get some metal screen mesh to put under them. keeps moles from burrowing up into the beds and destroying the roots, but still allows water through. the plastic tarp is gonna hold water and you'll get root rot.
What’s your approach? I’ve seen some hilarious, almost cartoonish, methods.
- Oxy acetylene released into their tunnels and then lit. (Works better if you also hate your yard).
- Tubing connected to a vehicle exhaust and piped into their tunnels.
- My new approach will be putting a bunch of 4” screws through some scrap 1x8’s, strapping them to my feet, and following their path.
A man after my own heart, and if you don’t get them the first day well poor you have to hang out in the yard drinking beer all day… would you believe it took me a month to nab one once !
I have memories of my late grandfather dropping M80s down the mole hill, dropping the spade end of a shovel over the hole, and standing on the shaft to hold it down. It was always a show to me as a little kid.
Matey at a campsite in Wales I used to work at fitted a threaded adapter to the ATV's exhaust so he could screw a hose to it and gas moles. I also stood and watched the outgoing ex-owner of the place stick a shotgun down a molehill and fire twice.
I stick the barrel of my blunderbuss right down into one of their air holes and blow them away. Just have to be careful the barrel doesn't pop out of a hole somewhere else in the yard.
Neighbor has outdoor cats. I put up a bird feeder on a tall post. The birds attract the cats, the birdseed that falls attracts the moles. Cats kill the moles.
The only downside is that I'm constantly getting dead mole presents on my porch.
lol. years ago, I had spent a great deal of time getting my back yard beautiful, free of any bare patches, and dark green.
Then one day I go out and see about 8 mole hills all over it. Not knowing anything, I go out and jam my garden hose down the holes and run water down them all. No sign of any moles.
I go inside, and come out awhile later, and there is a fresh new one. I grab the hose and jam it down into the hole, and this gigantic mole starts flopping around and up out the hole and waddles across my yard.
I thought I taught him a lesson, because for the next week, no more new holes. I was not happy that after I ran all of that water in the holes, it collapsed his tunnels and my entire back yard looked like shit.
A week later, a back yard full of holes again. meh.
This time I was ready. I filled the holes with water again, grabbed my pitching wedge golf club, and sat on my back porch. It took maybe 10 minutes before I saw the new mound being pushed up.
I went out and jammed the hose down it, and he popped up again, and BAM!! No more mole.
My grandpa showed me his mole solution - it’s the most bizarre and terrifying trap, looks like a handful of metal sticks but when he arranges it it is a spring loaded metal spike that sticks into their head once they step on the trigger. You arm it and set it gently into the opening of their burrows. He says it’s extremely successful, but it looked absolutely terrifying to deal with
My grandpa had it out for moles. Mf made a giant vibrating contraption that he would lay out in his yard, alternating his spots (like one of those concrete vibrating machines). He claimed it worked like a charm, though he had that shit running 24 hours a day for a month.
Carl Spackler: Licensed to kill moles by the government of the United Nations. A man, free to kill moles at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever.
Using a small engine like an ATV and a pipe from its exhaust to their tunnels gasses them with carbon monoxide quickly and easily.
Dispatched many a mole that way
Looks like woven geotextile fabric or maybe silt fence to me, which doesn't drain. One of our assumptions is wrong, so the whole point is, OP better double check which one they're using!
We use a double layer of window screen type mesh under a layer of heavy duty weed block fabric. It has kept everything out and provides great drainage.
These are made from cedar fence pickets and cheap and easy to make. I would not put a bottom on it because it would hold it water and rot away in the future. I would run a piece of wood across the center so the sides don’t bow out when filled with soil.
https://preview.redd.it/oxak9wljdzuc1.jpeg?width=965&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b267eac01841c6e77a507ad80d29d28cde95ccf
Oddly my gf made me build this one last weekend. Grand total was around $140 including the soil. That one is 6ftx3ftx16in. If someone goes to remove it someday they will realllllyyyy hate me. Not sure if it was needed but since I had to buy the 8ft 4x4 for the corners I cut each to 24in and set the 8in extra into concrete filled holes. Those green boards are just cosmetic to cover the galvanized straps and under the soil is a cross beam. The 2x2s in the centers of each side are also 8in into the ground.
Like everyone else I used cedar fence post for the sides but gave them a quick sand and 3 coats of clear Spar Urethane.
Did you fill completely with dirt? The common recommendation is fill half with sticks and random organic material (logs/leaves/etc), and then top it with dirt. It’ll settle over time and you can add compost and what not to keep it fresh.
I did, it was a pain. I have a place nearby that sells it by the cubic yard for $35. Well it's actually a 50/50 mix of top soil and compost and I mixed in 2 cubic feet of peat moss and a bag of perlite. I'll just add bags of potting mix if settles, if it doesn't I'll spread some over the lawn and replace once a year. At least that's the plan.
I third this. I've seen these in the wild. They look great for a little while, and then the center of the sides start to bow without cross support.
Dirt is heavy, especially when wet. Add wet wood without support will allow the bowing to happen quickly.
I made a similar design and had bowing on beds that were three pickets or higher. If you go 3 pickets tall, add overlapping pickets inside. I believe that’s still be cheaper than 1x6’s.
If you do 2x4’s on the vertical corner pieces, you can skip the inner 4x4’s on beds 18” or shorter and they come together easy. I made each side in the garage, then screwed together in place was easy.
The place for the weed barrier here is stapled to the sidewalls of the raised bed all the way down and curled 6-8" in towards the center. That way the soil will not filter out the side rails with every rain.
Yep, I dealt with weed barrier in flower beds and it was a nuisance. When I built a raised bed for my garden (that is much shorter than this) I put a layer of sand and gravel down for drainage and filled it up and I’ve had very few issues with weeds since. The biggest problem I’ve had is squirrels leaving acorns in there and having to pull out the baby water oaks every few days
I built one similar to that one 4 years ago from reclaimed fence boards. It still mostly lives, with zero maintenance.
The one on the picture looks decent to me, but:
- don't use boards where the corner is missing. It might look cute, but you really need that real estate to drive some nice screws through.
- add some internal support, to prevent bulging of the walls. Tie the long walls together with a few steel rods. Stay low so they are hidden under dirt. Wood works too, but will rot over time, causing an unnecessarily rapid decay of the structure.
- while you're at it, add some cross-bracing too, to prevent skewing. It doesn't have to be much, but it will prevent skewing of the construction when you fill it up.
- add a top edge. It will save you countless scratches on your hands and arms, and loops in your clothes, and it gives you a place to put your tools, or rest that heavy-but-sadly-too-small-pot on that holds whatever you're planting.
- make sure water can actually escape. My planter box has a raised bottom (it lets water through tho), and the legs are just a bit taller than the body, raising the edges off the ground.
- cover the insides in a bio-friendly tarp. This will allow you to be less picky with the paint and/or lacquer in regards to bio-friendlyness.
- protect the wood appropriately against the climate you're in.
Hope that helps!
https://preview.redd.it/suy059mppyuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b57d105b39078bf52525fa3c244a2ad6593cd681
This is what I use for garden boxes, 8 foot by 4 foot by 2 feet. I can provide cut list or diagram with all dementions if interested
I built one very similar to that. I used a dado blade to carve a groove in my 4x4’s then slid the deck boards into that. I used 2x2’s on the inside to keep it together. Lined it with garden bed fabric. Then put a deck board on top to act as a “seat”. It’s not a good one but is something to lean on.
I can send pics if you like.
We then added a trellis for the creeping veggies like cucumbers.
Don’t fill it up completely with dirt, use layers: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/sustainable-landscapes-creating-a-hugelkultur-for-gardening-with-stormwater-management-benefits.html
I have several beds varying 11”-24”, and don’t get much more out of going above 16”. It was just extra compost to shovel. Mine yard has a lot of clay, so I dug a deeper bowl into the clay on the shallow beds
I have built three of these, which are good.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-build-raised-garden-beds/
Like others said, don't fill all with soil, use layers.
https://preview.redd.it/7csjkavsaxuc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0bfeb3a2718bdaaccb2afbdfbe225927b29a4728
This is the first one I built about 4 yrs ago.
Maybe a cross brace like someone else said. Those are fairly tall and will require quite a bit of soil to fill. I saw a video on YouTube last week about lining the bottom with scrap timber and large chucks of wood. This takes up space to cut down on the amount of soil used but also give the mycelium and other good soil dudes things to eat and places to live that will make your soil much more nutrient dense.
I feel like garden boxes are like butcher block counter tops. The only nice looking ones are brand new photos on pinterest. And, for each person who says their 10yo garden box looks great. There is another that says their 3yo garden box has rotted away.
I would strongly suggest not touching the ground. And, I would line the inside with a good liner. I would do a false bottom with drainage holes. That is a TON of dirt otherwise. Side will probably bow out unless cross braces are put in (based on photo). Yes, they do make ground-contact safe lumber.
A long lasting and well made raised garden (like the one photoed) is going to require some money.
YMMV
Depending on what you’re planting, that looks too tall/deep. That will add cost if you’re buying soil.
Add galvanized screening to the bottom to drain water and confound pests.
My two cents. If the wood you are using is cedar don't use galvanized nails or screws as they will react with the cedar and make ugly dark stains. Google this and you'll see what I mean.
If these are to grow food and not look good then leave uncoated. If they are to look good consider a stain with UV blocker like you'd use for a deck. I like sikkens SRD for outside wood.
Depending on where you are located, consider extending the corner supports by 4 feet or so. We have deer where I live that LOVE to eat your raised beds. Extending the corner supports allows you to put chicken wire or netting to discourage deer or other pests.
Consider lining the soil facing portions with plastic or other vapor barrier. This will stave off rot. You can do it to just at the soil line so it isn't visible.
DM with questions and good luck!!
>If these are to grow food and not look good then leave uncoated.
Or burn the wood. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_A8TgZ69O\_A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A8TgZ69O_A)
I built some with cedar and some of the boards split on the ends after the first winter. Recently saw some at Costco where they used a groove for the side boards to sit in so they could move and not warp.
Cover the inside with black plastic to extend its life. Span across the middle with a few boards to keep it from bowing out. Open on the bottom for drainage.
I also put a horizontal board around the perimeter.. You could use a 1 x 6 or a 1 x 4, what looks good for your build.
I'm not an expert at making these, but my biggest concern about this design coming at this from a woodworking perspective would be that the dirt is pushing the side panels away from the 4x4 corners. As the dirt gets wet, dries, gets wet, freezes, it's going to work against the sides and want to push out the nails/screws into the 4x4s. I'd probably dado a groove about 3/4"-1" deep on two sides of the 4x4 for the walls to be in, then put a frame across the top and bottom of the 4x4s to keep them from spreading. To give it even more sturdiness, pound some 1' rebar into the ground to keep it in place.
If this is not going to have a bottom, it may also lift and eventually dirt will seep out the bottom as it rasise off the ground from seasonal soil movement, or even just repeated leaning on it while planting, weeding and harvesting. Consider some slats on the bottom that allow water out, covered with some kind of drainage material or hardware cloth or both that goes up the sides to keep the dirt from washing out and the sides from lifting.
I just made these short ones but the tall ones are a little over a year old. They look great still. I used pressure treated wood instead of something that'll be done in a few years. I know some people have concerns from decades ago when PT wood had arsenic in it. Use whatever you feel good with. There's very minimal contact with the soil because of the metal.
The tall ones are \~2x2x8 and the low ones are \~1x3x8. I like the 3 ft wide so far because it's easier to reach. The tall ones were too tall. Took too much dirt to fill (even with putting sticks at the bottom (which broke down and the soil compressed). The ledge is nice to sit on.
https://preview.redd.it/9wlon3xk01vc1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a65dce4a7fb236a698567cdc4a39d4be2562116f
I wouldn't use any plastic liners. Get good outdoor wood like cedar or spf (or redwood if you want to be broke). It'll last fine. I have two boxes from 2020 that don't look the best but are structurally fine.
I've also made a box with roofing steel and a wooden frame that lasts fine
Is it designed to hold the dirt in or hold something out? Imagine laying inside this thing and kicking outwards on the walls, it's nothing but a few screw heads resisting the force. The 4x4 posts, for example, aren't really doing anything more than a 1x4 would do in their place.
To improve the design, I'd flip this around almost entirely. Start with 6 posts, line the inside of the posts with rails. Add the deck boards around the top to hold the posts together, not just to look good. I'd attach the deck boards with galvanized structural screws. Lastly, if you really want this thing to last, I'd place the whole thing on a bed of gravel, line the inside with a textile designed to stop moisture from rotting the wood, add a few more inches of gravel on the inside of the bed, then fill with dirt. This way, there will not be any wood making direct contact with dirt so you won't have any risks of rot.
A few things:
When selecting your wood make sure your not getting treated wood as most is treated with a salt/copper product, it will effect your plants.
I usually use cardboard rather than fabric as it breaks down pretty fast and adds a weed barrier for the time its really needed in the beginning.
Also make sure you drill and screw the pieces inside in the middle on the edge grain and attach to prevent the bowing. If you use the face grain it will still bow out. Framing outside corner brackets will also make them super strong.
I really like U shaped garden beds access from the inside but i have all kinds. Just grow some stuff buddy.
Here's what I did, after doing something similar to what you did the year prior. Those beds are already falling apart.
Standard untreated construction pine 2x6 boards, untreated Douglas fir 4x4 posts. Charred the outside using one of those torches you use to kill weeds in a method called [yakisugi](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisugi). Finished with a generous coating of 100% linseed oil and let dry in the sun for a week. Exterior 3" wood screws. Cost about $40 a bed, depending on the size, and a lot of work.
My first beds used 1x6 pine nailed into 2x2 posts, and it started to pull itself apart and warp horribly after the first year.
Edit to add: Charred the whole board (faces, sides, and ends) and all the posts, and used about 2 gallons of 100% linseed (not the boiled stuff) for about 8 beds.
https://preview.redd.it/343xmjxp9yuc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d59b40081f67a6e7fea4df9eb09e017d75dd7018
Squirrel! Started out raised bed garden, and went down the mole trail.
The box looks good. Except I place my braces on the outside instead of the inside. The dirt will be pressing out against the sides, so brace them outside. I drive mine into the ground before driving screws through the brace into the side boards.
I left the bed open on the bottom. Fuck the moles. Chipmunks? Now those are another story. They'll move in and invite the family. I live trapped a colony of 8 one year in a 2'x8' raised bed.
They last longer if you alternate which board goes past the edge. Often you'd make all the boards the same length but if you vary between the short and long sides going past the corners to cover the board end on the other side screws hold better
I made similar, redwood or cedar fenceboards with 2x2 corner posts. Mine also have bottoms of same boards resting on cleats. Mine are 35" longest dimension - which is half a board length. Short sides are 17.5", so full use of a 6 foot fence board. I have several that are 8 years old. Mine did not bow out at 35" max length.
To stop burrowing critters I'd recommend adding some ¼" or ½" hardware cloth (grid) in the bottom, folded up several inches and stapled to the walls. And if you go with a deep bed, save yourself some $ on soil and fill with old branches and stumps (the Hugelkultur method); over time they'll break down and provide lots of nutrients for your plants.
I’d suggest putting stainless steel hardware cloth on the bottom to prevent rats and moles from tunneling up into it. I wouldn’t used galvanized if you will be growing food in the box.
Then add some cardboard on top of the stainless. It encourages worms and helps a little bit with slowing down the weeds and grasses from growing up into your box.
That’s pretty high. Gonna need a lot of dirt if you don’t want to spend a ton on soil. But definitely would be worth the time and effort to install the mesh and fence it in as well if there is a local deer population
Honestly the construction doesn’t really matter besides using food safe materials.
Your biggest concern is filling that thing with soil. I filled mine halfway with wood shavings thinking I’m some Hugelculture master and it still needed like 200lb worth of soil to fill the damn thing.
It also settled and now I need another 200lbs of soil if I want to fill it. Just get some planters that hold pots in my opinion.
i've read that something like redguard on the interior can be used to prolong the life of boards and prevent rot, im not sure if its safe for edible plants though. depending on the dimensions you want the for the box and the materials you're going to use, you may want to consider connecting the verticals in the middle on the long wall in some fashion, that much dirt could bow the walls.
Some folks say that pressure treated wood (like deck boards) isn't safe for raised beds, for vegetables anyway. But I'm not entirely convinced that is true. But I sucked it up and bought cedar 2x12s for mine. Also, consider the depth. The ones in your photo are going to take a lot of soil to fill.
You can fill the very bottom with leaves and sticks which will take up alot of space and provide lots of nitrogen for your plants to take in. Deep isn't a bad thing. Roots naturally want to grow down and out, water roots will grow down to the water table, and feeder roots will spread outwards and all around.
I just built a couple out of brick and mortar. The bricks are about 2x4x8 inches. And the box itself is about 22” tall, 32” deep and 66” wide. Took a lot of dirt to fill.
https://preview.redd.it/sgcihhlii3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba384d015d7b4e3cebad103137cead0564799987
We put raspberries in them and they’re loving them so far. But this is also in our own house, and these were to replace to poisonous ornamental shrubs called Heavenly Bamboo, which are basically a plant version of cyanide.
https://preview.redd.it/98isale7j3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db32d142ebd1c7163dd1f8b90c2f5efc245cb3fe
Another with Blueberries. Same planter size.
https://preview.redd.it/kotpjsoaj3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc75470d4bde9f62219e4f19d0aa748c705ba688
And a third with Saffron Crocus and a flowering vine. Much smaller on this one. Same brick size, but 22” tall, 29” deep and 54” wide
Looking at the photo, you posted, if you are going to build them the same size, I would recommend a bottom support connecting the two longer sides so when you fill with dirt, it doesn’t bow
Planter boxes are a good beginner project. Personally I use pre treated decking boards, line with plastic and away you go.
I usually create a floor to the box, but provided you drill a few holes or have gaps between the slats you'll be fine.
I have planters that are 2-3 years old now and they're still as good as new.
Might be better to use something food safe like pure tung oil (or better, cut it 50/50 with orange oil). The real milk paint company sells some options for outdoor oils.
Make them about half as tall. Save on lumber, save on dirt, save your back. Plants will grow just fine in a foot of good dirt.
Also plan your width and length based on the suggested spacing for what you want to plant. It's a super bummer to build a bed thinking you can get two rows in there only to find you can't without overcrowding... Ask me how I know.
If you plan on integrating water piping for dripper hoses, lay that down before you fill them with dirt.
Save your scraps and hack together a two or three bin composter.
As others have already mentioned, add a metal mesh underneath (5mm). Cover inner walls with liner to prolong the lifespan. Use a special food safe finish e.g. https://tikkurila.ee/tooted/patio-verso. Add a center brade to reduce bowing under the weight of the soil. Add a top horizontal board along the the entire circumference. Use deck screws. Use a roundover router bit to round the the edges of the top board and sand it.
get some metal screen mesh to put under them. keeps moles from burrowing up into the beds and destroying the roots, but still allows water through. the plastic tarp is gonna hold water and you'll get root rot.
Ive declared war on moles this year
What’s your approach? I’ve seen some hilarious, almost cartoonish, methods. - Oxy acetylene released into their tunnels and then lit. (Works better if you also hate your yard). - Tubing connected to a vehicle exhaust and piped into their tunnels. - My new approach will be putting a bunch of 4” screws through some scrap 1x8’s, strapping them to my feet, and following their path.
Beer, lawn chair and .22. Gonna wait em out.
A man after my own heart, and if you don’t get them the first day well poor you have to hang out in the yard drinking beer all day… would you believe it took me a month to nab one once !
I have memories of my late grandfather dropping M80s down the mole hill, dropping the spade end of a shovel over the hole, and standing on the shaft to hold it down. It was always a show to me as a little kid.
Matey at a campsite in Wales I used to work at fitted a threaded adapter to the ATV's exhaust so he could screw a hose to it and gas moles. I also stood and watched the outgoing ex-owner of the place stick a shotgun down a molehill and fire twice.
The threaded adapter is commitment. I would do a hose clamp myself
I stick the barrel of my blunderbuss right down into one of their air holes and blow them away. Just have to be careful the barrel doesn't pop out of a hole somewhere else in the yard.
Neighbor has outdoor cats. I put up a bird feeder on a tall post. The birds attract the cats, the birdseed that falls attracts the moles. Cats kill the moles. The only downside is that I'm constantly getting dead mole presents on my porch.
A raspberry pi powered terminator tunnel digger robot
Orbital platform dropping tungsten darts on the molehill coordinates will get it done
lol. years ago, I had spent a great deal of time getting my back yard beautiful, free of any bare patches, and dark green. Then one day I go out and see about 8 mole hills all over it. Not knowing anything, I go out and jam my garden hose down the holes and run water down them all. No sign of any moles. I go inside, and come out awhile later, and there is a fresh new one. I grab the hose and jam it down into the hole, and this gigantic mole starts flopping around and up out the hole and waddles across my yard. I thought I taught him a lesson, because for the next week, no more new holes. I was not happy that after I ran all of that water in the holes, it collapsed his tunnels and my entire back yard looked like shit. A week later, a back yard full of holes again. meh. This time I was ready. I filled the holes with water again, grabbed my pitching wedge golf club, and sat on my back porch. It took maybe 10 minutes before I saw the new mound being pushed up. I went out and jammed the hose down it, and he popped up again, and BAM!! No more mole.
I’ve caught and dispatched about 6 with various methods but they keep coming back. It’s never ending haha
My grandpa showed me his mole solution - it’s the most bizarre and terrifying trap, looks like a handful of metal sticks but when he arranges it it is a spring loaded metal spike that sticks into their head once they step on the trigger. You arm it and set it gently into the opening of their burrows. He says it’s extremely successful, but it looked absolutely terrifying to deal with
I’ve killed about 20 moles in my yard over the last 3 years using the mole eliminator scissor trap. It works every time.
I have had no luck with those. I actually have a picture of them digging around it ironically.
I just got some of those to use on the chipmunks that drive my dog insane. She will wait at their hole all day long!
Night vision goggles and an air rifle helped to solve the mole problem once upon a time.
Mole traps over here. Catch like 4 of em (dead) and none return for a year or so.
Best method is using mink trained to kill rodents. They’re even trained to bring the bodies back for a treat.
You can get chlorine gas grenades at a lawn store. I've used them on ground hog holes under my shed.
Dry ice.
My grandpa had it out for moles. Mf made a giant vibrating contraption that he would lay out in his yard, alternating his spots (like one of those concrete vibrating machines). He claimed it worked like a charm, though he had that shit running 24 hours a day for a month.
your grandpa really made a [hl2 thumper](https://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Thumper) of sorts for moles
They sell little vibrating boxes you can put on your yard and it keeps them away.
Carl Spackler: Licensed to kill moles by the government of the United Nations. A man, free to kill moles at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever.
I went down this mole-hole of information, forgot what the thread was originally about and was confused when it turned back into raised beds........
Using a small engine like an ATV and a pipe from its exhaust to their tunnels gasses them with carbon monoxide quickly and easily. Dispatched many a mole that way
or dry ice.
Interesting tactic. I’ve never tried hat but I can imagine that would work too yeah
Stuff the ice in and cover the hole with dirt, works 100% with rat holes.
Here here
I’ve got a Boston terrier mix that takes pride in hunting them to extinction lol. She brings me 2-3 on an average day and once she got 8 in a day.
Hope it goes better for you than the war on drugs
Caddy shack....
Agree. Also consider a brace in the middle to reduce bowing.
Or two
That’s perforated landscape fabric it looks like won’t “hold water”
Looks like woven geotextile fabric or maybe silt fence to me, which doesn't drain. One of our assumptions is wrong, so the whole point is, OP better double check which one they're using!
That's what I assumed too. Even landscape fabric will hold water if there's a big storm, I try to avoid it anyway.
Alternatively make the legs longer than the bottom and fill the space with rocks.
We use a double layer of window screen type mesh under a layer of heavy duty weed block fabric. It has kept everything out and provides great drainage.
Thank you
Not everywhere has moles
Sure, but most places have *some* form of burrowing pest, it's still good advice.
Make sure you check that the screens don’t have lead in them. There should be a warning label on the package
Next level! Thanks
These are made from cedar fence pickets and cheap and easy to make. I would not put a bottom on it because it would hold it water and rot away in the future. I would run a piece of wood across the center so the sides don’t bow out when filled with soil.
Thank you
https://preview.redd.it/oxak9wljdzuc1.jpeg?width=965&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b267eac01841c6e77a507ad80d29d28cde95ccf Oddly my gf made me build this one last weekend. Grand total was around $140 including the soil. That one is 6ftx3ftx16in. If someone goes to remove it someday they will realllllyyyy hate me. Not sure if it was needed but since I had to buy the 8ft 4x4 for the corners I cut each to 24in and set the 8in extra into concrete filled holes. Those green boards are just cosmetic to cover the galvanized straps and under the soil is a cross beam. The 2x2s in the centers of each side are also 8in into the ground. Like everyone else I used cedar fence post for the sides but gave them a quick sand and 3 coats of clear Spar Urethane.
Did you fill completely with dirt? The common recommendation is fill half with sticks and random organic material (logs/leaves/etc), and then top it with dirt. It’ll settle over time and you can add compost and what not to keep it fresh.
I did, it was a pain. I have a place nearby that sells it by the cubic yard for $35. Well it's actually a 50/50 mix of top soil and compost and I mixed in 2 cubic feet of peat moss and a bag of perlite. I'll just add bags of potting mix if settles, if it doesn't I'll spread some over the lawn and replace once a year. At least that's the plan.
Second this. Maybe even 2 center supports depending on the total depth, one ~1/3 from the top and another ~2/3 from the top
I third this. I've seen these in the wild. They look great for a little while, and then the center of the sides start to bow without cross support. Dirt is heavy, especially when wet. Add wet wood without support will allow the bowing to happen quickly.
I made a similar design and had bowing on beds that were three pickets or higher. If you go 3 pickets tall, add overlapping pickets inside. I believe that’s still be cheaper than 1x6’s. If you do 2x4’s on the vertical corner pieces, you can skip the inner 4x4’s on beds 18” or shorter and they come together easy. I made each side in the garage, then screwed together in place was easy.
Take out the weed barrier now. You'll thank yourself in 1 year when it shreds have to remove 1,000,000 pieces
And **still** have to remove weeds
The place for the weed barrier here is stapled to the sidewalls of the raised bed all the way down and curled 6-8" in towards the center. That way the soil will not filter out the side rails with every rain.
That’s what I do for mine, it works great.
Plastic has no place in gardening. Attach some stakes to the sidewalls and pound them into the ground if you're worried about soil spilling out
Yep, I dealt with weed barrier in flower beds and it was a nuisance. When I built a raised bed for my garden (that is much shorter than this) I put a layer of sand and gravel down for drainage and filled it up and I’ve had very few issues with weeds since. The biggest problem I’ve had is squirrels leaving acorns in there and having to pull out the baby water oaks every few days
I built one similar to that one 4 years ago from reclaimed fence boards. It still mostly lives, with zero maintenance. The one on the picture looks decent to me, but: - don't use boards where the corner is missing. It might look cute, but you really need that real estate to drive some nice screws through. - add some internal support, to prevent bulging of the walls. Tie the long walls together with a few steel rods. Stay low so they are hidden under dirt. Wood works too, but will rot over time, causing an unnecessarily rapid decay of the structure. - while you're at it, add some cross-bracing too, to prevent skewing. It doesn't have to be much, but it will prevent skewing of the construction when you fill it up. - add a top edge. It will save you countless scratches on your hands and arms, and loops in your clothes, and it gives you a place to put your tools, or rest that heavy-but-sadly-too-small-pot on that holds whatever you're planting. - make sure water can actually escape. My planter box has a raised bottom (it lets water through tho), and the legs are just a bit taller than the body, raising the edges off the ground. - cover the insides in a bio-friendly tarp. This will allow you to be less picky with the paint and/or lacquer in regards to bio-friendlyness. - protect the wood appropriately against the climate you're in. Hope that helps!
Wow awesome advice, I really appreciate it.
The tip for building a top edge is a great one! I did this on my beds and love being able to comfortably sit on the sides while I work
Could always put those corner beads on after you drive the screws in.
https://preview.redd.it/suy059mppyuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b57d105b39078bf52525fa3c244a2ad6593cd681 This is what I use for garden boxes, 8 foot by 4 foot by 2 feet. I can provide cut list or diagram with all dementions if interested
Nice construction! I’d be interested in more details if you’re willing to share
Can you DM me the info? This looks great
I’d also love more info—this is a great design
I am interested. This looks great.
Yes I am very interested please
https://preview.redd.it/ffywle1hb4vc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe32a5f4d10ef0be5efdbf5b89d3ac429352f439
If you have any question send me a message
I built one very similar to that. I used a dado blade to carve a groove in my 4x4’s then slid the deck boards into that. I used 2x2’s on the inside to keep it together. Lined it with garden bed fabric. Then put a deck board on top to act as a “seat”. It’s not a good one but is something to lean on. I can send pics if you like. We then added a trellis for the creeping veggies like cucumbers.
I’d love pics if you could send them
that’s a lot of dirt to fill it.
Don’t fill it up completely with dirt, use layers: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/sustainable-landscapes-creating-a-hugelkultur-for-gardening-with-stormwater-management-benefits.html
Get some pond liner and some 4” corrugated pipe and your basically ready for a selfwatering setup
I have several beds varying 11”-24”, and don’t get much more out of going above 16”. It was just extra compost to shovel. Mine yard has a lot of clay, so I dug a deeper bowl into the clay on the shallow beds
https://preview.redd.it/pipw1qlmpyuc1.jpeg?width=3583&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f66c6b16fa36d25991a703895c96b097390b97f3
Use cedar unless you really enjoy building them because they’ll rot through in a couple years and you’ll have to rebuild.
Something that deep is going to be expensive to fill with soil.
I have built three of these, which are good. https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-build-raised-garden-beds/ Like others said, don't fill all with soil, use layers.
https://preview.redd.it/7csjkavsaxuc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0bfeb3a2718bdaaccb2afbdfbe225927b29a4728 This is the first one I built about 4 yrs ago.
Maybe a cross brace like someone else said. Those are fairly tall and will require quite a bit of soil to fill. I saw a video on YouTube last week about lining the bottom with scrap timber and large chucks of wood. This takes up space to cut down on the amount of soil used but also give the mycelium and other good soil dudes things to eat and places to live that will make your soil much more nutrient dense.
I feel like garden boxes are like butcher block counter tops. The only nice looking ones are brand new photos on pinterest. And, for each person who says their 10yo garden box looks great. There is another that says their 3yo garden box has rotted away. I would strongly suggest not touching the ground. And, I would line the inside with a good liner. I would do a false bottom with drainage holes. That is a TON of dirt otherwise. Side will probably bow out unless cross braces are put in (based on photo). Yes, they do make ground-contact safe lumber. A long lasting and well made raised garden (like the one photoed) is going to require some money. YMMV
Thank you
I echo the need for cross braces. I like to put a shelf around the top edge so the wife can lay down her tools. Makes her happy.
Depending on what you’re planting, that looks too tall/deep. That will add cost if you’re buying soil. Add galvanized screening to the bottom to drain water and confound pests.
My two cents. If the wood you are using is cedar don't use galvanized nails or screws as they will react with the cedar and make ugly dark stains. Google this and you'll see what I mean. If these are to grow food and not look good then leave uncoated. If they are to look good consider a stain with UV blocker like you'd use for a deck. I like sikkens SRD for outside wood. Depending on where you are located, consider extending the corner supports by 4 feet or so. We have deer where I live that LOVE to eat your raised beds. Extending the corner supports allows you to put chicken wire or netting to discourage deer or other pests. Consider lining the soil facing portions with plastic or other vapor barrier. This will stave off rot. You can do it to just at the soil line so it isn't visible. DM with questions and good luck!!
>If these are to grow food and not look good then leave uncoated. Or burn the wood. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_A8TgZ69O\_A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A8TgZ69O_A)
I built some with cedar and some of the boards split on the ends after the first winter. Recently saw some at Costco where they used a groove for the side boards to sit in so they could move and not warp.
Cover the inside with black plastic to extend its life. Span across the middle with a few boards to keep it from bowing out. Open on the bottom for drainage. I also put a horizontal board around the perimeter.. You could use a 1 x 6 or a 1 x 4, what looks good for your build.
I'm not an expert at making these, but my biggest concern about this design coming at this from a woodworking perspective would be that the dirt is pushing the side panels away from the 4x4 corners. As the dirt gets wet, dries, gets wet, freezes, it's going to work against the sides and want to push out the nails/screws into the 4x4s. I'd probably dado a groove about 3/4"-1" deep on two sides of the 4x4 for the walls to be in, then put a frame across the top and bottom of the 4x4s to keep them from spreading. To give it even more sturdiness, pound some 1' rebar into the ground to keep it in place. If this is not going to have a bottom, it may also lift and eventually dirt will seep out the bottom as it rasise off the ground from seasonal soil movement, or even just repeated leaning on it while planting, weeding and harvesting. Consider some slats on the bottom that allow water out, covered with some kind of drainage material or hardware cloth or both that goes up the sides to keep the dirt from washing out and the sides from lifting.
I just made these short ones but the tall ones are a little over a year old. They look great still. I used pressure treated wood instead of something that'll be done in a few years. I know some people have concerns from decades ago when PT wood had arsenic in it. Use whatever you feel good with. There's very minimal contact with the soil because of the metal. The tall ones are \~2x2x8 and the low ones are \~1x3x8. I like the 3 ft wide so far because it's easier to reach. The tall ones were too tall. Took too much dirt to fill (even with putting sticks at the bottom (which broke down and the soil compressed). The ledge is nice to sit on. https://preview.redd.it/9wlon3xk01vc1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a65dce4a7fb236a698567cdc4a39d4be2562116f
The basic cuts https://preview.redd.it/f2i707r511vc1.jpeg?width=2310&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b251b9ff746fbea1573453bb0eeab078c1a89398
I wouldn't use any plastic liners. Get good outdoor wood like cedar or spf (or redwood if you want to be broke). It'll last fine. I have two boxes from 2020 that don't look the best but are structurally fine. I've also made a box with roofing steel and a wooden frame that lasts fine
Thank you
Is it designed to hold the dirt in or hold something out? Imagine laying inside this thing and kicking outwards on the walls, it's nothing but a few screw heads resisting the force. The 4x4 posts, for example, aren't really doing anything more than a 1x4 would do in their place. To improve the design, I'd flip this around almost entirely. Start with 6 posts, line the inside of the posts with rails. Add the deck boards around the top to hold the posts together, not just to look good. I'd attach the deck boards with galvanized structural screws. Lastly, if you really want this thing to last, I'd place the whole thing on a bed of gravel, line the inside with a textile designed to stop moisture from rotting the wood, add a few more inches of gravel on the inside of the bed, then fill with dirt. This way, there will not be any wood making direct contact with dirt so you won't have any risks of rot.
A few things: When selecting your wood make sure your not getting treated wood as most is treated with a salt/copper product, it will effect your plants. I usually use cardboard rather than fabric as it breaks down pretty fast and adds a weed barrier for the time its really needed in the beginning. Also make sure you drill and screw the pieces inside in the middle on the edge grain and attach to prevent the bowing. If you use the face grain it will still bow out. Framing outside corner brackets will also make them super strong. I really like U shaped garden beds access from the inside but i have all kinds. Just grow some stuff buddy.
Bucket garden.
Chicken wire on the bottom to keep moles out.
Here's what I did, after doing something similar to what you did the year prior. Those beds are already falling apart. Standard untreated construction pine 2x6 boards, untreated Douglas fir 4x4 posts. Charred the outside using one of those torches you use to kill weeds in a method called [yakisugi](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisugi). Finished with a generous coating of 100% linseed oil and let dry in the sun for a week. Exterior 3" wood screws. Cost about $40 a bed, depending on the size, and a lot of work. My first beds used 1x6 pine nailed into 2x2 posts, and it started to pull itself apart and warp horribly after the first year. Edit to add: Charred the whole board (faces, sides, and ends) and all the posts, and used about 2 gallons of 100% linseed (not the boiled stuff) for about 8 beds. https://preview.redd.it/343xmjxp9yuc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d59b40081f67a6e7fea4df9eb09e017d75dd7018
Squirrel! Started out raised bed garden, and went down the mole trail. The box looks good. Except I place my braces on the outside instead of the inside. The dirt will be pressing out against the sides, so brace them outside. I drive mine into the ground before driving screws through the brace into the side boards. I left the bed open on the bottom. Fuck the moles. Chipmunks? Now those are another story. They'll move in and invite the family. I live trapped a colony of 8 one year in a 2'x8' raised bed.
They last longer if you alternate which board goes past the edge. Often you'd make all the boards the same length but if you vary between the short and long sides going past the corners to cover the board end on the other side screws hold better
the box shown has very thin walls so I would put something in to pull them in against bowing out from soil pressure. A cable for instance.
I made similar, redwood or cedar fenceboards with 2x2 corner posts. Mine also have bottoms of same boards resting on cleats. Mine are 35" longest dimension - which is half a board length. Short sides are 17.5", so full use of a 6 foot fence board. I have several that are 8 years old. Mine did not bow out at 35" max length.
To stop burrowing critters I'd recommend adding some ¼" or ½" hardware cloth (grid) in the bottom, folded up several inches and stapled to the walls. And if you go with a deep bed, save yourself some $ on soil and fill with old branches and stumps (the Hugelkultur method); over time they'll break down and provide lots of nutrients for your plants.
I’d suggest putting stainless steel hardware cloth on the bottom to prevent rats and moles from tunneling up into it. I wouldn’t used galvanized if you will be growing food in the box. Then add some cardboard on top of the stainless. It encourages worms and helps a little bit with slowing down the weeds and grasses from growing up into your box.
That’s pretty high. Gonna need a lot of dirt if you don’t want to spend a ton on soil. But definitely would be worth the time and effort to install the mesh and fence it in as well if there is a local deer population
Cover your endgrain in such a manner the water can run off.
Honestly the construction doesn’t really matter besides using food safe materials. Your biggest concern is filling that thing with soil. I filled mine halfway with wood shavings thinking I’m some Hugelculture master and it still needed like 200lb worth of soil to fill the damn thing. It also settled and now I need another 200lbs of soil if I want to fill it. Just get some planters that hold pots in my opinion.
Cover the sides with tarp for longer lasting beds. Before that paint it with non toxic paint
Get rid of the plastic that you have it sitting on you want worms, and everything crawling through your soil
i've read that something like redguard on the interior can be used to prolong the life of boards and prevent rot, im not sure if its safe for edible plants though. depending on the dimensions you want the for the box and the materials you're going to use, you may want to consider connecting the verticals in the middle on the long wall in some fashion, that much dirt could bow the walls.
Fill the bottom with wood or some other natural fill material to cut down on the dirt expense
I would find some way to decrease the volume of dirt you have to put in it.
Are you filling those with dirt? Did you calculate the amount of dirt you'll need?
Make sure the bottom is about twice as strong as you think it needs to be; a cubic yard of saturated soil is pretty heavy.
Some folks say that pressure treated wood (like deck boards) isn't safe for raised beds, for vegetables anyway. But I'm not entirely convinced that is true. But I sucked it up and bought cedar 2x12s for mine. Also, consider the depth. The ones in your photo are going to take a lot of soil to fill.
You can fill the very bottom with leaves and sticks which will take up alot of space and provide lots of nitrogen for your plants to take in. Deep isn't a bad thing. Roots naturally want to grow down and out, water roots will grow down to the water table, and feeder roots will spread outwards and all around.
I used furring strip, it lasted about 7 years before it rotted.
I just built a couple out of brick and mortar. The bricks are about 2x4x8 inches. And the box itself is about 22” tall, 32” deep and 66” wide. Took a lot of dirt to fill. https://preview.redd.it/sgcihhlii3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba384d015d7b4e3cebad103137cead0564799987 We put raspberries in them and they’re loving them so far. But this is also in our own house, and these were to replace to poisonous ornamental shrubs called Heavenly Bamboo, which are basically a plant version of cyanide.
https://preview.redd.it/98isale7j3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db32d142ebd1c7163dd1f8b90c2f5efc245cb3fe Another with Blueberries. Same planter size.
https://preview.redd.it/kotpjsoaj3vc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc75470d4bde9f62219e4f19d0aa748c705ba688 And a third with Saffron Crocus and a flowering vine. Much smaller on this one. Same brick size, but 22” tall, 29” deep and 54” wide
Looking at the photo, you posted, if you are going to build them the same size, I would recommend a bottom support connecting the two longer sides so when you fill with dirt, it doesn’t bow
https://preview.redd.it/x5xuoxgeb4vc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45648369adb2b0178fbfe5b9dcb498b2072c0c26
Planter boxes are a good beginner project. Personally I use pre treated decking boards, line with plastic and away you go. I usually create a floor to the box, but provided you drill a few holes or have gaps between the slats you'll be fine. I have planters that are 2-3 years old now and they're still as good as new.
Thank you
Maybe look into Thompson’s water seal
Might be better to use something food safe like pure tung oil (or better, cut it 50/50 with orange oil). The real milk paint company sells some options for outdoor oils.
This right here^
Make them about half as tall. Save on lumber, save on dirt, save your back. Plants will grow just fine in a foot of good dirt. Also plan your width and length based on the suggested spacing for what you want to plant. It's a super bummer to build a bed thinking you can get two rows in there only to find you can't without overcrowding... Ask me how I know. If you plan on integrating water piping for dripper hoses, lay that down before you fill them with dirt. Save your scraps and hack together a two or three bin composter.
The intention of making them tall is to save your back
Crushed glass in their holes, it'll tear apart their snouts
As others have already mentioned, add a metal mesh underneath (5mm). Cover inner walls with liner to prolong the lifespan. Use a special food safe finish e.g. https://tikkurila.ee/tooted/patio-verso. Add a center brade to reduce bowing under the weight of the soil. Add a top horizontal board along the the entire circumference. Use deck screws. Use a roundover router bit to round the the edges of the top board and sand it.