Material to Use to Make a Raised Vegetable Garden Bed

Building your own raised beds can save you money. Building your own is not only economical, but it gives the builder the ability to design to their specific needs. Gardeners who have limited space or poor soil will benefit from raised bed gardening because the beds can be placed in tight places as well as patios and porches, and for people who have bad soil a raised bed will help with that, too. You can build raised beds out of many different materials; you are not limited to just wood.

Rot Resistant Lumber

Use rot-resistant lumber such as cedar, or a new composite lumber that is readily available at most hardware stores. You should purchase 2 by 6s because they are the right size to make raised beds.

Wine Barrels

Use old wine barrels by cutting the tops off of them, and drilling holes in the bottom for moisture to escape. If you do use wine barrels make sure they are completely dried out before use.

Brick

Brick is an excellent material for raised beds. Brick is inexpensive and extremely durable. It can be placed in any dimension, and at any height. Or, purchase concrete blocks at any hardware store. You can stack them at any depth, and create one of a kind raised beds.

Old Tires

Use recycled tires to create your raised beds. Recycled tires give you the option to recycle and contribute to saving the planet.

Hard Plastics

You can use recycled plastics or purchase hard plastic raised vegetable bed kits available at most garden supercenters or hardware stores.

Poured Concrete

If you have the time and ability, poured concrete can give you a permanent raised bed that is durable and available in all depths.