Best/Favorite/Cheap raised bed? Not snoozing LOL


Tn Ridge Rover

Tn Ridge Rover

Supporter
Supporter
Joined
May 4, 2025
Messages
218
Likes
861
Any ideas/opinions?

2011 I rented a basement apt which had a barren raised bed, I raised tomatoes. It was low and used lumber bout 1 ft high.. I raised little tomatoes. Got a new place now and just asking for advice, experience, and opinions. I am fairly close to the same plant nursery I used back then. Pics welcome.
 
@Tn Ridge Rover we’ve currently got 5 raised beds inside of our big fenced garden. All of them are 4x8 and built with 2x6’s which are double stacked. Just regular dried pine, nothing fancy. This year we’ll be building 4 or 5 more but probably won’t double stack them and I may go to a local Amish lumber mill and just get 2x6’s from them…most likely hemlock—whatever is cheapest

IMG_9643.jpeg
 
Tn Ridge Rover said:
Any ideas/opinions?

2011 I rented a basement apt which had a barren raised bed, I raised tomatoes. It was low and used lumber bout 1 ft high.. I raised little tomatoes. Got a new place now and just asking for advice, experience, and opinions. I am fairly close to the same plant nursery I used back then. Pics welcome.
Click to expand...
I'm a raised bed kinda guy. :)
What are you planning on growing?
Are you looking for really cheap type beds?
What kind of durability are you seeking? A summer or two? Many years?
How important is appearance to you?
Do you have access to black dirt for growing, or do you have to buy the dirt?
 
I’m thinking about going to this because we are wanting to move our garden which is a conventional one. We have to think about freezing soil expansion so one fall chore would be digging the inside perimeter and piling it up in the middle but that’s not the most terrible thing to do. The county is going to widen the road which pushes the right of way over into where we are currently set. That’s coming in 2027 but we want to get it moved this year and established. It’s time for it anyway, we have more garden than time to tend it so six raised beds will be fine and we can fence it in against deer and bunnies.
 
TWill said:
I’m thinking about going to this because we are wanting to move our garden which is a conventional one. We have to think about freezing soil expansion so one fall chore would be digging the inside perimeter and piling it up in the middle but that’s not the most terrible thing to do. The county is going to widen the road which pushes the right of way over into where we are currently set. That’s coming in 2027 but we want to get it moved this year and established. It’s time for it anyway, we have more garden than time to tend it so six raised beds will be fine and we can fence it in against deer and bunnies.
Click to expand...
I've been doing raised beds for years and I've never dug around the perimeter and piled in the middle. Never had issues with expansion either. Is that a known issue in your area?
 
I cut 4x4 posts to 2' long for the corners of the beds, then use cedar fence slats to build the sides. The cedar fencing is very cheap and very long lasting. I use the plastic bags from soil and mulch stapled on the insides to line the beds, holding in water and soil. I fill the bottom with old tree trunks, pieces of busted up concrete from an old patio that got replaced, stuff like that to about a foot deep, then I add good soil on top. I make them 2' high so I don't have to bend over as much (save my back) and the foot of bulk waste in the bottom saves on soil costs.

1000043117.jpg
 
Last edited:
I’ve used raised beds. Something to keep in mind. Build them so you can access and reach into all areas. One bed dedicated to greens will produce all a family of 4 can eat. I raise both Senposai and Komatsuna. They are Japanese greens and also cut and grow, meaning you cut them and they continue to grow back throughout the growing season. Just wonderful greens. I gave each plant 12 square inches for growth.



IMG_6402.jpegIMG_6406.jpegIMG_6403.jpegIMG_6405.jpegIMG_6404.jpegIMG_6407.jpeg
 
The freezing will strain the corners over a few years depending on how many freeze/thaw cycles happen over a winter. It’s about like how a clay pot is broken if you leave it full of soil over winter but maybe I am overly careful about the chances. Might not be a big issue but I get bothered when things loosen up at the joints.
 
gohammergo said:
I'm a raised bed kinda guy. :)
What are you planning on growing?
Are you looking for really cheap type beds?
What kind of durability are you seeking? A summer or two? Many years?
How important is appearance to you?
Do you have access to black dirt for growing, or do you have to buy the dirt?
Click to expand...
Sevaral years, salad tomatoes, lettuce. watermelons. appearance who cares if it works, Will buy dirt,
 
@Tn Ridge Rover for what you want 2x6’s are the way to go. Whatever is cheapest unless you wanna spend more for some reason lol. You can decide if you want to stack them like mine in the picture or just do a single level

For our double stacked beds we tossed in a load of sticks at the bottom, then layered in mulch, compost and dirt. For the several we’re building this spring they’ll jus be single board height and we’ll skip the sticks at the bottom and just toss in compost and dirt

One thing to consider is how wide you’d like them to be. Our first set I made 4x8 just to make it simple, but 4’ wide makes for a lot of leaning over. This next set we’re going to make 2’x8’.
 
Tn Ridge Rover said:
Sevaral years, salad tomatoes, lettuce. watermelons. appearance who cares if it works, Will buy dirt,
Click to expand...
We don't have a watermelon season here, but we grow squash, which spreads out about the same. We don't grow those in raised beds, but we do in high power dirt. This year we are going to fill empty grain bags with dirt, and put one plant per bag. Stand the bag upright of course and fill about half full. A few small slices for drainage and you are good to go. The bag keeps the good dirt contained so you don't lose nutrients as fast. It keeps the weeds away as well, so there is no competition for the nutrients. By the time the plant is spread out enough that you can't get close to check for weeds, it won't be a concern. It will grow like crazy.

Melons are a heavy feeder and with this method you can grow anywhere you want. At the end of the season you can dump the dirt somewhere or use it for other plants, and put fresh dirt in it the next year.

In previous years we'd just dump a wheelbarrow of good dirt into a pile and plant on top of it. After harvest, we'd just shovel the dirt up and use it elsewhere. This year we are using the grain bags.

I'll continue with other suggestions later today. I have to go for a walk right now.
 
Im about to build one for my dad, I think i may use deck boards. The 2 i have in Nashville are DEEP, doubled up 2x10 iirc. No need to go that deep, but I wanted to experiment with a base of Christmas tree boughs. I dont think it was worth the extra money spent on lumber.
 
Cops were everywhere this Friday the 13th as I drove to my new home, especially the small town areas. I passed 2 bunches of abandoned pallets along the roadway. Twas tempted to stop and pick them up but police were out and about. I may return later.

Question is about pallet lumber for raised beds?. I wish the lumber was taller but it is what it is.........Opinons? Knowledge? Experiences?

I used to frequent "The Survival Podcast" back when, but not much lately. I will search them out more as time permits.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top