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Making Raised Beds

Click thumbnails for larger images

 

Materials & Tools

Timber, Bricks, Wood Screws, Compost / Soil,
Plastic sheet, panels, or vinyl flooring.
Measuring tape, String, Pegs,
Spade, Fork, Hammer, Axe, Saw,
Drill & bits

 

 

Step 1

Peg out the area where the bed will be situated. Beds can be as long as desired, but should be no more than 1.2 metres / 4 feet wide, to allow you to reach the centre from both sides without standing on the soil.

Step 2

Remove any grass and weeds from the area. In some areas you may get away with covering the area with a layer of cardboard, however our allotment site has a lot of couch grass and horsetails, which will not be killed by excluding light, and should be dug out, along with deep-rooted weeds like dandelions and docks.
 

Step 3

Lay a row of bricks all around the perimeter. These will prevent the frame sitting in wet soil, and will help prolong the life of the timber.

Step 4

Cut the timber for the framework and screw the boards together at each corner.

 

 

Step 5

Line the timber with an impervious layer of plastic sheeting, plastic panels or vinyl flooring. Again, this will help prolong the life of the timber.

 

Step 6

Sharpen one end of four posts using a hand-axe.

 

Step 7

Drive a stake into each corner of the bed. Screw through the frame to secure it to the stakes.

 

 

 

Step 8

Fill the bed with soil, compost or a mixture of both. It is worth sieving the soil to remove any weeds, stones, glass, plastic etc.


When I took on my allotment, it had raised beds with 1.2 metre pathways between them, to allow wheelchair access. In January 2020, we started narrowing all the paths to give us more growing space. We used the above method when putting the beds in their new positions. The following photos show some of the steps in progress.
 

Example 1

Flagstones lifted from the left side of the area.

Example 2

Laying bricks around the perimeter of the bed.

 

Example 3

The pads of mortar removed, and the underlying soil dug and weeded. Timber frame fitted, lined and screwed to the corner-posts.

 

Example 4

Filling the finished beds with soil.

 

Example 5

Topped of with a thick layer of spent compost.

 

Example 6

Weed-mat covers in place to suppress weeds until the beds were required.

 

The materials to construct raised beds are expensive if purchased new. However, you can probably get cheap or even free materials on Websites like Freecycle, or Facebook Marketplace - decking boards, bricks and even soil is often available.
 

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