to avoid splitting the wood. Be sure the drill bit you use is just a bit thinner than the nails.

3. Stand one of the assembled sides up on its top edge, so the sharpened ends of the corner posts are pointing up. Set one long piece in place and nail the one end to the corner post. Now your construction will stand on its own (upside down) and be easier to finish.

4. Nail the remaining long pieces to the one short side. Set the other short side in place and finish the job. (If your bed is longer than 6", you'll need to put two more stakes in the middle of each long side to prevent bowing.)

Flip it over and you're ready to install.

That's it!

You can also buy a ready-made raised garden bed, or raised garden bed components from your local home and garden retailer