I built 4 raised beds and just filled them with 2 ton of topsoil then next year i will just condition the soil with the growbags i used to grow the tomatoes in and also dig the good old Home made compost
Our garden is on a slope so raised beds were built eighteen years ago when we moved in. I used old railway sleepers over most of the garden, one circular bed with modern treated 'railway sleepers', and the raised vegetable beds using 9" x 1.5" tanalised timber.
No worries about Elf n Safety, the veg is nice and tasty and the old sleepers are so damned heavy they almost never budge.
Going back to that demo, I almost never ever use nails. Drill pilot holes and use decent Posidrive screws. All that thumping and hammering without a nice sledge hammer behind the short posts to support them.....hmmm.
And as for what soil to add. For goodness sake, dig what's in the middle to about two spafe depths adding well rotted horse muck, old growbags, and so on. Our raised beds are a fertile at ferrets.
Does the raised bed have to be level? Mine will be on a slight slope and I'm wondering if it's better to build up the lower end or dig out soil to lower the higher end. Either way, very heavy work for me so can I just have a non-level raised bed?!
Not totally level, some of the Allotments around here are built on a slope,one in particular has 6 raised beds around 12 foot long which will be about 2 to 3 foot lower at one end. He does appear to grow some amazing crops on his system, I asked him once while passing about the slope , he said he does have to keep working the soil back up to the top now and then.
Pretzel, it's your garden - do what suits you! If you are on a severe slope position your beds with the long side ACROSS the slope - this way you won't have the problem described by Netherfield. As Paul says Pozidrive screws are best for fitting the boards to the posts - you can get good ones which you hammer in to start with and then drill home.
My friend filled her new raised beds partly with soil and partly with coir blocks expanded in buckets of water, from greenthusiasm (online). She loves them and the produce is briliant. Also she had access difficulties, so the little bricks were ideal.
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I built 4 raised beds and just filled them with 2 ton of topsoil then next year i will just condition the soil with the growbags i used to grow the tomatoes in and also dig the good old Home made compost
Our garden is on a slope so raised beds were built eighteen years ago when we moved in. I used old railway sleepers over most of the garden, one circular bed with modern treated 'railway sleepers', and the raised vegetable beds using 9" x 1.5" tanalised timber.
No worries about Elf n Safety, the veg is nice and tasty and the old sleepers are so damned heavy they almost never budge.
Going back to that demo, I almost never ever use nails. Drill pilot holes and use decent Posidrive screws. All that thumping and hammering without a nice sledge hammer behind the short posts to support them.....hmmm.
And as for what soil to add. For goodness sake, dig what's in the middle to about two spafe depths adding well rotted horse muck, old growbags, and so on. Our raised beds are a fertile at ferrets.
Not totally level, some of the Allotments around here are built on a slope,one in particular has 6 raised beds around 12 foot long which will be about 2 to 3 foot lower at one end. He does appear to grow some amazing crops on his system, I asked him once while passing about the slope , he said he does have to keep working the soil back up to the top now and then.
Pretzel, it's your garden - do what suits you! If you are on a severe slope position your beds with the long side ACROSS the slope - this way you won't have the problem described by Netherfield. As Paul says Pozidrive screws are best for fitting the boards to the posts - you can get good ones which you hammer in to start with and then drill home.
My darling hubby built me two raised beds, he did a great job I'm delighted with them. I do appreciate having someone to do these jobs for me
My friend filled her new raised beds partly with soil and partly with coir blocks expanded in buckets of water, from greenthusiasm (online). She loves them and the produce is briliant. Also she had access difficulties, so the little bricks were ideal.
could I use treated gravel boards for a raised bed to plants vegetables as I have heard the chemicals used could be harmful
Thanks