Building Simple Raised Bed for Creeping Fig
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
last yearRelated Discussions
Any Great Ideas For Cheap Materials to Build a Raised Bed?
Comments (45)Has anyone tried wattle fencing? Works great for raised beds. That's what I did with these two. Instead of filling the whole thing with dirt I did the whole lasagna deal. Working like a charm. Mine are 1.5 feet high but you can go as high as you can find sturdy uprights for. All you need is bendable branches for the weaving, sturdy "sticks" for the uprights and compostable material for the middle. They look rustic and work beautifully AND I don't have to get rid of my brush from the winter....See MoreUsing compost to build new raised garden bed?
Comments (3)I was thinking of building it now, and just dumping in the partially composted stuff already in my compost bin. This would free up the bin to start filling again with my most recent scraps and other materials. Even simpler ... dump the old plants and whatever is in the compost bins into the new raised bed, along with whatever else you can scrounge. Cover with some dirt, and mix it in the spring....See MoreBuilding Raised Beds Cedar or PT Wood? How Thick?
Comments (18)I thought of using cedar, but when I priced it, it was way too expensive and didn't make sense to do it. And I'm sorry to say, but if you're trying to grow as much food as you can, two 4x4 beds are not very much and I think that is a lot of money for two small beds. I have one long bed 12" high, 11ft long and 4ft wide. I have four beds 12" high, 4ft x 4ft. I made them with Pine because I had some already and didn't have to buy much more. It's actually been about 8 years since we built them and they are ready to be replaced now. Now I want to double the square footage that I can grow in. So I want to build… Two beds 12" high, 16ft long, 4ft wide Six beds 12" high, 6ft long, 4ft wide That doubles my growing space. I don't feel I need deeper beds, because vegetables are annuals and I've read somewhere recently that they don't really need 18" deep beds. 12" is just right for me and I don't mind bending and kneeling. So less wood. I priced what cedar I could find and it was going to cost me over $600. to build those beds. I called 12 lumber yards and only two had cedar and they weren't the dimensions I wanted either. Finally, one lumber yard, said he was steering people to use Eastern Hemlock rough sawn, which is very inexpensive. It is more rot resistant than Pine but less than Cedar. Estimates were 5yrs for Pine, 8-10 years for Hemlock, and 15yrs for Cedar. I priced the Hemlock and it was going to cost me $198. to build the same beds. So, if I built the hemlock and had to replace them in 10 years for another $200. It would still be $200. less than building the cedar beds, and would last me 5yrs longer....See MoreNeed as much help with wood help and building raised beds ASAP
Comments (8)"My largest bed is 4' x 25' x 14" deep, and is made with rough cut cedar that a friend with a small sawmill operation cut for me. This is the cheapest source that I know of, and you might be able to find a similar deal in your area. I would expect the boards to last at least 15-20 years, and no additional protective coating is necessary. Mine are supported by 4x4 posts cemented 18" deep in the ground, but I tend to really beef things up that are built on the property. Hope this helps. EG " EG, Where does one find such a sawmill? I also forgot to mention the tools I have on hand and my situation. I'm currently unemployed and funds are very tight. The veggie garden is my freedom for healthy foods and saving traveling costs AND I CONTROL IT so I know that there are NO PESTICIDES. Sorry for the caps there. On a ventage over that. I only have a cored circular saw (old, likely dull, spot rust, and can't find it right now), corded Borsh (sp?) hand drill, 12v Mikita cordless drill (both batteries dead, would wiring it to a 12v car battery straight make it work?), cheap hand rotary tool w/~100pc kit, corded jig saw, small hobby belt/disc sander (belt ~1" wide and disc ~5" diameter), large range of socket set heads, large set of hand tools +/-/[]. I have access to Lowes (not far from me), Home Depot (not far from me), and Rona (not far from me)....See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
last year
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