How to Construct Raised Vegetable Beds

A raised vegetable bed (also called an elevated bed) is a popular way to grow vegetables and offers more benefits than ground-level gardens. Raised vegetable gardens require less bending over and allow you to grow vegetables on uneven ground or in an area where the soil may be unsuitable for growing vegetables. They provide good drainage for your plants, increase the yield, and they even allow you to expand your garden's growing season. Building a raised vegetable bed takes about an hour to complete.

Things You'll Need

• 4 pine or cedar boards, 8 feet long and 2 inches by 6 inches
• 4 pine or cedar boards, 4 feet long and 2 inches by 6 inches
• 1 pound box of 2 to 2-1/2 inch exterior screws
• 1 pound box of 3 to 3-1/2 inch exterior screws
• 1 bundle of 18 to 24 inch wooden stakes
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Level
• Small sledge hammer
• Carpenter's square
• Cordless drill
• 7/64 inch #8 counter sink drill bit
• Phillips screwdriver drill bit

Instructions

1. Attach the counter sink drill bit to the cordless drill. Using the tape measure, make two marks with the pencil near both ends of each of the 8-foot boards, approximately three-fourths of an inch from the end of each board and 3 inches apart.

2. Drill pilot holes where you made each mark, as straight through the boards as possible. Remove the counter sink drill bit from the cordless drill and attach the Phillips screwdriver drill bit.

3. Stand two of the 8-foot boards up, parallel, approximately 4 feet apart. Stand the shorter 4-foot boards up between the pair of 8-foot boards, at a perpendicular angle. Line up the edges of the boards so the shorter boards are inside the two longer boards, forming a rectangle.

4. Drill the longer 3 to 3-1/2 inch screws through the pilot holes and into the ends of each of the shorter boards. Hold the boards firmly during drilling so they don't slip. This will form a standing rectangle made from the boards and will be the base of the raised vegetable beds.

5. Drive a stake with the small sledge hammer into the ground on the inside of one corner of the rectangle. Leave 4 to 6 inches of stake sticking up above the top of the boards. Use the level to straighten up the two sides connected at the corner where you drove the stake.

6. Reattach the counter sink drill bit to the cordless drill. Drill two pilot holes through each end of the two boards that make up the corner (about 1 inch inside of the existing screws) so that screws can be inserted through the boards and into the stake. Attach the Phillips screwdriver drill bit to the cordless drill. Drill the shorter 2- to 2-1/2-inch screws through the pilot holes and into the stake.

7. Repeat Step 5 and Step 6 for each corner, but use the carpenter square to square off each corner before placing additional stakes. If the corners are not square, use the small sledge hammer to knock the boards until a 90-degree angle is achieved, and then hammer the stake. Remember to level each corner before inserting the shorter screws.

8. Drive one stake into the ground on the inside midpoint of each shorter board side. Drive two stakes into the ground on the inside of each longer board side, dividing the length of the board into thirds. Spacing does not need to be exact as these are only for extra support.

9. Drill two pilot holes from the outside of the boards with the counter sink drill bit and then drive the shorter 2- to 2-1/2-inch screws through the boards and into the stakes with the Phillips screwdriver drill bit. These extra stakes will help prevent the boards from bowing outward under the weight of the soil inside the raised bed.

10. Stand two 4-foot boards on top of the bottom 4-foot boards on each end of the rectangle, resting against the tops of the stakes. Line up the edges of the top and bottom boards. Drill two pilot holes through the boards at each stake, then drill the shorter screws through the boards and into the stakes.

11. Stand two 8-foot boards on top of the bottom 8-foot boards and rest them against the stakes. Drill pilot holes through the pencil marks made in Step 1 on the end of each 8-foot board, then drill the longer 3 to 3-1/2 inch screws through the pilot holes and into the shorter boards.

12. Drill two pilot holes through the longer boards at each stake and then drill the shorter 2 to 2-1/2 inch screws through the pilot holes and into each stake. This completes the top layer of boards and the construction of the raised vegetable bed.

Tips & Warnings

• You can fill the inside of the frame with the soil or fertilizer in which you wish to grow your vegetables, and use a rake to spread the soil evenly.

References

• ThePioneerWoman: Build Your Own Raised Flower/Vegetable Bed
• UniversityOfMissouri: Raised-Bed Gardening