Raised Bed Options

Hi folks,

I'm going to build this raised bed from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivssivPeeF4

Just wondering if it's ok just to set the 4 x 4s into a shallow trench without fixing them to the ground in some way as per the video? Would backfilling the trench after be enough to keep in place or would I need to do something else?

Thanks in advance

CJhaughey

I would advise keeping the wood out of the dirt if at all possible, even treated wood here will not last in contact with soil.
Most treated wood here is not treated properly, it should be left in a vacuum tank to allow the preservative to penetrate the wood, any treated wood here is usually only treated to a depth of 4-5mm from my experience cutting it.
If you could lay them on top of a concrete sleeper I think it would be a better solution.
That or get corrugated iron ones which last almost indefinitely and need no maintenance.

Thanks for the advice. It's a fairly shaded spot so you are probably right.

Calahonda52

They are 8.5 " deep and 2.25 thick, 8 feet long.
Beds are 4' wide
Lined in inside and bottom edge with 1000g plastic.
Fixed at the wall and then fixed with 1/2 rebar drilled down into the ground.
if the hardcore is too low, they will dry out, so the plastic serves two purposes
qualplw=ex for the plastic

Calahonda52

Calahonda52 wrote: »

They are 8.5 " deep and 2.25 thick, 8 feet long.
Beds are 4' wide
Lined in inside and bottom edge with 1000g plastic.
Fixed at the wall and then fixed with 1/2 rebar drilled down into the ground.
if the hardcore is too low, they will dry out, so the plastic serves two purposes
qualplw=ex for the plastic

Thanks a million. Yeah, I was thinking of using rebar and glad to see it works.

CJhaughey

Have a look at hugelculture, its a german term and its basically filling in raised beds with old lumps of timber and bark, as it breaks down it releases heat and nutrients and will increase the productivity of raised beds.