I am wanting to put some raised beds in my yard this year for growing herbs. My question is, what is the best material to make them with, and if it is a salvagable product you recommend, where do I get it? Pam in OK
My all time favorite is old 2x4's, set on edge and stacked up to 3 high, at least that the highest I have gone with them yet. They give just enough space to sit on, are usually free and as the lower ones rot out, (3 yrs or more) they can easily be knocked out with a hammer and the frame shoved down, and a new rail installed on top. I just patch them together how ever I can and use metal cans cut open and hammered flat and then wrapped around as corner braces.
If you have a clay soil and worms, make a natural border bed by digging out the clay and turn stacking it. I use my banjo spade and cut a drainage trench to border a 4 by 12 ft area with a 6 inch tall clay curbing. I then mix worm castings , peat and composted manure in the bedding area. This way I have an SFG and can reuse it the following season by just touching up the clay curbing, the trench drains the bed and if I choose to abandon the bed I just have to push the border curb into the trench and level the bed off.
We use guard rail posts, or railroad ties....they wont rot for a zillion years, bugs wont eat them and they are heavy enough to withstand Being bumped by a garden tractor or if your kids smack into it with their bike etc.. Not to mention they do look nice. Sorta rustic... If your worried about the cresote getting into the soil, simply line the inside with black liner, then fill with dirt. I never ad the liner and everything seems to grow just fine. We have to build some for hubbys Grandma as soon as we get her house built. I have always used these and have NO complaints.
I used concrete block for mine when I built them 3 years ago, and I really like them. I set the blocks with the open ends up, and I plant marigolds in the corner blocks, and herbs in some of the others. Seems to work well for me!
