How to Build A Raised Bed 

Thanks! It definitely saves time!

Thanks! I have other videos with funny bits. :)

Wow you put a lot of options into yours. I like the drainpipe idea. I'm in Western Maryland, so our weather patterns are probably fairly similar.

Awesome! Best of luck with your build! Once you get them in your back will thank you :)

@@oneseedoneworld I watch the video but I didn't see how you attached the end pieces

@@Frostforged I have an additional video on building these that is much more in depth where I cover how to do the ends. The longer version has chapter links, so you can skip ahead to the parts you need. The other video is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1Z0BR_yz3yA.html

Great suggestion. In some of my beds that I built after this video I did use old straw bales, leaves and some small sticks in the bottom to help with some of fill. I wish you success with your build!

Awesome! Best of luck with your build and harvest!

Thank you so much! I have an additional video on building these that is much more in depth where I cover how to do the ends. The longer version has chapter links, so you can skip ahead to the parts you need. The other video is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1Z0BR_yz3yA.html

Thank you!

Thank you! And thanks for watching! Glad you got some good info from it. 🙂

I'm glad you found the video helpful! Thanks so much for subscribing!

Thank you! Don't be scared, you can do it!

Yes, with lumber and other materials going up, prices have definitely increased since I built these original beds. When I did this video, materials ran less than $200 for a 4x24 bed (if using all new material). When I made my next set of beds, a 4x16 bed ran $400. There are still options of using recycled materials on the cheap or even free. Soil cost can be reduced by doing a partial hugelkultur type fill and then topping off with soil. But whatever the choice one goes with to fit their budget, these beds last for years with very little maintenance, so its still my top choice. Saves my back and I like the overall look of them. Thanks for watching and commenting!

You possibly could make a smaller sized one to start, built right on the site where you want it to go (instead of preassembling and moving larger pieces). The hardest part is digging the holes for the posts and moving the dirt. If one is built with shorter height, digging holes for the posts may not be necessary.

@@oneseedoneworld thank you,

@@lindamilroy3156 Your most welcome. I hope you are able to build a couple or have someone help you. Once built they are great to use!

Thanks for watching!

The walls tend to bow out over time when the posts aren't sunk in the ground. My first bed (in the picture near the end of the video, bowed, so I took it apart and rebuilt it with the posts sunk in the ground. Since then, they haven't moved at all. I think it probably depends on the length of the beds as well as the height on if you need to sink them in the ground.

Thank you!

Thank you! For the end pieces, I have done it two different ways. On a couple of the boxes I just made a separate piece and then bolted that on to the end. On the most recent box, I just ran a top and bottom 2x4 from either side wall at the end and then attached a piece of the corrugated metal to the inside of it before I finished filling the end with dirt. Making a separate piece and bolting it on his probably an easier route, but either will work. Good luck on your build!

Thank you!

Thanks! Definitely makes things easier once they're built.

Thank you so much! I am not sure how thick the panels are. I checked the specs on the Lowe's website, and they don't list how thick the metal is. The corrugated metal panels I used were: Width (feet): 2.16 Length (feet) 8 Rib Height: 1/2 Inch They are galvanized steel (economy grade) made by Union Corrugating. Lowes normally has them in stock and they come in lengths of 8, 12 or 16 feet, but I find the 8 foot ones easier to work with for the way I build my beds. Good luck with your build!

@@oneseedoneworld greatly appreciated the response and specs given, this information will come in very handy, all the best and stay safe.

30 gauge is pretty common

@@jasonbrown7258 appreciate that 👍 thank you very much.

​@@jup6401 32 guage is what I used for my 4x8 beds. Very sturdy. They were $18/panel this year

Thank you!

Thanks! I certainly love using them. Hope to add more in 2021.

Since the video is already edited and uploaded, I can't add a diagram at the end. What part are you looking at to see how it fits, and I'll see if I can explain how I put it together?

@@oneseedoneworld Thanks but no need. I caught a glimpse of the end section at the beginning of your video on harvesting dill. That's all I needed. It would be helpful if you added a cut list though.

Good info. I haven't experienced that since I used the metal strapping on all mine, and didn't know if it was necessary or not.

I mention hugelkultur in my discussion towards the last part of the video, and have used it in a smaller degree in other beds I've built since this video was made.

Thank you!

I don't have gophers in my area. I do have ground hogs, and we did have one that lived in my yard for a couple of years, and would climb up into the beds and eat tomatoes. But he's been gone now for a couple of years, and I haven't seen any since. Raised beds will not completely keep out things like ground hogs or rabbits. Even with these tall ones, I've had rabbits jump up and try to build nests under my plants, but it isn't the norm. They tend to stick to places closer to the ground, and rarely even go up to try and eat my lettuce, spinach, etc.

@@oneseedoneworld ,Thank You

Possibly. I have seen some people who have concreted the posts in, but I didn't want that much permanence I think. But this is my third season for my first bed, and it still hasn't bowed. So far its holding well.

Thank you! I did not use redwood. Cedar and Redwood were not in my budget at the time. I did one bed with untreated pine and the remainder of the beds I used treated wood. There is a lot of debate over the use of treated wood with raised beds. They did change the chemicals used in treated wood back in 2003, so that they have different compounds then previously used. The compounds currently being used are alkaline copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA-B). Both contain copper and a fungicide but no arsenic. If you want to be a certified organic producer/seller, you can't use any treated wood even with the new compounds. In the case of these raised beds that I built, the wood is on the outside of the metal, so only the metal is touching the soil. Granted, its not water tight, so there is a chance there could be some leaching into the soil from the spacing where the metal sheets join up. For my personal use, I believe this is so minimal that I am not concerned with an issue. We don't use any sprays or fertilizers (other than our bunnies poop) so we are doing the best we can to primarily be organic.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Can't say on the longevity yet. This is the third season for my oldest bed and doesn't show any signs of decay or any other issues. I am going to stain them this year with linseed oil which should help them last longer as well.

I have not needed any drainage since building my beds, and I have used them for several years now.

The strapping is galvanized steel and does not contain lead.

I'm not sure how long they will last. I can say I am on my 5th year with my oldest beds of this type and have not had the need to replace anything yet. I have smaller all wood beds that are six years old and still holding up. I'm sure in time I will have to replace the wood framing, but they will last quite a while.

Sinking the posts into the ground keeps the sides from bowing out. I built my first one of these a year ago without sinking posts, and within a couple of weeks or so, the sides started to bow. By the end of the summer they had a significant "lean" down both sides. So I took the whole thing apart and rebuilt it this year with longer posts that were sunk in the ground. The beds that I built with the posts in the ground haven't moved at all. Good luck with your build!

No rust and my oldest beds are 5 years old.

There is a lot of debate over the use of treated wood with raised beds. They did change the chemicals used in treated wood back in 2003, so that they have different compounds then previously used. The compounds currently being used are alkaline copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA-B). Both contain copper and a fungicide but no arsenic. If you want to be a certified organic producer/seller, you can't use any treated wood even with the new compounds. In the case of these raised beds that I built, the wood is on the outside of the metal, so only the metal is touching the soil. Granted, its not water tight, so there is a chance there could be some leaching into the soil from the spacing where the metal sheets join up. For my personal use, I believe this is so minimal that I am not concerned with an issue. We don't use any sprays or fertilizers (other than our bunnies poop) so we are doing the best we can to primarily be organic.

Thank you so much!

@@oneseedoneworld no thank you 🙏 Ive been looking for a sturdy build and one that wouldn’t rot too fast for an affordable cost. Looking forward to exploring your channel 🤟 liked and subbed 🤙

@@gregbraden2519 Thank you again. Hope the build goes well for you! I plan on adding more this spring and will probably do an updated video at that time that includes some additional details that I missed the first time around on the end pieces and cattle panels.

Thanks! You can grow pretty much anything you want in these. I get my cattle panels from a local farm supply store, but you can also get them at Tractor Supply.

I haven't taken soil temp readings, so I can't say on specifics. I'm in zone 6b western Maryland, and haven't had any issue with root damage. My plants flourish in these beds. The beds on the eastern side get direct sun on the sides early in the morning as the sun comes up in the summer, but as the sun gets higher in the sky, it isn't hitting the metal directly. I also don't plant at the very edge, but normally leave a few inches or up to a foot gap between where I put the plants and the edge of the bed. I'll have to take some soil temp readings over the next season to get a better idea, but I've been growing in these beds for 4 years now, and haven't had issue with soil temp issues. But I think it could also depend on the layout based on sun positioning.

I just used a pair of metal shears (tin snips as my dad used to call them). Amazon has a 3 pack of them that includes both the curved and straight blades here: amzn.to/3WuZPNB I think the straight edged would work the most efficiently, but I didn't have those at the time, so I used the curved edge. Also recommend wearing gloves when cutting and handling the metal, it will save your hands on those edges! Best of luck with your build!

@@oneseedoneworld Thank you so much for your reply! Now to get to work on the plan!

Thank you! My row spacing is about 3.5 to 4 feet. I didn't do them exact, was mainly aiming to roll my wheelbarrow down between them when needed.

I do still bury my 4x4's as I had problems with bowing on the bed that I didn't. I have clay soil too, but so far I haven't had an issue with rotting (crossing fingers) after 4 years. The good thing about using metal instead of the wood is that its cheaper and lasts forever, and if some of the wood frame does rot, at least it gives the option of just taking off that part of the frame and replacing with a new piece and still using the metal. That would take a bunch of work, but saves money in the long run. Sorry you had issues with your other beds! I hope you have better success in the future!

Thanks!

I haven't stained my beds as yet. I think what you are seeing is the difference in the wood from the beds I built last year to the new ones this year. The older ones have just weathered some. A safe option I believe would be linseed oil, and that is what I plan to stain mine with. Made from the seeds of flax, raw linseed oil is safe for use on planters, although it needs an extended drying time. While it may leach from the wood into the soil, raw linseed oil is not harmful to humans or animals.

Excellent information thank you very much. I'm using Linseed oil!

One of the beds is not pressure treated, and I used linseed oil to stain/protect it. The two other beds are pressure treated wood. There is a lot of debate over the use of treated wood with raised beds. They did change the chemicals used in treated wood back in 2003, so that they have different compounds then previously used. The compounds currently being used are alkaline copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA-B). Both contain copper and a fungicide but no arsenic. If you want to be a certified organic producer/seller, you can't use any treated wood even with the new compounds. In the case of these raised beds that I built, the wood is on the outside of the metal, so only the metal is touching the soil. Granted, its not water tight, so there is a chance there could be some leaching into the soil from the spacing where the metal sheets join up. For my personal use, I believe this is so minimal that I am not concerned with an issue. We don't use any sprays or fertilizers (other than our bunnies poop) so we are doing the best we can to primarily be organic.

6 foot stakes. I push them down probably 18 to 24 inches.

It can really vary based on if you are buying all new material or using recycled material. When I built the first ones in this video, a 4x24 bed cost me $200 in material -all new (not including dirt). But lumber has gone up significantly since then. Last year I built four more beds that were 4x16. Pretty much all the lumber I used was recycled from a chicken run I took down, so the only cost I had were the metal sheets (around $21 each) so those beds were a little over $100 each (plus dirt). The more recycled material you can use on the cheap or for free will make a big difference!

Absolutely. Been using my original 3 for four years and they are still going strong. I built four more last year. The only thing I would do different are the 1x6 boards I run around the top. I would do them in shorter lengths, or add some blocking underneath to screw them into for more support. I found that mine over time (especially if not stained or treated with raw linseed oil) tend to shrink and curl up (pulling out of the single line of screws) and have to be replaced. But they don't have anything to do with the beds structurally and are easy to fix/replace.

We don't have much problem with deer here. We do have a some come by the back of our property from time to time, but so far they haven't come into the garden (which does have a fence around it, although not high enough to keep a determined deer out). We have more issues with groundhogs, squirrels and rabbits.

@@oneseedoneworld How do you handle the groundhogs?

@@ritakasputis9486 I just let them be. We had one main one that lived under our shed for a couple of years and would come out and steal squash and tomatoes. But since we got the chickens and put their run/coop back by the garden, I don't see him anymore. Guess groundhogs don't like chickens. :D

Good info! When I built my first one last year, I didn't sink posts into the ground and it started to bow. I tried adding stakes after the fact but I think at that point it was too late, since it ended up bowing more and pushing the stakes back, so that is why I ended up sinking all my posts in the ground. But you are right, the most important aspect is saving your back and growing your own food :)

Awesome! I hope the build goes well for you! I used 2 1/2 inch deck screws. On my original bed I also used self tapping metal roofing screws with the rubber grommet to attach the metal to the wood, but don't know if that was really necessary and I didn't use them on the next two beds I built. Success with your channel as well! I'll subscribe!

@@oneseedoneworld thanks so much again, and yes please subscribe. Just getting started but so much to come! Thanks for the inspiration I got from your channel and others 😊 I absolutely love the name of your channel ❤

@@spoonnwithsunshinehomestead thank you!!!!! Yes I subscribed to your channel this afternoon!

The combination of burying the posts and using the metal straps prevents the beds from bowing out from the weight of the dirt. The first one I ever built didn't have either of those and bowed quite a bit. So I took it apart and rebuilt it with the straps and buried posts. 3 years later, no bowing :)

Thank you! Yes the one bed in the picture that had the bowing sides was the first bed I ever built and did not have posts sunk in the ground. I replaced it with the bed I am building in this video. My oldest bed that has the posts sunk into the ground is now going into its third season. No bowing or any other issues. Holding up great! I plan to do a new coat of linseed oil on the wooden frame this spring.

@@oneseedoneworld That's very reassuring! I just ordered supplies to build three of these. Lumber has become very expensive here, so the metal panels are cost effective. Do you also apply linseed oil to the pressure treated lumber, or only to the untreated bed?

@@haroldcostello3697 I didn't apply the linseed bed to the treated beds last year, but will be adding it to all of my beds (both treated and untreated) this year. You aren't kidding about the wood prices. They have tripled here since this time last year. The greenhouse I'm building cost way more than the deck I built last year and it had less than half the wood!

Thanks! I'm in Maryland, USA.

Burying the 4x4's is necessary for the height and length of beds that I build in this video. However, if you do shorter lengths (say 4ft by 8 ft) and make them a bit shorter (no higher than 18 inches) you can probably be ok with building them without burying the posts. I have several beds I built that are 4x8 and 18 inches high. Instead of metal I just used 1x6 boards, 3 boards high. Those beds have never bowed and I have had some of them for 4 or 5 years now without an issue. (I hope that explanation made sense, if not, please let me know if you have additional questions!) :)

I'm not sure what you are referring to, or why you would need to bend them?

Good point. I normally wear safety glasses when using my skill saw, but I haven't always put them on when using the reciprocating saw. I need to get better at that :)

Not really sure what you are seeing. They aren't bulging at all. With the posts sunk in the ground 2 feet every four feet along with the metal straps, they don't move.

@@oneseedoneworld they will.

Based on the wording of your comment, I'm guessing you're trolling, but I'll respond anyway. I believe for long term usage the notching method will last longer than using pocket hole screws. Pocket screws would be easier, but not necessarily the best for this application, but to each their own. This is just how I built mine and my oldest ones are 6 years old with no issues.

I don't, since my beds are different sizes. For an 4x8 bed though, you would need: 2x4x8 - 4 2x4x4 - 4 1x6x8 -2 (top runner board) 1x6x4 - 2 (top runner board) 4x4x3 - 6 (this allows them to be sunk 1 ft in the ground) Corrugated metal sheets 8 foot long, 25 inches wide - 3 (one cut in half for the end pieces) 1 roll metal pipe strapping Deck screws If you were making longer beds you would just need to increase the material amounts to account for the size of your bed.