# Raised garden bed.



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I made a raised garden bed. Gonna fill the bottom part with junky dirt. Then topsoil and vegetable soil mixed in. Made a couple little step ups for the girls.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Looks good. What are you going to grow?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

gm560 said:


> Looks good. What are you going to grow?


Not sure. I think the wife and kids are going to pick everything. It's all treated (ground contact) and measures 4'x4'. If it goes well I'll put a matching one beside it for more room. I imagine tomatoes, green onions, peppers, cucumbers, and some type of lettuce. Maybe carrots.

They've always wanted a garden but I didn't want an interruption in the lawn in the back. This is a hosta bed area that will now become a garden and hosta area. It gets more sun too.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Tomatoes are a lot of fun if they are something you like. It is what I grow most of. Lettuce can have tough time once summer sets in, but one trick is if you grow cucumbers up a trellis like this https://www.gardeners.com/buy/cucumber-trellis-medium/8587081.html you can save space (cucumbers can get really big) and provide some good shade.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Looks good and much more well built than the store bought ones.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

@gm560 have you ever used a trellis setup like that for cucumbers?


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> @gm560 have you ever used a trellis setup like that for cucumbers?


I have that exact item. Here is the cucumber bed. 


Right now I have a few kinds of greens in there. Romaine, buttercrunch, kale, spinach. The back is snow peas growing up the trellis. 5 cucumber plants are planted but not doing much yet. A few got nipped by jack frost a few weeks ago, Ill see how they do and replace if need be. Once the heat comes I will take out the snow peas and some of the greens and replace with peppers. I will only keep greens under the cucumber trellis, which should be providing good shade by then.

My other bed is full of tomatoes. Some random basil plants around the border of the bed. The root pouches to the left have some more tomato plants with random herbs... the right have some onions, carrots, and radishes.



Pardon the mess, I am deep into like 6 consecutive projects in the back yard.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Getting the veggies in.


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## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Square foot gardening @pennstater2005? Just put mine together this year and did the full "Mel's Mix" (equal volume parts peat moss, compost, and vermiculite). I'm glad I don't have to mix that every year.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

zinger565 said:


> Square foot gardening @pennstater2005? Just put mine together this year and did the full "Mel's Mix" (equal volume parts peat moss, compost, and vermiculite). I'm glad I don't have to mix that every year.


Wasn't actually planned that way. I just wanted something small and tall so I wouldn't have up worry about rabbits. Although, I made a step up for the girls and my dad asked if I made it for the rabbits too 😂

That mix sounds interesting. I just did bagged topsoil mostly with two bags of gardening soil mixed in at the top.

I also sprayed it with Thompson's water seal. They make it in an Apri aerosol. Nice and easy.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I'm wondering now if the dirt should come higher so it gets more sun?


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

Personally I'd fill it to the top, once it settles you'll lose a few more inches and you can top that with mulch for weed prevention and moisture retention. It will also give plants along the edge more room to "overflow" the bed.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Thanks @j4c11. That was my thought. Will the rabbits go after it?


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Thanks @j4c11. That was my thought. Will the rabbits go after it?


If they can get to it, they'll go after it for sure. Based on the height of that bed they might be able to nibble on what's hanging off the side, but they shouldn't be able to do major damage.

Thanks again. My wife wants to try it where it's at so I guess that's the plan. We're also doing watermelon, zucchini, and cucumbers. Those are in large pots with tomato type stakes applied. Not sure I'd that'll work or not.


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## SeanBB (Jul 11, 2020)

@pennstater2005 i would try to fill up the bed as high as possible. In the first season it will drop ~4-6" just from decomposition and compaction. Looks fantastic, everyone is gonna have fun with that.


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## KDallday (Mar 8, 2021)

we used a plastic lining inside to make sure it doesn't rot.


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## Jacks_Designs (May 4, 2020)

Built these last weekend. 
Metal edging, rocks and dirt for this weekend.


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## SeanBB (Jul 11, 2020)

@Jacks_Designs really love those stacked boulders...looks great. Also, what are you espalier-ing on those trellis wires up there on the left?

Make sure you really top those bins, bending over more than you have to when gardening is the pits.

Best, sean


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## Jacks_Designs (May 4, 2020)

SeanBB said:


> @Jacks_Designs really love those stacked boulders...looks great. Also, what are you espalier-ing on those trellis wires up there on the left?
> 
> Make sure you really top those bins, bending over more than you have to when gardening is the pits.
> 
> Best, sean


We have honey suckle growing on our trellises. Planted them last spring. Crazy how quickly they grow!


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## SOLARSUPLEX (Aug 4, 2020)

Glad I found this thread! I just made my first raised bed as well. 9x3' from some old 4x8" 12 footers I had laying around. Put about 4" of sand across the bottom to help with drainage as we get TONS of rain here in the PNW. Then peatmoss, raised bed soil, and regular soil blended for the top 8 inches. hoping to get a salsa garden growing during spring and be able to harvest something in the summer. 
Any and all advice is appreciated!
I need to cut a nice top piece to act as trim and then give them a quick slap with paint. Going for a bright white should look nice once i get the grass grown around that area.


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## jabopy (Nov 24, 2018)

Great job pennstater2005 good to get the young ones started in growing food. I stopped using raised beds, the treated wood still rotted after a few years, and the amount of slugs and insects that live down the inside is unbelievable!! I've gone back to ground level now so the birds can eat the slugs. That being said it's not doing my back any good.


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## SOLARSUPLEX (Aug 4, 2020)

Got all my veggies planted this weekend.

Tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, cilantro. I need to get some onions and garlic going eventually but could not find them for sale locally.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Added an additional section and now it is 4x8. May go one more section next year. Also have some cucumbers, watermelon, and tomato plants in the ground hiding amongst the hostas and grass!


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## Monocot Master (Feb 28, 2021)

Looks nice! Reminds me, I need to be thinking about my fall lettuce planting. My growing season is long, so August/September is about right for getting my plants in the ground, or grow bags in my case.


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