| i am trying to start a vegetable garden and i need to build a bed out of wood because i do not have dirt in my back yard to use and i wanted to know if you can help me get started |
| You can have a raised bed without building one from wood by simply having some 3-way top soil delivered to your yard. You can simply pile it up in a mound that's about 18 inches deep (to accommodate plant roots), level the top to make it flat and slope the sides. A non-bordered bed like this will need maintenance throughout the growing season. As the sides erode you'll need to rake the dirt back up into place. Or, you can build a box out of cedar, redwood or cypress and fill it with topsoil. These woods are long-lasting and safe for vegetable gardens. Other materials you might use to build a raised bed include cinder blocks, decorative stone, and preformed retaining wall stones. For ease in gardening, make the bed 18 or more inches deep, as long as you want, and about four feet wide. This width makes weeding from either side of the bed a little easier. You might check with your local Home Depot - sometimes they have wood that is aged and better suited to garden use than home building. You never know - you might get a discount! Best wishes with your new garden! |
