I have a few questions regarding a raised bed (8'x20') for vegetables and thanks in advance for any and all replies. How deep should the planks be set into the ground? How high should a raised vegetable garden bed be? What kind of wood is best for this purpose? How long will the planks last? Is there a way to slow the rotting process? What is the best way to secure the planks in place? Do the gaps in the planks need to be sealed in any way? Is there a way to arrange the planks so they are both secure and easily removable?
i'll try and answer with what i know # How deep should the planks be set into the ground? I plant mine 1-2 inches # How high should a raised vegetable garden bed be? Depends why your using the beds. Mine are 8in deep. enough for good drainage and warmth. And to get a good soil depth above a clay base. # What kind of wood is best for this purpose? untreated is recommended, in case of any leakage of chemicals into the soil. # How long will the planks last? Don't know depends how damp you beds get. at least 3-4years though # Is there a way to slow the rotting process? Try to pick planks with no holes or spilts in them. # What is the best way to secure the planks in place? hammer stakes in either side don't nail the planks to these stakes to preserve the wood longer. # Do the gaps in the planks need to be sealed in any way? Shouldn't need to # Is there a way to arrange the planks so they are both secure and easily removable? Again good use of stakes should do it.
I use only raised beds and have for many years. 1. I set my beds right on the ground and surround them with weed barrier cloth. 2. They can be any depth really. It depends what you are growing. Tall plants will need deeper beds if the soil below is not so good. Mine are 8" deep. 3-5. Cedar or redwood is really the only wood I would ever use. These are bug resistant and wont rot out a quickly as other wood. My cedar beds have lasted 7+ years and are still going strong. 6. once the dirt is inside, the beds aren't going to move around so you don't have to secure them down. 7. I spliced my planks together with a 45 deg angle cut and then screw them together with horizontal support pieces. 8. As for the last one, I'm not sure why you would want to remove pieces unless it was for replacement or expansion but screwing the boards together is an easy way to assembly/disassemble and is still sturdy. **A side note. If the bed is more than 4' wide you will have a very hard time getting to the things you plant in the middle with out walking on the soil. You should try to avoid walking on the soil once you plant to avoid packing the dirt. I would do 2 beds 3 feet wide with a 2' space between them to work in(if you only have an area 8' wide). Hope this helps GreenMachine
Thanks for the replies! Very helpful advice. *It would be convenient for me to be able to remove the planks easily in the case that any single one would be sufficiently rotted to need replacement before the others. **Regarding the width of the bed, I am setting a path down the middle. The plot is already established, so I am really just bordering my old garden plot and raising it.
