Sadiq Gill - How To Build A Raised Garden Bed

By Sadiq Gill

For casual and serious gardeners alike, raised garden beds offer several important advantages:

• Their raised height makes maintenance easier.
•  The bed sides help keep out weeds and grass.
• The soil in the beds drains quickly so that it doesn’t become waterlogged.
•  The soil warms earlier in spring.
• The soil doesn’t become compacted because you don’t step on the growing area.

You can construct a raised garden bed from a number of materials, including lumber (rot-resistant cedar or redwood is best), concrete blocks, sandbags, or logs. For a funky look, you can even use an old bed frame or old wooden boat. If you’re growing edible plants, avoid using creosote-treated railroad ties or chemical-treated wood. If you use wood treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), use an air-and-water-permeable landscape fabric screen to prevent soil contact.

Follow the below steps to construct a simple 4x8-foot raised garden bed out of lumber.

1. Gather: three 2x12 boards (8 ft. long), one 2x4 board (8 ft. long), and 21/2-inch galvanized deck screws (28 screws).
2. Cut one of the 2x12 boards in half to make two 4-ft. lengths for the end pieces.
3. Cut the 2x4 board into one 4-ft. piece for the center brace and four 1-ft. lengths for corner supports.
4. Drill pilot holes, and attach one of the sideboards (one of the two uncut boards) with three screws, evenly spaced.
5. Position one of the corner supports in the angle between the boards, attaching it to the sideboard with three screws; repeat for the three remaining corners.
6. Use a square to position the center brace at a right angle to the sides. Attach the center brace, joining the two sides at their mid-points.