Stop! Before You Build a Raised Bed WATCH THIS VIDEO

Рет қаралды 85,456

Күн бұрын

We get asked all the time "Luke what materials are best for me to build my raised beds with?" That is the topic of today's video and you should watch this video in its entirety before you build anything.
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Пікірлер: 315

@Jsingle911 3 жыл бұрын

I built mine this year out of downed wood on my property. I don't know why I never thought of it before, but 4+ inch logs just laying in the woods are perfect for building beds. They retain moisture, release nutrients as they rot, and grow mushrooms! The perfect material!

@AryeHvsv 3 жыл бұрын

After debating what material to use for over a month, I finally built a raised bed from cinder blocks. I live in CT and considered the fact that they can crack due to the freezing and wet weather. One thing I took into account that you don't mention in this video is how easy it is to "fix" a cinder block raised bed. I kept it to 1 level, and if 1 or 2 crack, I can just swap them out for another block that costs $1.50. Less of a hassle than dealing with wood. Also, I can easily expand it next year if I want. That specific flexibility was very appealing to me

@AryeHvsv 3 жыл бұрын

@Chris Smith thanks for the correction. I meant concrete blocks

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

That's a great point Arie. My landscape timber bed is warping badly and I am hoping to get concrete blocks for free to make new beds 😀

@YSLRD 3 жыл бұрын

I live on reclaimed swamp land. Rot and insects gobble untreated wood quickly, so I went with blocks. My only issue is the minor flooding and freezing knocks the blocks out of alignment. I'll never go back to wood.

@jiexinyue3143 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, you are right. I am moving one wood raised bed out of my main garden area and considering using concrete blocks instead. You can easily change the designs and repair. When we bought the house 5 years ago, I found 2 or 3 concrete blocks outside the old shed, and they still look intact to this day. I am sure it has been there for years before we moved in. I am in NJ and I believe we have similar weathers so you should be good too. Yay, such a relief that I can finally make up my mind on this matter.

@bilyanaslavova9443 3 жыл бұрын

Did you research if they are safe to use to grow food? Is the leaching that some people mention a concern? I built one with concrete blocks and now I'm trying to figure out if that was ok.

@workingfolk 3 жыл бұрын

Actually the first question to ask is "Why do I even need raised beds?" I'm on my 5th major garden over the past 50 years and never needed a raised bed in a garden. If one has reasonable quality soil and no mobility issues, raised beds may be an unnecessary expense which could be a major impediment to starting a garden. This year was the first year on this Pennsylvania homestead and all beds were started with a no-till method of laying cardboard on what was a large lawn and then 4" of mushroom compost in 30" wide strips. No expense for wood or sides of any kind was necessary, bed preparation required only a wheelbarrow and steel rake and yields were extraordinary. Raised beds might be necessary when I get old but since I'm only 69, those days are far in the future.

@robertl.fallin7062 3 жыл бұрын

Fifty years here and the ONLY answer as to why a raised bed is MONEYTIZ'N on da tube!

@christinearmington 3 жыл бұрын

👍😉

@sazji 3 жыл бұрын

They really help in the Pacific Northwest because the soil warms up sooner.

@shpuply 3 жыл бұрын

This season I realized I had extremely lofty tomato goals,and decided to slap together an impromptu bed bermed with large stones from our property. Being from Maine, large stones are readily available. Stacked just like old stone border walls,and animal retention walls from the time this area was settled. So many options!

@shelleys6826 2 жыл бұрын

Jeremy, this is exactly what I did on our first farm. It was just beautiful, and because the former owner kept piling all the fieldstone in one area of the property it was also free! I actually cried when we moved from that property because I couldn’t bring those rocks with me.

@mrb5111 3 жыл бұрын

If you're using untreated Pine scorch the wood with a torch before building the boxes it helps preserve the wood.

@Aardrijk1 3 жыл бұрын

Great idea!

@heavymetalbassist5 3 жыл бұрын

and boiled linseed oil

@yomama1254 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this pro-tip!

@tuppybrill4915 3 жыл бұрын

It’s a coincidence that you should say this as I was reading an account of a medical mission in West Africa around 1920 and the guy there built his wards on piles which he charred the surface of before putting them into the ground to help preserve them

@snowpaw360 3 жыл бұрын

@@heavymetalbassist5 boiled linseed oil has heavy metals in it to aid drying.

@j.b.6855 3 жыл бұрын

So far my raised beds have cost $0 to build. I use kiddie pools rescued from the trash. I just found another today. I drill lots of holes in the bottom and fill them with last years container mix I then amend with compost I make.

@nathalie_desrosiers 3 жыл бұрын

Aren't they made of #6 plastic (polystyrene)? Aren't you worried it might leach?

@j.b.6855 3 жыл бұрын

@@nathalie_desrosiers Not really, so far most of them I have found in my area have been made of high or low density polyethylene. Its a food grade plastic. But to be safe I dont plant things closer than 4 inches or so.

@ginsederp 3 жыл бұрын

@@j.b.6855 I'm not sure drilling a few holes in the bottom makes it a raised bed, it sounds more like a giant pot instead. You could tear out the bottom, that would make them proper raised beds.

@j.b.6855 3 жыл бұрын

@@ginsederp I dont just drill a few holes, I drill lots and lots of 1 1/2 inch holes with a spade bit. When I am done there is more area covered by holes than there is bottom. I tried cutting the bottom out of one of my first ones and it didnt keep its shape very well and ended up cracking. I would say it counts as a raised bed because its the equivalent of putting down hardware cloth in the bottom of a bed.

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

I have a couple of kiddie pool beds because I save my ducks pools after they crack. Duckies get a new pool and I get a container for plants 😂

@shocker1215 3 жыл бұрын

The price of lumber has almost tripled over these last few months.

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

In our area because of so much hurricane damage, lumber has definitely skyrocketed.

@stevefromthegarden1135 3 жыл бұрын

I hear that. It's at least doubled in my area. (far outside Chicago area) I am adding some more beds this fall and laid out space and started prepping the area but I am not buying the wood. Hopefully, the price comes down by early spring. I have some dead pine trees that I might try to cut down the middle to create the sides. It wouldn't be pretty but it would work for now. Separately the price of drywall has also doubled so my basement project is put on hold.

@weibullguy 3 жыл бұрын

Start with tariffs, add a pandemic that added DIYers with more than the usual time on their hands and shutdown mills for several months, put a surge in new housing starts over the summer months on top (like a cherry) and it's no surprise lumber prices rose. I've seen them falling the past few weeks in my area.

@roccoconte2960 3 жыл бұрын

because the plants that manafacture the wood have been shut done by politicians due to covid scare.

@donatdeplazes3237 3 жыл бұрын

I did my raised beds with stone I collected from the nearby river

@michaellippmann4474 3 жыл бұрын

For me the best boars for raised beds is FREE....I pick up what ever free lumber I can. Big pallets from machinery shippers, old wood siding, used wood from concrete forming companies, etc., When my bed material rots I just build another bed from scrap lumber. The plants do not really care what the bed material looks like. Mike 👍🎃🇨🇦

@sazji 3 жыл бұрын

We just found 4 used 12-foot Douglas fir 2x12s...

@deborahmaier4272 3 жыл бұрын

When I was looking for a material to build my raised bed, I chose cement blocks. I wanted a material that I could easily reconfigure. I have increased the size of my garden three times since I started. And all I had to do was move a few blocks, buy a few more, lay down some cardboard, and throw a bunch of leaves on it. I also plant inside the blocks. The one drawback of planting in the blocks is that they dry out quickly.

@deborahmaier4272 3 жыл бұрын

I've had my cinder blocks for over 10 years and not one of them has cracked from the Ohio wet freezing weather.

@nathalie_desrosiers 3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking about planting *in* the blocks but was unsure. What do you plant *in* the blocks?

@amorris622 3 жыл бұрын

@@nathalie_desrosiers Marigolds grow fantastic in them. I’ve also grown onions in them as well. I’m in Indiana and they have done very well with our freezing winters.

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

I'm hoping to make a couple of concrete block beds soon and being able to put it together myself is a huge benefit over other options😀

@matthewfarrell317 3 жыл бұрын

Just a little advice from someone who used to work in a hardware store here in Melbourne, terracotta sealant spray, I am sure the US has it as well. It's used to seal terracotta pots to stop them losing moisture through the sides. But not surprisingly, also works on any real porous material that is similar, including concrete bricks. It's cheap (or should be since it was cheap here and normally everything is expensive), so it might be an option to help.

@GrowingUpJersey 3 жыл бұрын

I made beds of cedar once. I found out cedar rots almost as fast as pine when it comes in contact with soil. they lasted 3 years. Ultimately, I went to plastic decking lumber. it's pricey, but it's been over 20 years now and they're fine.

@kristinatidwell6563 3 жыл бұрын

I've used Teck deck in my normal home repairs, so I wondered how much this idea cost you? I'm trying to plan a half acre garden and set up automatic sprinklers set on a timer.

@GrowingUpJersey 3 жыл бұрын

@@kristinatidwell6563 Honestly, I don't remember, it was over 20 years ago. it was pricey, but it has lasted 20+ years and still good. I used 1in x 8 in x 12ft boards and made 4x12 beds. they have bowed a bit over the years. if I built them now, I would stake and brace along the long side.

@drewsenthused6079 3 жыл бұрын

$25 for those beds 5 years ago?! Those boards are going for $25 a piece now!

@blackc1479 3 жыл бұрын

Thats what i was wondering about too. Unless maybe its reclaimed. But i understand even thats going up too.

@andielliott2306 3 жыл бұрын

I look in the local online markets and I got 16 2 X 8X 16 for $50 bucks. Used but great for raised beds.

@jonstachowicz8778 3 жыл бұрын

Built mine out of pine almost 5 years ago, just now showing some signs of rotting here in Central Indiana. I'll fix what I can and let it decompose and mix it into the beds. Function over Form in my books!!

@Sagern234 3 жыл бұрын

Same here, we have 2 beds from 4-5yrs ago we will have to repair/replace sometime this coming year.

@CTR6067 3 жыл бұрын

I’m in MN, so I used cedar for the bottom course and pine for the 2nd & 3rd. It helped a lot on cost.

@shelleys6826 2 жыл бұрын

I’m really fortunate to have horses who have ”customized” water troughs to the point that they no longer hold water. They also provide a significant percentage of the bulk of our compost. After I experimented with filling the bottom third of three 100 gallon troughs with well rotted old firewood in a slight Hugelkulture fashion then used a blend of well aged horse manure with the pine shavings bedding we use, I had the best garden I’ve ever had in my life! Over the last 10 or so years I’ve collected eleven 100-150 gallon livestock water troughs in various stages of disrepair which have permitted me to grow a truly remarkable amount of food. I’m 62, significantly disabled, and I would never have been able to garden even in a typical raised bed - they are just too low. But I have a walker which has a seat with bag suspended underneath that allows me to sit to plant and weed and harvest (though between my intensive close spacing, use of cattle panels for the majority of my plants to climb, and liberal use of mulch I don’t have many weeds).

@ryanpm4460 3 жыл бұрын

I just made two more. Used cedar 2x12. Found a great deal. I live in Oregon. I got it for less than pine because they wanted it gone before winter and it was from last year. I paid $1.49/ft

@GreenLove1 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Luke. Lots of great tips in this video. I also have great success growing in 18- gallon plastic totes. Cost $5 each and last 5 years (at least). I have raised beds and planters that we built on top of pallets to make them portable. So many options. Filling them can be the most expensive part. Gary Pilarchik from @TheRustedGarden has lots of great videos on how to fill raised beds for cheap... He posted a video just today on the subject in case folks want to check it out.

@marjorybecker3852 3 жыл бұрын

I was at your store very nice, and the land you just got is so close to my childhood home. Good luck to your new projects!!

@sunlesssentinel5326 3 жыл бұрын

I used fallen tree trunks. Cheap. Ants like to build hives in it though.

@jtalias 3 жыл бұрын

Another alternative for raised beds is composite material. I’m in zone 7 and have raised beds from Greenland Gardener. They’re over 10 years old and still going strong. They were pretty cheap as well.

@staciegulizia4144 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! This was super helpful. Last year, during the lockdown, I had difficulty acquiring material for my raised beds here in WV. I ended up buying some red oak fence panels from a local guy on fb marketplace. So far, they’ve held up very well. This year I want to add on to my raised garden, but I’m hoping to find the most affordable option. The information you provided really helps. You have no idea how much support you bring to our garden community. Much appreciated! 🙏

@logosrisingbear 3 жыл бұрын

I used re claimed cedar I got for free. This was the 2nd year, beds still look great. Good source for cheap lumber.....go to your local lumberyard and ask to pick through the warped/cut/no good pile. Can usually get it for pennies on the dollar. Craigslist is another good source

@cherab7400 3 жыл бұрын

I live in a wooded lot, so cut trees (hemlock, spruce and cedar) and used the full trunks to build log house style beds. Another free option (although labor intensive).

@carlross555 3 жыл бұрын

Another great video Luke have learned so much from you raised bed is the only way I go and yes I do have a landlord that lets me do pretty much what I want God bless you can't wait for you next one

@livesoutdoors1708 3 жыл бұрын

My husband works at an airport where the mechanics service airplanes. We recycle airplane parts shipping boxes into raised garden beds. Believe it or not sometimes the boxes are made of birch wood and those last years and years.

@THuuDo 3 жыл бұрын

I’m glad you mentioned the bit about pressure treated wood. I think people still shy away from it because we are still told it’s harmful for the plants.

@theelpydimension 3 жыл бұрын

Nice video thank you! You're right there's many different options, then within each of those there are even more. Currently I have 3 made from untreated pine, 4x8, 4x4, 4x6. I hope to build another. I appreciate getting a sense of the different sizes. I used 2x6s, two layers so they're 12" deep. Happy with this though I might like one board higher to help keep critters out.

@joannecordone6831 3 жыл бұрын

Hybrid. Galvanized Steel Rolled Roofing/Flashing on the soil side. Wood on the outside as the frame. Since the 2020 price of wood has expanded, a hybrid is the way I am planning. Also burn the outside of the wood, no pressure treatment needed. And then my husband loves to paint the wood for a little extra protection. Great video. Perfect timing.

@chamelaroo4683 3 жыл бұрын

Great timing. I am wanting to build raised beds for next year. I live in Las Vegas. It is very hot, very dry and the native soil is not good. I am wanting to do galvanized steel because they need to be deep and sturdy. I have used containers here so far but they dry out ridiculously fast in the desert climate.

@lauravance8280 3 жыл бұрын

Great timing for this episode! I was just thinking yesterday about adding a large raised bed. Another possible "material" we've used is old livestock feed or water bins (we're in Nebraska so plenty around). They're usually steel or rubberized plastic. Bonus if they're already cracked on the bottom for drainage. Appreciate all the valuable gardening info you provide!

@gmarkfarnham8237 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to educate. It is very much appreciated.

@doloresmccarthy9279 3 жыл бұрын

your videos continue to improve as the years go by. You are a young Jim Crockett ( Crockett"s Victory Garden). You may have heard of him. He's an old timer... Keep it going.. your in for a great future....

@IndianaBackyardGardener 3 жыл бұрын

Check your local saw mill. I was able to acquire some "free firewood" which are big slabs off the trees. I put them together and made beds! Rustic look and I love it 🥰

@KLRJamz 3 жыл бұрын

We see freezing weather in AZ. Another option for low cost garden trim or raised bed wood I've used is pallet wood.

@zdenkapriezvisko5388 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for information about the rise beds. Very useful. I’m going to do it this autumn.

@pontiac4567 3 жыл бұрын

You missed one of the best alternatives for single level raised beds. Recycled plastic boards. They don't leach anything, come in colors, and last 50 years. 2 screws in each corner has held perfectly for 20 years. Disadvantage is you have to pay the trucking bill as they are not locally available. But considering a lifetime of usage with zero maintenance, it is easily the cheapest and best looking alternative and you are recycling plastic.

@triciasklodowske5653 3 жыл бұрын

Where did you get the recycled plastic boards ? Sound like a really good idea. Thanks

@leynaabbey 3 жыл бұрын

Some grades of plastic do leech into soil, so just check before hand that it's food grade plastic...

@ewaturska697 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Luke! Thanks for the info!!!

@pattithompsett9540 3 жыл бұрын

cinderblocks are about the same cost per foot as wood. i am using them as retaining walls in my community garden plots. i paid $1 per block, so eight feet $8

@celtickitc 3 жыл бұрын

I built a raised beds using el cheapo lumber. I am in coastal SC and the termites feasted on the untreated wood. This spring I am going to grow in raised soil beds with out the lumber.

@rebeccazody1278 3 жыл бұрын

I have made steel beds with recycled washer drums. I found a recycling appliance place and purchased three, spray pained with rust oleum light grey. Very cheap to purchase. They are really great. Before that I purchased end of the season fire rings that were marked down. I have found old deck wood from neighbors and purchased valve wood at Lowe’s or Menards. It is a hunt, but lots of fun to do.

@michaelkolanda8712 3 жыл бұрын

This past spring I made 7 total raised hugelkulture beds due to my 3 kugelkulture mounds outperforming everything else that I've tried. I made 6 of them from leftover 2x4s and plywood that I had from other projects totaling about 160 sq/ft. I also made one with just more logs for sides and branches driven into the ground to hold them in place. Eventually hoping to get mushrooms growing out of the sides too. Lots of sweat equity due to sourcing everything from the property, but free otherwise.

@leerussell6801 3 жыл бұрын

Debbie here......love your info...heard ya talk about cedar be good thing....may I add. Re claimed cedar decking is great for raised bed as well. And free....I’m on year 4.. when putting the box together, I put the underside of the deck board on the outside..the stained side is inside of the box, so they look nice as well....🐝🐝🐝

@patricianelson7911 3 жыл бұрын

We had wood raised beds and like you said, they lasted about 8 yrs, but we did let them get real deteriorated before replacing them. Now we have Cinder blocks. We just placed them in place 2 high without mortaring them together. We are in Northern IL and have gone through 3 years without any cracked blocks. Praying they continue to hold up.

@morningglory8559 3 жыл бұрын

Luke you are an angel! Thank you for this good information! I wish one thing:. Weren't you supposed to line the BOTTOM of the raised bed with wire or something? Does anyone know? Thank you!!

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

I have a raised bed made with landscape timber, and one with pressure treated wood, but I am hoping to get some free cinder blocks for another two beds. Here's hoping 😀

@isabelleblain9657 3 жыл бұрын

This spring we made ours with untreated pine boards. I lined the inside with thick plastic and painted the outside. Hopefully this will extend the life expectancy.

@EveretteKincaid 3 жыл бұрын

I used cedar picket fence panels (about $3.50 each) built a 70x32” box 16 1/2” tall (3 panel’s stacked) it cost me roughly $40 for a huge box.

@markpnw8745 3 жыл бұрын

I build raised containers 1ft deep 3 ft off the ground. 4×4 legs treated and 2x12 pine. So far so good yr.2. Also have raised beds 2ft high. They are on their forth year and looking good out in the Pacific northwest.

@marydrew3568 3 жыл бұрын

I'm trying straw bale gardening this year! I'd like to see you make a video about straw bale gardening and Kugelkulture, both above ground methods for compacted poor clay soils. I'm doing a bit of a hybrid straw bale garden with large rectangles and then the center is filled with compost and top soil mix, so I can grow root vegetables and cooler crops like lettuces in the centers on the north side of attached hog panels, which will feature vining plants like peas, squash, cucumbers.

@richardgore2000 3 жыл бұрын

I think people need to think why they are having a raised bed and I found having a 2 ft raised bed gives you nothing more in productivity than one that is 6 inches high. I found 6-in high with 6 to 12-in of boarding above the soil line to give protection from wind and create a microclimate works really well in the southeast of England. This is something that I'm going to expand around the garden for next year.

@charlesknight3204 3 жыл бұрын

Great information; better video!!! Thanks!!! Me and mine wish you and yours all things great and good!!! Take care, be safe, all my best and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Buffalo, Texas. 🤠🐩🖖✝️

@nancyhinds3821 2 жыл бұрын

We are recycling our raised ribbed steel roofing from a remodel. We are also recycling 4 x 4 posts we had laying around. We just had a patio/deck fire where the timbers and tongue and groove pine will be used in the future.

@lanamolczyk5139 3 жыл бұрын

We built two 4 foot by 12 foot raised beds about 3 ft tall with landscape block and have been quite happy with it for three years now.

@MrRPM110 3 жыл бұрын

I found 42x42 inch cedar raised bed kits on clearance last winter. Bought 3 for around 60

@grandmatuesday1184 3 жыл бұрын

I have made root bags out of landscaping fabric and outdoor thread. It has helped me expand my garden every year, as my compost in the bags get dumped in areas i want permanent raised beds like for asparagus and kiwi. They work really well on the hillside because it doesn't have to be level to stand up straight. My plants do fine including tomato and squash. I will probably be using them quite awhile.

@kneesusforjesus2879 3 жыл бұрын

Great vid, you made me start thinking of casting raised beds with concrete...

@Sean-yr2rl 3 жыл бұрын

This was exactly the reminder video i needed. I kind of learned it years ago but memories fade. Thanks for all of the good info.

@pozzowon 3 жыл бұрын

"If you live in places like Arizona, that are dry and don't have freezing weather..." Somebody living in Flagstaff: "What? :S"

@AlecStory 3 жыл бұрын

What do you think about using wattle made of downed branches to form the raised bed?

@iakkatz128 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Luck. The way that wood prices are going galv. metal looks better and better. Also if only staying for a year or two consider containers. If you look around they can be obtained relatively chip and reused.

@tinafisher 3 жыл бұрын

always good information from you. Our raised beds are cinderblock, they have lasted 5 years, with no sign of impending doom. My husband didnt let any dirt get into the holes, he tapped down and leveled the ground, we put landscaping cloth down, (heavy duty)across the bottom up the sides. We got garden dirt from Tuthill's here in Green Oak Township, they loaded our wagon down pretty heavy every time. No problem with heaving, freezing and water. We haven't lost ablock yet. We put capstones over the cinderblocks also, we don't plant in the holes. Capstones keep the water from penetrating between block. The beds are 3 cinder deep with capstone, some are down a few inches under ground due to being on slight hill. It really is a great idea to use this, it's much cheaper then wood, we also have no heaving or bending like wood. If you like I can send you pictures or video of it.

@tinafisher 3 жыл бұрын

added notes, asked husband about this. He said he DID fill the cinder holes with dirt. He also used conduit stakes (hes electricion and we have lots of that around), on the inside of each block for 2 stacks (so they wouldn't shift) on the inside holes and some on the outside. This is useful because we stand on the capstoned walls and work the gardening, and there wouldn't be an accident of anything moving under your feet. He says that you can also use what mason's use on your cinder, some kind of seal, so they absorb absolutely nothing from the ground or your watering, but we haven't had a problem yet and live in Michigan. If something did crack, we can easily remove the cinders and replace with a new one.

@kristinatidwell6563 3 жыл бұрын

@@tinafisher interested to know what's the name brand of the seal? I know that my great great grandad was a Mason but he's been gone since I was born. Idk anyone who is a Mason, so I can't ask them.

@PetulaGuimaraes 3 жыл бұрын

I live in Quebec, Canada. Humid summers, freezing winter. I have raised beds of cedar and cinder blocks. They are all going strong for five years now!

@carlgoldsmith8848 3 жыл бұрын

MIgardener, growing up we simply made stone walls, in the northeast US our harvest of stone from the garden outweighed the food :) so readily available just needs labor and a bit of annual maintenance. have you ever thought of using old tires? could be a free long lasting alternative.

@gingram110 3 жыл бұрын

We used cinder blocks for our raised beds, which we used for 14 gardening seasons. We live in New York, up near Lake Ontario, and never had problems with them cracking. What we did encounter was that they would shift due to the freeze/thaw cycle. We also found that ants loved to live in them. We’ve now replaced the cinder blocks in our main space with beds made from untreated pine. Because we decided to expand our garden this year, we used those cinder blocks to create a new space. Not ideal, especially because we just placed them in a rough rectangle, but they provided a visual barrier for our lawn guy who would have made a mess of the garden if they hadn’t been there.

@beverlyshavey6503 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!🌻

@minim-ms 3 жыл бұрын

Wow I’m so glad cedar is a great wood. I live out in the middle of nowhere hill country and there’s so much cedar people burn it. So materials found, now I just got to learn how to process natural wood! Edit: So it's actually Mountain Juniper but the wood is bendy even when it's dry so I'm looking into wattle fences for the beds and since everyone hates these trees, people clear their land all the time so I'll post in my local community and pick up some free mulch!

@LittleRedHenHomestead 3 жыл бұрын

You may want to look at the increase in lumber prices. You can’t build raised beds for the same cost you used to pay.

@theoneandonly1158 3 жыл бұрын

Exactly. My husband built 2 woodshop tables cost him $400. A $1.50 wood now costs $5. It is ridiculous to buy wood right now. Plus my husband works for home depot.

@Sagern234 3 жыл бұрын

Truth lumber has doubled, if not tripled in price since this spring.

@MinnieAcresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

All the hurricane damage in our area has pushed lumber prices through the roof 😢

@donnacim 3 жыл бұрын

@HALF MT Yes, a continuous increase this century, with an all-time high in June, 2008. We all know who was in office then and why those prices kept going up . . . And right again, they never went back down to pre-war prices.

@YSLRD 3 жыл бұрын

@HALF MT It hit 1.39 here for awhile. It's still about 1. 70.

@HHRescues 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative

@finagill 3 жыл бұрын

What I currently am doing is using some 4x4 posts that are grooved for side boards to slide in them. The side boards is something that I can get from scrap pallets and crates. If I have to replace the boards every few years it will be easy. I just lift the boards up I want to replace and drop new boards back in.

@capnstewy55 3 жыл бұрын

I put rocks around my in ground garden and the soil level has increased to match it from mulch and ammendments so now my garden is about 8 inches higher than the rest of my yard. In New Jersey my untreated pine after 3 years has had about 20% of the boards completely rot away. I figure it will fail at some point in year 4.

@akelei6884 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Luke, we flame our new wooden raised beds, to make it more durable. Blessings from Germany.

@AN-jw2oe 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video! What about redwood?

@MichaelHanson-vo3sl Жыл бұрын

i use cinder blocks in MT. We get sub zero temps been like 10 years but i dont allow soil in the cinder block and I top them with paving stones which seems to keep them from cracking Cristina

@bdarmstead2 3 жыл бұрын

Also a good option for filling raised beds is to check your local landscaping/excavating companies. I got a whole truck bed full of manure compost that is completely composted for $43.(includes $10 loading fee). That is extremely cheap compared to buying bagged soils from hardware stores. They do the same for mulch or topsoil. I highly recommend it. It will save you a ton and will be great to plant in.

@mcleodhomestead2387 3 жыл бұрын

They changed a bunch of electrical poles on our road this summer so I got a few that I'll cut and use for legs and currently collecting old metal roofing as with my back I need it higher off the ground and trying to be cheap as possible

@backpacker2417 Жыл бұрын

When lumber skyrocketed in price, I went with concrete blocks. I found it took me a while to get everything level but am happy with the results. I only went two blocks high did put rebar down the holes to keep them from moving.

@bob.hudson 3 жыл бұрын

here we do mounts that we layer every year with our homemade compost. the secret to deal with weeds, layer a good amount of woodchips around the mount and you are good to go.

@litlp33 3 жыл бұрын

Redwood works great as well

@ajaddams7277 2 жыл бұрын

Here in SoCal (San Diego), cinder blocks get super hot and can bake your plants if you plant too closely, or if you plant inside the holes.

@aprilcary5335 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your videos! God bless you :-)

@pyropan 3 жыл бұрын

I use galvanized beds, $65/6’x3’

@HomesteadHopefulTara 3 жыл бұрын

I bought 8 3x6 foot galvanized steel raised bed kits on Amazon for $70 each this year. Took most of my savings, and could only afford to fill 4 so far. (I don’t have my own compost yet.) Very expensive, but being able to grow my own veggies without having to till is going to be so worth it. One is full of carrots now. One is full of garlic (3 braiding types). One is full of radishes, golden beets, perpetual spinach and collard greens. And the other will be filled tomorrow because my onion sets are coming. Hoping to have all 8 assembled and full of soil by spring for potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, among other things.

@paulrobinson4865 3 жыл бұрын

4:00 Western Cedar is very expensive in my local because it comes from California and from many Forest Fire ridden areas...

@karenking2761 3 жыл бұрын

Luke. I live in Prescott Valley, AZ. We have freezing weather here. My tomato plants just froze to death because of our past 4 nights of freezing temperatures. Even in southern AZ there are many freezing nights. I did not hear you mention redwood. What are your thoughts on that type of wood for raised gardens?

@jimrenderer6627 3 жыл бұрын

Luke, you forgot two other options. What about Aircrete panels with interlocking sides & ends ? Also, self watering raised beds using pond liners.

@sunlesssentinel5326 3 жыл бұрын

I also used wooden pallets that had hay on it. Also free except the box of nails.

@keithbennett7514 3 жыл бұрын

i took some sheet aluminum and some metal stakes ( all free and re purposed from something else ) and built 2 10 x 4 raised garden beds that are about 4 foot tall and filled it hugelkultur style with old logs and fallen debris on my property. then ive been adding my own compost, native soil, leaves, and leaf mould i can scrape out of my ditches by the road. Im going to let it all decompose and settle over winter so its ready for next spring. It hasnt cost me a dime yet except the manual labor. its cheap but hard work

@thersgarden3144 3 жыл бұрын

Great tips.

@erick2718 3 жыл бұрын

Ann Arbor, here. Should I do something with my potting soil from my raised beds or can I use it again after winter leaves?

@michaelmarchione3408 3 жыл бұрын

You are right about cinder blocks freezing and cracking. But, concrete blocks do not. There are two types of blocks. Concrete blocks are smoother so they don't tend to freeze and crack as easily, Price here about the same, I'm in zone 4a in nny state, -20 to -35 F. Just across from Canada, About an hour by back roads Great video and great info. I always look forward to them, keep them coming!

@deankellogg11 3 жыл бұрын

I build sub-irrigated raised beds that are 3 2×8's high with half the depth soil and half of it is red lava rock and weeping tile pipe but I live in a desert

@nguonchan273 3 жыл бұрын

Luke do you have any issues with rodent like rats, rabbits, groundhogs extra..?? What do you to control them. Thanks for the video 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

@TheViewmaster1971 3 жыл бұрын

You read my mind. I was going to ask the same thing!

@jessicakirchoff2536 3 жыл бұрын

I found electric fence 6” off the ground keeps groundhogs, rabbits and my dogs out of the garden. It’s a solar unit and works well!

@nguonchan273 3 жыл бұрын

@@jessicakirchoff2536 I have kids, god forbid I forget to turn it off.

@snowpaw360 3 жыл бұрын

Plastic beds also exist, I have the lifetime brand ones, about as expensive as cedar but termites wont eat it, holding up well in the florida sun, epic gardening sells some nice metal garden bed if you want some tall ones so you dont have to strain your back.

@VersatileNature 3 жыл бұрын

Nice info👌

@chadj79 3 жыл бұрын

I used 2x10 Douglas Fir untreated, they are fairly expensive, but the life expectancy is around 10 years. Not as expensive as cedar. Very beefy.

@andrearobinson3491 3 жыл бұрын

Did you seal them?

@chadj79 3 жыл бұрын

@@andrearobinson3491 No sealer, they are 5 years old now, and they are still doing good.

@Peldyn 3 жыл бұрын

I used cinderblocks that I found out in the desert. So I built 2- 4x8 raised beds for free. They have lasted 7 years so far

@juselenascott6620 3 жыл бұрын

I am surprised by your comments about cynder blocks. I'm on the coast of MA and have had a cynder block raised bed for probably 12 years or more. It's 3 blocks high so there are a lot of blocks and never experienced any cracking. I may have a micro climate but it's been covered in snow many times and there's a ton of moisture in the air. I'm on a salt marsh and it's a bit ugly but it's been a great bed here in zone 6B. I know my winters aren't as bad as MI but I can't compare myself to AZ. I'm not saying they don't crack from moisture but I do have a lot of moisture and it's New England lots of freezing temps🤷‍♀️

@blazemage84 3 жыл бұрын

You know those metal rims that they put a lid on and call a manhole? I found an old one left laying with 2 pallets of bricks and cinderblocks in the alley by my house. Used the bricks to make a terrace in a slope and now have an elderberry nursery growing away in a manhole

@ThatGardener 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful video very informative and nice.

@x21gokartracing 3 жыл бұрын

An option I considered a year ago that would last a long time is wood composite decking boards with short lengths of rebar into the ground for support.