Raised Bed Question

VanessaOSU

I am building some raised beds for our garden for the first time.  I have been pricing out cedar and everyone carries similar but different sizes in their lumber.  So how deep are your beds.  I will be loosening the current soil to make deep loose beds.  So the actual raised beds don't need to be deep I am doing it more for organization and neatness in the garden.  I was looking anywhere from 6-12" deep.  What are your thoughts?

Dr.Loretta

My boards are 12" high

nitaw

I used these beds from Gardener's Supply:

My yard is tiny, so I only have two 3x3 grow beds.They cost $49. I don't know if lumber is cheaper or not, but I'm lazy and these were easy to put together.

redcabbage

are you going to clear the earth under your bed or just put down black weed blocker and fill the box?

If you are going to clear the grass below and till the earth you can do 6" otherwise I'd do at least 8-12"

magnoliablossom

10 to 12 inches. 

Mrs.Lucy1230

I did 8" boards and they worked well for me!  if I was to do it again, I think I would have gone for 12', but the store was out of the cedar in that size and I was already pressed for time ( garden starting was running late in the season)

You see my dinky garden bed here

alliapistor

The raised bed that I created is 12".  I put down weed blocker and did not use any of the soil below though.  The beds that were there when we bought the house are deeper, but they're built along a slope and hold dwarf trees.  For most flowers and veggies, I think 12" is sufficient.

kastle

If you are doing SFG, then you can do 6" (and when I say "doing SFG" I mean following the practices exactly outlined in the book, including the growing medium).

Personally, mine are 12" now so that I can grow carrots & potatoes w/out having to do the stack on of another 6" box (I do SFG).

kelklump

I do 12" as well-  but if you can put down something to block the weeds it helps. I have done them as shallow as 8" in previous years. We usually leave them open to the soil at the bottom, but I was just reading that you can put items like chicken wire under the bottom of the bed before filling with dirt and it keeps underground creatures out. I am hoping this works this year.

-auntie-

I have an Eagle Scout from my troop doing a raised bed project for the local school's organic garden. I think he's using spruce for cost reasons. He's building 12. He's doing 12" for all but 2.