More and more hobby gardeners and city dwellers are opting for alternative cultivation methods by building a cost-effective raised bed using prefabricated materials. There are already several ways to find such a mounting set or even create one yourself. You may be wondering which system is best for your skills and location? Should you even go with a pre-built kit or start from scratch? Below you will find some useful information and an example guide that can help you make the right decision.
Build an easy-to-assemble raised bed and grow plants
Raised beds are very popular these days and for good reason. This means you can not only do yoursBeautify the garden, but also to make the gardening work that goes hand in hand with traditional plant care in beds embedded in the ground easier. However, many of the systems available on the market are expensive to purchase and time-consuming to install. Regardless of whether you have mechanical skills or are an amateur, there are kits that are easy to build with little time and expense. There are also DIY options if you have the time or desire.
In addition, raised garden beds require less tillage than traditional options. Instead of digging up a compacted bed year after year, many gardeners add theirRaised beds compost in autumnand other soil additives. You then let nature do the rest during the rest period. Such a cultivation method can be beneficial for both the soil and the plants. So if you don't have the time or resources to source the raw materials to build a raised bed from scratch, you can purchase one of the easy-to-assemble kits on the market. In this case, your first consideration should be the type of materials available and how quickly and easily they fit together.
Advantages of natural wood as a material for raised beds in the garden
As a natural and cost-effective material, wood is ideal for building raised bed kits. Typically, these are made from raw wood materials treated with natural wood stabilizers. However, try to avoid impregnated wood, with cedar being the most common material used for this. It is durable and rot-resistant, as well as being easier to handle than many other woods.
In addition, a raised bed with a plug-in system can be assembled in less than an hour and is suitable for country house-style garden areas. These easy-to-assemble garden beds can also be set up in different locations. Simply stack the pieces together in just a few minutes without any special tools, fill the bed with soil and your future garden is ready for use. Another advantage of the material is its durability, as wood can last for many years and weathers to a soft silvery gray.
Before you build a raised bed using kit
Building and planting a raised bed like this doesn't have to be a complex DIY project and usually doesn't take more than a day. It can be helpful to have some experience with DIY work and to be familiar with basic carpentry. The general steps for the project include:
- Planning the location
- Preparing the garden area and collecting materials and tools
- Assembling the raised bed
- Adding soil and plants
When planning your garden beds, it is also advisable to make a path around the area so that it becomes easily accessible. The minimum width for walking is usually around 30cm and if you plan to use a wheelbarrow you will need to allow sufficient additional access. If garden paths are too narrow, you will make access and gardening on the bed more difficult. If you or someone working in your garden uses a wheelchair or other mobility aid, you should also consider this. Otherwise, use the following building instructions as a guide.
Follow simple steps and build a prefabricated raised bed
As already written above, you can use simple tools for such a DIY project, such as a rubber mallet, garden shovel and possibly a drill. In addition, a long-lasting and easy-care raised bed as a composite system with a prefabricated kit can be just the thing for your garden. To do this, you should first prepare the garden area where you want to place the garden bed. Do this by leveling the ground surface and removing any grass or weeds. Build the raised bed as close to the final location as possible.
- First you can collect all the assembly parts and get them ready. When doing this, make sure that you have all parts in sight. Group long posts, horizontal boards, screws and caps, and everything in the kit together to make assembly quick and easy.
- Then attach the tall wooden posts along with the horizontal boards. To do this, hold the corresponding component vertically in one hand with the base on the floor. Then carefully slide the first horizontal board into the post's nut.
- First, take the second post and do the same thing so that you have two posts with a horizontal board between them. Make sure the two open nuts are facing the correct direction. Do the same with the second and third boards until one side is finished. Make sure the post and board remain straight as you slide the board into the nut so it doesn't get stuck. If the connection is tight, you can gently tap it into place with another piece of wood or a rubber mallet.
- In the meantime, you can attach a wire net to the floor with a stapler on the sides as additional security.
- Next, you can assemble the second wall of the raised bed. Slide a horizontal board into the first leg to create the second side. The two sides will now be able to stand on their own two feet.
- Then take the third leg and slide it onto the horizontal board. Add the second and third boards to complete the second wall. Repeat these steps until all boards are in place.
- Cover your raised bed with a plastic tarp to fill it with soil later.
- If the kit contains screws and wooden caps, you can now attach them. They should be easy to attach to the top of each post with a screw.
- Now it’s time to add layers to your raised bed and fill it with soil. However, first adjust the position of the raised bed to the desired location.
Growing plants in a raised bed with a plug-in system
Once you have assembled your structure, you can fill the bed in layers with soil and twigs from your garden soil. First, cultivate and enrich the lower layers of the raised bed with compost or other organic soil nutrients. When doing this, dig well to ensure all perennial roots are removed and the soil is loosened.
- Fill the bed with layers of good topsoil and alternating layers of organic matter such as well-rotted compost or horse manure. This ensures that you use proper topsoil for your project.
- Firm each layer as you work. The choice of soil you use depends on what you want to grow in the raised bed. Remember that a raised bed allows you to grow plants that would not normally thrive in your garden due to the underlying soil type you are working with.
- Choosing the right topsoil for your project is crucial, with different topsoil qualities suitable for either specialist or more general crop growing.
- Wait a few weeks before planting the beds so that the soil can settle well.
- You can build a raised bed like this and also place it on hard surfaces. However, these need to be deeper, ideally at least 50cm, for plants to root properly.
