DIY Raised Planting Beds

BACK TO BASICS | by DEBRA PRINZING

IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR TO START PLANTING VEGGIES, and why not grow them above the ground? Few backyards have the type of well-draining, organic soil that carrots, kale, beans or tomatoes prefer. By creating a perfect planting environment in a raised “box” at least 10 inches tall, you’ll give backyard crops a jump-start to success.

SOURCE: SCOUTREGALIA.COM

Non-carpenter types like me can actually build raised beds using special brackets and pre-cut boards from a home center. Having previously built wobbly beds with L-shaped hardware, I can assure you, these nifty systems are far superior:

• Gardener’s Supply’s made-in-Vermont extruded metal corner brackets allow you to assemble a raised bed rather simply: Just add lumber. I spent about $150, plus the cost of soil, to construct a 4-by-8 foot box. To build, slip the boards into fitted sections of each corner bracket and secure them with Philips screws. The task goes quickly if you pre-drill corresponding holes in the boards.
• The Patio Garden Kit is a made-in-Los Angeles DIY system that creates an 18-by-30 inch raised bed with corner and middle brackets made of powder-coated, heavy-gauge steel. Designed by Scout Regalia, the system can accommodate larger or smaller planting boxes as well. You can purchase the bracket kit for $95 and use your own lumber.

My planting boxes are “bottomless” to encourage the plant roots to extend into my native backyard soil. To build them over an existing section of lawn, the turf needs to be completely smothered, otherwise grass will compete with edibles. One trick is to stack several thick layers of flattened cardboard boxes in the bottom of each planting box and pile organic planting soil on top. Eventually, the cardboard will choke out the grass, degrade and disappear.