Raised garden beds are a great way to grow vegetables, flowers and other edibles in small spaces. Constructing your own raised bed, however, can be difficult when you don’t have a lot of experience.
Using decking as the frame material allows you to build a raised garden bed with a very low cost. Decking can be found at most home improvement stores, and will save you money on materials for building your raised garden beds. Wooden decking will also be easier to work with than other deck materials, as it won’t warp or twist as easily as treated wood or cedar.
Building a raised garden bed out of decking is the perfect way to grow your own plants and vegetables in a small space. It can also help you save money on groceries, and it’s an eco-friendly project that shows you care about the environment. Once you have completed your DIY raised garden bed, start planting and get ready to enjoy fresh produce from your own backyard! But before you start building, there are a few things I recommend doing.
Step 1: Plan ahead
Planning ahead is of the utmost importance when it comes to building a raised garden bed. There are many considerations to make, such as:
- What plants do you want to grow?
- How much space do you have?
- What’s your budget like?
- How much time can you dedicate each week or month?
In order for your raised garden bed to be successful, it needs to match your lifestyle and goals. The more thought and planning that goes into this process, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Step 2: Find the perfect spot.
Once you have the supplies needed for building your raised garden bed, it’s time to find the perfect spot. This will be different for every gardener, but here are some things to consider when choosing where to put it:
- Where does your garden get enough sun? This is one of the most important things about a raised garden. The plants need sunlight in order to grow properly and provide you with fresh vegetables and fruits throughout the year. Ideally, you will want a location that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day so that your plants can thrive.
- Does this area already have good drainage? It may seem obvious, but this is another thing worth considering when choosing where to build your raised garden bed. You don’t want excess water pooling around your plants or creating puddles underneath them because they could drown or rot from sitting in their own saps too long! To avoid these issues, look for an area near where water naturally flows away from your house (such as down slopes) and make sure there isn’t any standing water before deciding on it as your final spot.
Step 3: Cut the boards to measure.
- Cut the boards to measure.
If you have a circular saw, use it to cut the decking boards in half lengthwise so that they are 9 inches (23 cm) long. If you don’t have a circular saw, try using a miter or chop saw instead. You can also use a handsaw or jigsaw if you don’t want to buy additional tools or rent them from your local hardware store.
Step 4: Assemble the rim joists.
Next, attach the rim joists to the posts. This can be done with decking screws and a spirit level, or another tool called an adhesive spreader if you prefer that method. Make sure that you’re using a spirit level to make sure that each post is straight up and down. You’ll also want to use a spirit level on every side of each post to ensure they’re standing plumb (square). When attaching the rim joists to your deck frame, make sure that they are snug against one another, but don’t force them in place if they don’t fit without any gaps.
You may need someone else’s help in this step; it’s often easier if two people work together when setting up something large like this garden bed frame.
Step 5: Attach the posts to the rim joists.
- Attach the posts to the rim joists.
- Attach the posts to the rim joists using galvanized screws.
- Attach the posts to the rim joists using galvanized nails.
- Attach the posts to the rim joists using galvanized bolts.
Step 6: Add some extra support.
To make the raised garden bed even more sturdy, you can purchase metal T-braces or L-braces to secure your posts. A wood post cap is a great way to finish off your raised garden beds. This addition will not only add beauty, but it will also protect the top of your wooden posts from getting damaged by rain and snow. If you prefer metal options, metal post sleeves are a good choice because they’re lightweight yet sturdy and weatherproof.
Step 7: Attach the decking boards to make the sides of your raised bed garden.
To make sure your raised garden bed is sturdy enough, you’ll want to reinforce it by attaching the decking boards to both the rim joists and posts.
To attach them properly, first screw the boards into place on top of the soil; this will hold them in place while you secure them further with screws. It’s best to use self-tapping screws that have been pre-drilled so they don’t split or crack your board—you can get these at most hardware stores for about $4 per pack of 50 screws (which seems like a lot until you realize how many raised beds need reinforcing).
And now that those sides are secure, let’s move on to securing everything else.
Step 8: Fill with soil and add a weed barrier.
Fill the bed with soil and add a weed barrier. You’ll want to fill the raised garden bed with at least 6 inches of soil, but do not exceed 10 inches. If you go over 6 inches, you risk your plants not getting enough air or water in order to thrive. Once you’ve filled it up with soil, place a weed barrier on top of it that is at least 6 inches deep and then bury it even deeper into the soil by adding more dirt until all sides are covered by at least 6 inches of material.
Step 9: Fill with soil and start planting.
- Fill the bed with soil, and shovel in some organic fertilizer.
- Plant your seeds or seedlings as planned. To get a jump on the season, you can start growing cold-tolerant crops such as lettuce, spinach and leeks indoors from seedling transplants purchased at your local garden center or hardware store before you begin to assemble your raised garden bed.
- Water daily to keep the soil moist but not soggy (or use drip irrigation lines). Watering less often encourages deeper rooting which is more drought resistant.
- Harvest regularly by cutting off leaves of lettuces, radishes and other leafy greens with scissors when they are just edible size; remove all plant tops when harvesting root crops such as carrots or beets so that any remaining foliage will decompose into compost in your garden bed over time–this will help maintain healthy soil composition while also increasing air circulation around plants that need sunlight exposure.
Building a raised garden bed out of decking is a pretty simple weekend DIY project.
Building a raised garden bed out of decking is a pretty simple weekend DIY project. You can use this method to build a raised garden bed out of decking if you have some leftover decking. This is a great way to make use of old material and turn it into something useful.
In the following article we will outline the steps required for building a raised garden bed out of decking, as well as offer some tips on how to do it yourself.
Final words
With all the steps laid out, you’re now ready to make a nice raised garden bed for your next gardening project. It won’t be long until it’s filled with soil and plants, so get ready to make your own beautiful backyard retreat.
