
The Best Raised Garden Bed Option for you!
Are you planning on building raised bed garden boxes? Have you wondered which raised bed is best for you? There are all sorts of options; you could go with pre-made metal planters or brick or stone planters. You could even buy some plastic or PVC garden planters or you could go with the classic wooden raised bed planters. In this video I discuss all of those options to help you understand which kind of material is besed for your raised garden beds.
#gardening #raisedbedgardening #garden
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Here is a list of some of the tools that I use in my projects:
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig – https://amzn.to/3p7TcRG
Kreg Clamp – https://amzn.to/3pa12ug
Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig – https://amzn.to/3G7Dtdh
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Sears Craftsman Jointer – http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=2441
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Titebond III Wood Glue – https://amzn.to/3k93eyo
Dewalt 735 Thickness Planer – https://amzn.to/2IfKujC
Wen Track Saw – https://amzn.to/3lbSJNY and Track – https://amzn.to/314617W
Bosch Jig Saw – https://amzn.to/3rbG3dV
Japanese Pull Saw – https://amzn.to/3CZfMSh
Irwin Clamps – https://amzn.to/3CVdBiI
Shaker Rail and Stile Router Bits – https://amzn.to/3DWGuMM
Bosch Benchtop Router Table RA1181 – https://amzn.to/314kHnw
Bosch Mini Router – https://amzn.to/3HVdibb
Porter Cable Router – https://www.lowes.com/pd/PORTER-CABLE-1-75-HP-Fixed-Corded-Router/999972940
Plunge Router Base – https://amzn.to/3nTK2tx
Rockler Dovetail Jig – https://amzn.to/3nY7mqa
Porter Cable Brad Nailer – https://amzn.to/3lcwmrO
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Most gardeners are missing the boat. Consider using discarded upright Freezers or refrigerators for a raised bed. They are just the right size for weeding and harvesting at waist height, making them ideal for wheelchair access or seniors, or those with back problems. One or a dozen, it ‘s up to you. It took me two weeks on Craigslist to get an even dozen boxes, and that was being picky. No stainless steel, or black refrigerators, no side-by-sides, only white boxes. They come insulated, and the type of soil they have is up to you. No more gophers, moles, rabbits, either! Just remove and discard the doors and shelves, fill and plant. Water with a garden hose, or plumb them with an irrigation system from below. Ideal for an apartment with a small patio, or a big yard. No more bending to weed! Best of all, they’re free, and you keep them out of the landfill! Details to your questions if you like
We had a planter where I used to live that was made out of railroad ties. Lots and lots of good stuff grew in there! Please elaborate on the bad effects of the creosote leaching into the soil? I suspect that it was there for many years before we moved into that place, which might have some bearing on it.
Creosote is derived from the distillation of tar from wood or coal and is used as a wood preservative. Pesticide products containing creosote as the active ingredient are used to protect wood used outdoors (such as railroad ties and utility poles) against termites, fungi, mites and other pests.
What about fastening materials for the posts. Is it okay to use galvanized bolts? Also, I have a bunch of aluminum square poles (both square and round). Would that be good for posts?
Four free half IBC liners set in panelled surrounds made from free pallet wood. Filled with good old farmyard muck and soil does the job.
What about cedar is it a good wood
I’m beginning to think it might be worth trying to make cob planters. They’d be totally natural and easy to repair. Just give them a good coating of raw linseed oil and they should be good to go.
Every aspect nicely done. Thanks. Regards from Baltimore.
As an experiment I built eleavated garden beds kiln dried pine/fur? 2×6 3 high doweled every 6” 2’x8’ deep char inside and out then rolled them with boiled linseed oil two each do you think they will work as is or should I line them with some kind of plastic fun build retired hobbyist
Wood worker/gardener just trying to stay busy
Is it healthy to use construction hollow bricks?
Glad I watched this. I was thinking about making a couple of beds out of cider blocks in the spring. Looks like I am just going to source some redwood and build them.
We built ours out of cinder blocks and they are wonderful. They no longer have the fly ash or pot ash in them so they are not bad for your garden. They are wonderful because they will last for a long time but we can also take them apart and move them if needed. We built ours 24’ by 3’ and only 2 deep but I wish we we would have gone 3 deep just for easier access.
3:21 no longer used
Do we have termites issue ?? If we use wooden beds
Redwood?! Jesus bro. How much money you have? Lmao
I use old fridges, drill drainage holes, attach siding, or fence boards and paint. Better then the dump. Stinking LG!
In your introduction you made a statement that included a truth and a lie. Essentially you said raised beds warm quicker in the spring leading to a longer growing season. It is true they warm quicker. But the claim that this leads to a longer growing season is untrue. The same variable which allows quicker warming in spring also allows quicker cooling in fall. Net increase in growing season length is zero. That same variable ALSO allows for greater temperature variation throughout the growing season, which makes possible spikes in root zone temperature possible. Roots are HIGHLY susceptible to high temperatures, so that should be monitored in midsummer.
I built beds 29 years ago out of bottom-grade Douglas fir 2x12s, and have even picked them up and moved them. I have redone the corner supports a couple times, and they are definitely showing their age in places, but they still serve honorably in my garden!
If your soil is bad a raised bed defeats the purpose ????? What planet are you from ? No no moose breath, a raised bed is the purpose if your soil is bad because you fill the planter with good soil !
What about bricks?
What about tires
Can you yse old tractor tires
Cedar is also a really good wood to use
Thank you for this video. I always appreciate it when people take time to do something like this.
Answers is easy: the best you can afford
I use 2×6 lumber here in West Texas with growable soil underneath. Too hot and dry for anything higher or you will be watering constantly. And I mean constantly.
I have a nice size garden but I pick up those heavy duty watermelon boxes made from heavy cardboard for potatoes mostly. I get them for free at my local Walmart and at around 4 foot square and 4 foot high I can plant a dozen or more seed potatoes in each box and simply add more soil as they grow. I have picked close to 50 pounds of potatoes from one box and they usually fall apart at . the end of season and unlike potatoes in the garden you don’t miss any potatoes. I’m a new Subscriber and thanks.
Great info thank you 🙏
Loved this!!
Wow… Thank you sir. I am glad I ran into this video.. The idea of plastic for a raised bed did cross my mind. Thank you for your shared knowledge and experience. 😎👍👍
I prefer an asbestos infused fiberglass board for all of my raised garden beds! I’m a grower for a new company called Soilent Green!
We have a roofing material company that’s close to us. It’s called Baker Metal here in Northwest Florida and they paint both sides of the roofing material which is a good thing for raised beds because it holds the aluminum/zinc chemicals in and make them safer raised beds. It’s a whole lot cheaper to build a frame and put that Sheeting on for raised bed then it is to buy one of these fancy kits. my neighbor built her raised beds using that process six years ago and they are holding up very well. They used pressure-treated 4 x 4 for the corner posts and pressure-treated two by fours for the framing..
thanks for the tips Dave !
"Cinder blocks" are no longer the same. If you go to Home Depot or Lowe’s, they are now made of Portland cement and sand and aggregate. They are perfectly safe for a raised bed now. This is why they are no longer called cinder blocks. They are called concrete blocks.
What about rammed earth raised beds?
People are worried about concrete bricks but probably don’t even use organic seeds. Lmao.
Thanx!
Can you use treated lumber?
😮😮❤❤
Wood when wet attracts termites.
What do you mean having bad soil defeats the purpose of having a garden bed? So does that mean you can’t even buy soil as your ground soil would affect that soil and there isn’t then any point having a garden bed?
How long would treated pine lumber last?
Great video Dave. Really enjoying your other YouTube channel "popcorn planet" as well
Pines and doug fir and hemlock: I built an untreated hemlock 12’x16’x22" and a treated 12’x10’x22" bed and used food grade canning wax to safely seal the wood from the elements…both inside (soil contact) and outside of the planter.
*I would lay the boards flat in the summer heat. I placed canning wax chunks onthe boards and let the sun soften the wax for about 15 mins to 30 mins. With rhe soft wax i would (in circular motions) wax on wax on or rhink waxing a surf board. Let the board sit out for 2 to 3 hours and let the board take in the wax. Flip it and repeat… All 6 sides. This will take a few days to complete.
Im redoing my beds and have broken aparts the boards. The hemlock bed boards i didn’t treat are understandably pitting and rotting on the surfaces that contacted the soil. The boards i treated with Food safe canning wax are not perfect, but i estimate i could get another 2 to 3 years out of them. Ive had these beds for 7 years. So in theory if you treat the bed boards with canning wax you could get about 8 to 10 years out of them.
Can I set in a rise bed over a tree root? Should I lay garden plastic on top of it before I set in a raised bed?
I want to start gardening but my backyard is full of cement and I have no grass. What do you suggest??
The title question was never answered, but it’s why people clicked on the video. I’ll answer it. The best option is Vego corrugated metal beds.
With plastic especially buckets, unless food grade avoid! I am building frame box with chicken wire bottom to hold grow bags with top frame for insect fabric and a PVC sprinkler system to allow spot and drip irrigation like used in Israel as I m in a desert area with soil that could kill a plastic plant.
hemlock is terrible…it’s one of the fastest rotting woods there is
Do not do this. They are hard to weed. Hard to maintain. Use more water. And a waste of the surrounding land. Just an all round pain in the ass. Do this: Haul in some good sandy loam soil. About 3 or 4 inches higher than the existing ground. You will have a much bigger garden that is much easier to access with hand tools and or power garden equipment.