Have you ever wanted home grown vegetables? Of course you have! Raised beds are the fastest and easiest way to grow your own food.
Cedar raised bed for veggies and herbs.
Sunlight
Find a sunny location. 6+ hours of direct sunlight. This is the most critical step. Many gardens have failed without this critical ingredient. I don’t know of any shade loving vegetables. (If you do, let me know in the comments below).
Easy Access
Leave an area for walking around the raised bed. It’s important to consider aesthetics along with the practical nature of the bed. Your raised bed will give strong lines and neatness to an otherwise chaotic endeavor. Veggies and weeds grow quickly. You’ll want easy access to pull weeds and harvest your crop!
Materials
Choose untreated wood. Cedar is great, but can be too expensive. Untreated pine is economical. Purchase three 2″ x 10″ boards 8 ft. long. Cut one board in half to create a rectangle. Use a deck screw that will slowly rust. Or go all-out with stainless steel screws!
Do you want a tall bed so you don’t have to bend over so much? Stack the wood until you reach the desired height. There is no wrong answer.
Soil Mix
Fill the empty rectangle on top of the ground with 50% topsoil and 50% pine tree bark or a suitable alternative. 100% soil will be too thick unless your soil has a lot of sand and silt. You want moist, well drained soil all the time.
Finish the top inch of soil in mulch or more pine tree bark to create a clean look. Install plants before or after the mulch. Read the spacing guidelines on the picture tag included with the vegetable start or plug. Normal spacing starts at 8″-24″ depending on plant variety.
Start to finish: 30 mins!
How long did it take you? Let me know in the comments below.
