How to Make Raised Vegetable Gardens

Any vegetable can be grown in a raised vegetable garden.

Of the many benefits of working with a raised vegetable garden, most gardeners enjoy the ease of working in a rich bed of soil that warms early and is virtually weed free. While there are a number of raised bed systems available for purchase in stores or online, you can make raised vegetable gardens yourself for little expense or time. As soon as the raised bed is constructed you'll be ready to add plants to your garden.

Things You'll Need

• Four 2-by-8-inch boards, 4 feet long
• Drill
• Galvanized screws
• Shovel or garden hoe
• Garden soil
• Compost or well-rotted manure

Instructions

1. Lay two boards on the ground at a right angle and hold them so they rest on their 2-inch-wide sides. Adjust the boards to form an L-shape with the bottom of one board resting against the end of other.

2. Screw two screws through the bottom of the L-shape and into the end of the other board to hold the two boards together. Create a second L-shape with your two remaining boards in the same manner.

3. Pair the two L-shaped sections together to form a square. Adjust the new corners to make the edges flush. Screw two screws into each of the two remaining unsecured corners to hold the entire square together.

4. Dig a 4-by-4 foot trench that is 3 inches wide and 2 inches deep in your garden bed. Remove any existing sod or grass from the area inside your trench. Set the raised bed frame into the shallow trench.

5. Fill in any loose soil around the frame and pack it firmly until you don't see light coming under the boards from the inside of the bed. Pack the loose soil on both the outside and inside of the bed to secure it in place and keep water from draining out the sides.

6. Fill in the bed with garden soil and compost or well-rotted manure, to within an inch from the top of the bed. Plant the bed immediately if you are in the growing season for your region.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the bed taller by constructing an additional raised bed the same size as the first and stack it over top of the existing one. Place a 16-inch-long, 2-by-2-inch post along the inside of each corner and screw it into both frames to attach the two layers together.

• To make a larger bed in the shape of a rectangle, use two 8-foot boards and two 4-foot boards.

References

• "Vegetable Gardening: Your ultimate guide"; Robert J. Dolezal; 2000
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003