DIY Raised Garden Beds: Build Your Own Garden Easily

If you’ve been wanting a raised garden bed, you’re in luck.

Imagine stepping into your backyard to pick homegrown veggies, saving money, and skipping last-minute trips to the store.

Growing your own food with a raised garden bed offers control over what your family eats and cuts down on costs. It’s also a fun, rewarding way to involve the whole family in mealtime.

In this article, I’ll show you how to build an affordable raised bed and start growing your own food.

Pros of a DIY Raised Garden Bed

• Improved Soil Quality: You have complete control over the soil, making it easier to provide the perfect growing conditions for your plants.
• Reduced Weed Growth: Raised beds help minimize weed growth since you’re adding fresh soil and mulch, and you won’t be stepping on the soil to compact it.
• Better Drainage: Excess water drains more easily from raised beds, which is beneficial for many plants.
• Extended Growing Season: The soil in raised beds warms up faster in the spring, allowing you to plant earlier.
• Easier Maintenance: Since the beds are elevated, they’re easier to tend, especially for people with back or joint problems.
• Aesthetically Pleasing: Raised garden beds can add structure and beauty to your garden or yard, giving it a well-maintained look.

DIY Raised Garden Bed: Make Your Own Easy Garden

When it comes to building a raised garden bed, the most important consideration is the material you choose.

Wood is the most common option because it’s more affordable than metal, easy to work with, and blends into most outdoor spaces.

Cedar and redwood are popular choices because they naturally resist rot and pests, lasting longer in your garden.

My old raised garden beds were made out of old wood from a fence we had taken down- making the original project even cheaper for our starter garden.

However, avoid using chemically treated wood, like those treated with creosote, as those chemicals could leach into your soil and affect your plants.

When creating your raised garden beds, make sure that you can access the entire bed from one side or the other. This will make it easier for you to maintain the plants and harvest when the time comes.

I wouldn’t go any wider than 4 feet, with a length of anywhere from 4 to 8 feet, depending on how much room you have in your yard and how much you plan on planting in a single garden bed.

A bed height of about 12 to 24 inches will be sufficient for most vegetables, but to be more specific, look up the plants you want to grow and check their root depth suggestions. 

To prevent the soil from spilling out and to reinforce the walls, you can secure the sides with rebar, stakes, or metal plates at the corners.

You’ll definitely need to secure the sides so the weight of the soil doesn’t send the sides right to the ground!

After assembling your raised garden bed, you’ll need to fill it with a good soil mixture. A mixture of topsoil, compost, and a small amount of sand or perlite works well for most plants.

As a rule of thumb, fill your bed with about 60% topsoil, 30% compost, and 10% sand/perlite.

We used logs, cut limbs from bushes and trees, leaves, plus plain cardboard- all of which was free! Then we got sand and topsoil from Home Depot for the rest.

Galvanized steel makes some beautiful gardening beds! The look is lovely, and it’s nailing to do while constructing! 

Step-by-Step: Constructing a Raised Garden Bed

Materials Needed:

• Wooden boards (Cedar or Redwood preferred, 2×6 or 2×8 dimensions)
• Screws or nails
• Power drill or hammer
• Metal corner brackets (optional for added stability)
• Rebar or wooden stakes (to reinforce sides)
• Garden fabric (for weed control, optional)
• Soil mixture (topsoil, compost, and perlite/sand)
• Measuring tape
• Shovel
• Level

Step 1: Choose Your Location

Select a sunny spot in your yard that gets at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight each day, but check what needs the plants you want to grow have.

Ensure the ground is relatively flat, or be prepared to level it out before building.

Step 2: Measure and Cut Your Materials

Decide on the dimensions of your raised bed. A width of 4 feet or less allows for easy access to the center from either side.

If you didn’t get your boards cut at the store (which I recommend you do if they have the option!), use a saw to cut them to the desired length and width (e.g., 4×8 feet). 

Step 3: Assemble the Frame

Lay out the boards you’ve cut to form a rectangle or square. Use screws and a power drill to fasten the corners together and add metal corner brackets for support. 

Step 4: Prepare the Ground

Clear the area of grass and weeds where the raised bed will sit. You can also add a layer of garden fabric to prevent weeds from growing up through the soil. This step is optional but helps with long-term weed control.

Step 5: Level the Frame

Use a level to ensure the frame is sitting evenly on the ground. If necessary, adjust the soil underneath the frame so that all sides are level. This ensures even water distribution and plant growth.

Step 6: Fill the Bed with Soil

Fill the raised bed with a mixture of topsoil, compost, and perlite or sand (a 60-30-10 ratio works well). Fill the bed to about 2–3 inches below the top to leave room for watering.

Step 7: Add Supports for Climbing Plants (Optional)

If you’re planting crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, or beans, insert stakes or install a trellis to support them as they grow taller/longer.

Step 8: Plant Your Garden

Plant your vegetables, herbs, or flowers according to their spacing needs. Be sure to consider the height of each plant, placing taller plants toward the back or center and shorter ones at the front or edges.

Mistakes to Avoid When Building Raised Garden Beds

Even though building a raised garden bed is relatively simple, there are a few common mistakes you’ll want to avoid:

• Using Treated Wood: As mentioned before, avoid chemically treated wood that can leach toxins into your soil.
• Overfilling with Soil: It’s tempting to pack the bed full, but be sure to leave some room for the soil to settle and for watering. A good rule is to leave about 2 inches from the top.
• Ignoring the Importance of Drainage: Without proper drainage, your plants’ roots may rot. If your garden bed doesn’t drain well naturally, add a layer of gravel or sand to improve it.
• Poor Placement: Not all spots in your yard are equally suited for gardening. Ensure your bed gets enough sunlight, is close to a water source, and isn’t in an area prone to flooding.

Picking the Right Spot for Your Raised Garden Bed

Location is key to the success of your raised garden bed, not only to know how large you can make your garden bed but also what will grow in the garden or not survive.

You’ll want to pick a spot that gets plenty of sunlight—most vegetables need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.

Avoid placing your bed in areas that stay too wet, as this can lead to root rot.

Make sure your garden bed is easily accessible from the water spout so you can water it regularly without having to buy extension hoses or a new, longer hose.

It’s also a good idea to avoid low-lying areas where water may pool after a rainstorm. Good drainage is essential for healthy plants and prevents mold and rooting.

If drainage is a concern, you can line the bottom of your bed with a layer of gravel to improve water flow.

Planting in Raised Beds

Raised beds are perfect for growing a variety of vegetables, herbs, and even flowers. Here are a few suggestions for what you might want to consider:

• Tomatoes: These thrive in raised beds, but make sure to give each plant plenty of room—about 2 to 3 feet apart—to allow for their spreading roots and branches. Companion plants like basil and marigolds can be grown nearby to deter pests.
• Leafy Greens: Lettuce, spinach, and kale do exceptionally well in raised beds. They don’t take up much space and can be harvested throughout the growing season.
• Root Vegetables: Carrots, radishes, and beets benefit from the loose, aerated soil in raised beds, which allows their roots to grow straight and deep.
• Herbs: Basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary can be planted in small spaces and even in the holes of cinder blocks if you’re using those to build your bed.

For beginners, it’s best to start with plants that are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of attention. As you gain experience, you can experiment with more challenging crops.

To plant your plants, you’ll need to take into consideration how much space each plant needs to grow, how tall each plant will get and whether or not it will shade any neighboring plants.

Most plants can grow in a foot space, with tomatoes being one of the plants that need more room.
After you’ve created your raised garden beds, mark off each square foot, either mentally or by using rope/twine to show you each planting block.
These planting blocks will be where you plant your vegetables. In the case of tomatoes, I would allow 3 blocks per tomato plant. This will give your tomatoes plenty of room to spread out.

In the other 2 blocks, you can plant companion plants such as marigolds, basil, or even spinach, so you’re utilizing all of your space. These plants are low growers, so they won’t interfere with your tomatoes.

Gardening Equipment for Your Raised Garden Bed

To put your raised garden bed to use, having the right tools and equipment on hand is essential. Here are some must-haves we collected to get the most out of our garden (and in it!):

• Tomato Cages or Stakes: If you’re growing tomatoes or other climbing plants like cucumbers, you’ll need cages, stakes, or trellises to support their growth and keep them off the ground, preventing rot and allowing for better air circulation.
• Garden Twine or Plant Ties: Used to gently secure growing plants to stakes or trellises, helping them grow upright without damaging stems.
• Weed Barrier Fabric or Mulch: Lining the bottom of your raised bed with a weed barrier fabric or adding a layer of mulch on top of the soil helps prevent weed growth and retain soil moisture.
• Hand Pruners: For trimming back overgrown plants, deadheading flowers, or cutting herbs, hand pruners are a great tool to keep your plants healthy and tidy.
• Garden Trowel: A small hand tool for digging, planting, and weeding. It’s essential for working the soil in smaller spaces like raised beds.
• Gloves: A sturdy pair of gardening gloves will protect your hands from dirt, blisters, and thorns while working in the garden.
• Watering Can or Hose with a Spray Nozzle: Consistent watering is key, and having a watering can or hose with an adjustable nozzle ensures you can deliver the right amount of water without overdoing it.
• Garden Hoe: If your bed is large, a hoe can help manage the soil and keep weeds at bay.
• Plant Markers: Use plant markers to label where you’ve planted different vegetables or herbs, especially when starting from seeds.

Having these essential tools and equipment will make gardening easier and more efficient and ensure your raised garden bed yields the best results.

Final Thoughts

Since building our raised garden bed, we’ve noticed a significant reduction in our grocery bill, as we’re able to grow many of our vegetables at home.

Beyond saving money, it’s been incredibly rewarding to have full control over what we eat, knowing exactly where our food comes from and how it’s grown.

Plus, gardening has become a fun family activity that gets everyone outside and involved in the process.

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