Perhaps the pandemic and the increased analysis of food security has you suddenly thinking about gardening. Perhaps you’re late to the game and didn’t get a possibility to reserve area at your local community garden, but if you have a bit of yard space– or even a patio with a tough foundation– you can make your own raised bed.

Raised beds are containment units that have numerous square feet of growing area and anywhere between half a foot to a number of feet of depth. Because you control the soil composition in a raised bed, they allow you to grow any place you are, whether you’re working on concrete or soil that just isn’t arable.

Regardless of popular DIY aesthetics, there are specific materials that you should not use to make a raised bed. Railroad ties are one such example. Though they have that ideal rustic sheen, they are heavily treated with chemicals. The Environment Defense Company has even released cautions regarding the use of railroad incorporate gardens because of the high levels of hazardous creosote they contain. Similarly, vehicle tires are also often used as makeshift raised beds, but they should not be utilized for edible plants due to the fact that they contain heavy metals that may leach into the surrounding soil.

Treated lumber can likewise seep hazardous chemicals into your soil. For many years, pressure treated lumber was produced utilizing chromated copper arsenate, which was found to release arsenic into the surrounding soil gradually. Newer cured lumber instead utilizes copper azole and alkaline copper quat, which, though less hazardous than arsenic, can still leach into soil.

Still, that leaves a variety of alternatives for people looking to make their own raised garden beds. Here are videos that will assist guide you, no matter what material you want to use.

How to make a raised garden bed out of wood

Wood is most likely the best choice for a simple, low-cost Do It Yourself garden bed. In this useful instructional video, the infectiously-enthusiastic James Prigioni reveals you how to construct a raised garden bed utilizing numerous two-by-tens and two-by-fours. When it pertains to choosing wood, you need to consider cost versus durability. Douglas fir is a terrific, budget friendly choice for a raised bed that will last about 5 and 7 years before needing to be replaced. Redwood, cedar and black locust are all very rot-resistant and will last between 10 and twenty years, however they come at a much higher rate point, between three to four times as pricey as Douglas fir.

How to make a raised garden bed out of cinder blocks

Concrete blocks produce extremely resilient raised beds, though they require a fair bit more heft than other products. If you’re physically fit and approximately the obstacle, check video from Oklahoma Gardening, a weekly television program produced by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Host and Oklahoma State University customer horticulture specialist Casey Hentges breaks down the process of constructing a raised bed from concrete block. As an included bonus offer, at the end she plants squash in her new raised garden bed and strolls viewers through the procedure of effectively transplanting squash seedlings.