whats the best way to make raised beds in my veg patch?

Question

the vertical supports for the boards on my raised beds keep coming away from the boards. should I nail or screw? they dont stand up straight - how high should they be anyway?

Answer 1

Use old railway sleepers.

Answer 2

If you use thick boards like 6 x 2 inch timber, then you can screw the boards to one another, but most boards need a square downward post in the corner of the bed.

Use something like a two inch square length of treated timber cut to about 18 inches and sharpened at the tip.
Tack you planks to together and put them in place where the bed is to be. Then hammer the post down in to the ground in the inside corner of the boards where they meet. You can then screw through the boards into the post for extra strength.

For the delux raised bed you might want to use railway sleepers, but they are extremely heavy and on the expensive side.

A reclaimation yard may well stock old timber joists or rafters that are great as raised-bed boards if you treat them with a preservative.

New timber should be injection treated against rot.

Scaffold planks are great too if you can find them.

Like I said though, most boards benefit from a post hammered into the corners to get your beds level and give extra support and strengthening.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

The answers are all very good; however, DO NOT use old railway ties. They will leach chemicals into soil. Most places will not sell them any longer.

Once you have build the sides of your bed and prior to filling with soil, ensure the area to be covered is really mown down as low as you can go, place lots of newspaper (after placing, dampen with water) or landscape fabric, right to the edges of the boards, bricks, etc. then add your soil. Called diggless gardening - good for any new raised bed

This will inhibit grown from below the new soil.

Answer 4

I lived in a house a couple of years ago and they had a "garden" already there. But it worked great! They put it together with old railroad ties next to the garage. Went all down one side of the garage. It was three high all the way. They filled it with some good dirt. And I used it. It was super! I literally could not over water anything because it drained very well. Nor could alot of rain ruin it. Plus, it's higher to weed things. You can actually set comfortable and weed. It was only about 21/2 feet back to the wall of the garage and the whole length of the side of the garage. It was plenty of room for me. I grew TONS of tomatos! Hope this helps alittle.

Answer 5

They should be high enough to support the bed -- how ever high you've made it. I would use screws to secure them to the supports, but keep in mind that the earth will always settle and shift.

We have used half whiskey barrels and old tires for raised beds and they have worked well. You may want to rethink your container.

Answer 6

put bricks into a shape

but first Flatten out the area
then put bricks into a shape you might need to buys some special sand looking thing to keep them in place
then fill it up with soil