Using concrete blocks to build beds?
sweetbrat
20 years ago
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the_ancient_one
19 years agoRay Scheel
19 years agoRelated Discussions
Building raised garden beds with 4x8x16 concrete blocks
Comments (2)I found surface bond cement worked quite well, and was fairly easy for a first time user. It did not require leveling every block. Just level your ground and dry stack your blocks, and spread it on the outside/inside. Quickrete, and sakrete both have a version that is available and Lowes and Home Depot. http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/QuickwallSurfaceBondingCement.asp http://www.sakrete.com/products/detail.cfm/prod_alias/Surface-Bonding-Cement I would (did) use full size blocks 8X8X16 they are not that much bigger and you can grow lots of stuff in the blocks. I have strawberries, Garlic, and about every herb doing quite well. There is a pretty big jump in stress adding the 4th row. I would discourage the 4th row (32"). Unless you have a level or solid footer, or plan on using mortar to help level it out. The flaws get magnified with every row, and for my dry stacked blocks the 4th row was really tough to get level. For my gardens the 32" garden has seen settling and winter/summer cracking. My 24" 3 row stack gardens have not. As for reinforcing the walls maybe pour the corners solid with reinforced or fiber "crack resistant" cement. The ready mix cement is not the difficult to mix, just add water and mix until it is workable. After completing my gardens I had to ask myself how much am I going to save my back by having high raised beds Vs. the gardening on the ground. I think in another 10 years I will break even. Though in my area the raised beds have worked wonders at keeping the bugs/ nematodes away....See MoreGroundcover for between concrete block beds?
Comments (11)I put down weed barrier fabric and gravel for my pathways. This is my third year with my SFQ bed and the paths are still pretty clean and have few weeds. We don't track in mud or dirt when we go out and work in our garden. Its turned out to be a very low maintaince choice for a pathway, although I do admit that it is not the most lovely choice in the world. The bricks with creeping thyme sound pretty. :)...See MoreNew concrete / block porch build turned into nightmare
Comments (1)Rip it out and get a real contractor that knows what he's doing. Chalk this up as a learning experience....See MoreRound concrete block flower bed - should we line it?
Comments (5)John, I do not want to change it! We just build it! I am so happy with it! I meant we could remove dirt from the bed temporarily to line bed's wall with the fabric if this is recommended. Sorry for confusion: my English is far from perfect, I guess that was not clear enough... My question is about preserving the look of this new bed. I worry that soil inside it will damage the bed's wall. Our contractor said it will be fine. But I read that retaining walls of the same material have to be lined with landscaping fabric. I wonder if raised bed's wall is any different? TIA, Alina....See Morepdxjules
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