Want to know the best wood for raised garden beds? Raised beds are garden containers, commonly made from wood, and the type of wood we use will determine how long-lasting, safe, and sustainable they are.
If you are looking for designs, I have free plans for building raised garden beds here. Every garden has challenges and raised beds can resolve many of them. But you do have to choose carefully to avoid contaminating the soil and ensure your choice is eco-friendly source, affordable, and long-lasting.
For me, locally-sourced, FSC-certified, untreated, rot-resistant wood makes the most sense. But it is not always possible to check all these boxes. The wood gets a lovely, rustic barn board patina after just one season. This type of treated wood was banned years ago for household use. You can read more about it below. Keep in mind that wood selections vary greatly by region.
Because composite lumber isn't dense, cutting and drilling into it is easier than working with traditional lumber. The disadvantage of composite lumber is that it costs approximately twice as much as pressure-treated lumber, but composite lumber is more durable and involves less maintenance than other lumbers. If you want to use a pressure-treated wood for your raised beds, look for lumber with a label stating it was treated with ACQ -- alkaline copper quat.
ACQ a water-based alternative to traditional pressure-treated wood. Traditional pressure-treated wood uses arsenic, a poison that can seep into the soil and be taken up into the vegetables you eat. As with arsenic-treated wood, ACQ-treated wood is resistant to rot and insects and will last for years. Felled logs make attractive and rustic-looking raised beds.
If you have the means to haul the logs, you can often get them for free from people cleaning up after winter storms or after having trees cut down.
The logs can then be cut to the dimensions you want for your beds. Mitering or dovetailing the ends will make clean corners. Flattening the bottom of the logs will keep them from rolling away.
Adding an automatic timer to your watering system will help remove the guesswork. Even better, a raised garden bed makes irrigating your crops simpler because drip tape and soaker hoses can be mounted to the side of the box to keep them immobile.
The most common mistake when irrigating is leaving gaps. Be sure to measure the reach of your hose against the size of your box and install enough lines to thoroughly soak the soil. Raised beds need to be watered a little more often than traditional, in-ground beds because they drain faster and tend to encourage rapid plant growth, which requires more water. In the summer, this might mean watering multiple times per day depending on the stage of plant growth and the type of crop.
Automation works best with a drip line or soaker hose system. Automating your system also allows you to time watering for the cool of the evening or the middle of the night when the evaporation rate is lowest. You can take this a little further by mulching on top of the hoses around your plants to further reduce evaporation. Routine maintenance of your system should also include checking for leaks, which are often caused by creatures looking for water or errant pitchforks. You can prevent leaks at joints by making sure there is proper water pressure for the system you are using, and that all joints are sealed.
The edges of the bed will dry out a little faster than the middle, so pay special attention to the location of your plants. If you are sprinkling or spraying, put a mug in your garden to see how many inches of water you are using.
You can also place a container beneath one of the holes in your drip line to gauge how much water your system is delivering to each plant. See Drip Irrigation vs. Elevated garden beds, planters, garden decks and outdoor wood furniture can be protected against both water and fungal-borne decay with new mineral-based formulations which are non-toxic, and safe to use with food crops.
The best ingredient to put in your garden is your own compost. The best composters are sealed units tumblers that convert kitchen, yard and garden waste into compost in just a few weeks.
These compost tumblers are ideal for urban gardens and homes with small yards. Use an elevated cedar planter to grow vegetables or flowers on patios, balconies and restricted spaces. These rot-resistant, portable planters can be moved indoors in winter. Stop weeds before they sprout with corn gluten or kill mature weeds with our non-toxic Burnout spray. Remove weeds easily with the Cobrahead precision weeder and cultivator. Start seedlings earlier in the spring in a controlled environment and extend crops later in fall.
Our clear and translucent greenhouses protect your plants from unseasonal weather. Choose from over 20 models! Our recycled rubber hoses are made in the U. Additionally, our high quality soaker hoses, rain barrels, sprayers, and other products will help you conserve water. Protect seedlings from the elements, extend the growing season, keep moisture in and pests out.
You can build this cloche yourself. Simplify raised bed construction by purchasing a complete, rodent-proof kit available in redwood and cedar, and in different sizes and configurations. For even more ease, choose a kit complete with fenced trellis and built-in irrigation system. Raised Garden Beds How to build raised garden beds that feed your plants and save your back, including tips on best designs, soil mixes, watering and more.
Read Guide Shop Products. Raised garden beds, also called garden boxes, are great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers. They keep pathway weeds from your garden soil, prevent soil compaction, provide good drainage and serve as a barrier to pests. The Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening Raised garden beds also called garden boxes are great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers.
Shop Now. Farmstead Cedar Garden Beds Available in ten sizes Easy to stack for additional height Naturally rot and insect resistant; no metal parts to rust Very easy to assemble; also easy to disassemble if you move.
Composite Timber Garden Beds Made of a blend of wood fiber and UV-protected polypropylene Connecting joints made of high impact, durable ABS plastic resin Available in many sizes; can be stacked for added height Components available separately to design your own beds. Natural Cedar Planter Boxes Perfect for container gardens on a patio or balcony. Raised off the ground with a slatted cedar bottom to protect surfaces. Available in a variety of sizes suitable for vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Ready-to-Grow' Complete Raised Bed Garden Kits Made of weather-resistant cedar Gopher and mole-proof options; rabbit-proof fencing Built-in irrigation system Attached trellis of varying heights for climbing vegetables Available in several different layouts and sizes.
How to Build a Raised Garden Bed Building elevated beds for your vegetable garden is simpler than it looks. What Kind of Wood to Use? How Tall Should the Bed Be? Fastenings Use 3. Is treated lumber safe? Step one Cut and assemble the basic frame, block it up to level Clear the area where the bed will be located, because you will be building the bed "in place".
Step two Drive in corner posts and screw the boards into them Cut the post pieces longer than you will need. Step three Fill in boards to ground. Saw post tops flush to sides Now add the bottom row of boards down to ground level, using the same method of simply screwing into the posts. Step four Add cross-bracing If your bed is longer than 8', or taller than 18", it's a good idea to use cross-bracing. Step five Top up the bed with soil and get gardening!
Now your bed is ready to plant! Level the bed Use a level for this task. Check for roots As you dig the soil, keep an eye out for any roots which may be growing beneath your beds.
Avoid stepping on the bed Once the soil is added and the bed is planted, make it a policy to never step on the bed. Burrowing pests? Spread soil out evenly Add any planned soil amendments, such as peat, compost or lime, and spread the soil evenly across the bed. Leave a generous width between beds for the pathways It helps when pathways between beds are wide enough for a small wheelbarrow. Can a raised bed be installed on a concrete surface, such as a patio? The Best Soil for Raised Garden Beds One of the benefits of raised bed gardening is drainage, but this feature also makes the soil requirements of your garden box a little different.
Ongoing Soil Building Can Be Done in a Variety of Ways: The lasagna method : Fill the bottom of your garden boxes with a layer of leaves, grass clippings, straw, wood chips and other organic materials, with a layer of cardboard on top. Next, add your soil. This mixture will break down into rich compost over time. By planting green manures : Every couple of crops, plant a legume such as clover or field peas in your raised bed.
When this matures, chop it up and dig lightly into the soil.
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