DIY Raised Garden Beds - 23 Designs You Can Build Today (2024)

FAQs

What is the cheapest way to make a raised garden bed? ›

Raised beds made of cinder blocks or concrete blocks

Cinder blocks and concrete blocks are very inexpensive (typically $2 to $3 a piece at home improvement centers), and they make it really easy to build the outline of a raised garden bed.

Although you don't usually have to worry about holes with raised garden beds, it is important to ensure proper drainage! Drainage plays an important role in plant health and prevents stunting.

Depending on your budget and gardening goals, you can line the bottom of your raised garden beds with wide-mesh hardware cloth, stainless steel mesh, landscape fabric, burlap sack, or newspaper/cardboard.

Vegetable Beds: On the other hand, when it comes to vegetable beds, the bed must be approximately 12 to 18 inches deep to ensure adequate depth for the roots of your plants. This is especially important if your raised bed is placed on cement or the patio, which will inhibit roots from growing deeper into the ground.

For gardeners starting from scratch with zero tools or skills, building your own beds can end up being the same price or even more expensive. If you want to save money, time, and headaches, buying a premade raised bed is more feasible.

A homemade raised garden bed might be cheaper in the short term, but it will cost you far more time and money in the long run.

Landscape fabric is beneficial for raised garden beds, here are just a few of the many reasons why you should use landscape fabric for raised bed gardening: Prevents soil erosion in a raised bed: As a liner, landscape fabric lets water drain away from the soil while leaving the soil intact.

The answer is yes. You can line the bottom of your raised garden bed with cardboard and newspaper to block out weeds or act as a barrier against rhizomatous, weedy or invasive plants. While some may opt for landscape fabric, cardboard is a more cost-effective option.

Cardboard or newspaper: Cardboard is a great option if you are on a budget. You can line the bottom of your raised garden bed with cardboard and newspaper to deter pests and weeds. In order to minimize the amount of chemical substances, choose cardboard that has no tape and minimal markings.

How many bags of soil do I need for a 4x8 raised bed? ›

For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.

Most garden vegetables will grow well in raised beds. Try growing lettuce, greens, radishes, and strawberries. Bush type vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans also do well in raised beds. You can install trellises for vegetables that need support, like some tomatoes and beans.

Tomatoes should ideally be grown in a raised bed that's at least 15 to 18 inches deep. Many of my clients in Houston are successfully growing tomatoes in 12-inch deep raised garden beds, but their plants tend to be a little stunted compared to plants in deeper beds.

Some annuals you might want to grow in your raised bed garden are petunias, pansies, basil, lemongrass, and vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, squash, and onions. Bonus tip: To help reduce the chance of disease and pests, you don't want to grow annual vegetables in the same spot year after year.

Concrete blocks, or cinder blocks as they used to be called, are another item that could be cheap if you're upcycling them from another project. Pricing them out, they can cost anywhere from $1.50 to $5 apiece, making them a budget-friendly option, even for a larger raised bed.

Pine is a cheaper alternative to more expensive types of wood and easy to find in most hardware stores. Keep in mind, however, that pine will have a much shorter life expectancy in your garden than cedar and redwood. Even within wood types, know that there can be some variation.

The cons of raised beds

The soil mix also can be a significant, albeit one-time, expense. Raised beds need water more often since the soil is more exposed to air and dries quicker. Similar to growing in containers, the extra watering can leach nutrients out of the soil quicker than in-ground gardens.