Do I Need A Floor For Garden Beds

Drainage in a raised bed is superior to that in an in ground garden bed.

Do i need a floor for garden beds.

The size is up to you. Original cedar raised garden bed greenes 4 ft. As a general rule herbs and salad greens need 6 12 of soil while vegetables require 12 18. It s not mandatory to create a raised garden bed floor but experienced gardeners recommend it for several reasons.

Use shade cloth to protect crops that can t tolerate hot afternoon sun. It won t drain properly. These instructions describe building a 4 foot by 6 foot by 10 1 2 inch bed with 2 x 4 untreated lumber. Prevent weeds from growing up from the ground below.

Raised beds for wheelchairs or sitting gardeners should be 24 or higher. A bed that s at least 6 inches high provides ease of access and gives roots plenty of room to grow. For typical garden beds of 12 inches high or shorter 2 inch thick lumber makes sturdy sides although you can cut plywood pieces to any size if you prefer to use it for the sides. Here are a few things you should remember before putting a concrete slab on the bottom of your raised garden bed.

You can either build your bed to the proper height or till down into the existing soil. Higher beds mean less digging in the soil underneath and less stooping. If it s a gardener s supply bed you ll find the soil quantity listed with the product details. A 12 deep bed provides ample room for most vegetable roots.

Dovetail cedar raised garden kit lets you create a gorgeous two tier flower or vegetable garden with ease. To figure out how much soil you need use the soil calculator. Why you should line the bottom of your garden beds. Raised beds take very little space and can be built right over a concrete patio if lined properly.

Raised beds have been popular in the south for a long time where heavy clay makes gardening difficult. Simply slide the boards into place and you re done. Fill your bed with potting soil that s formulated for raised beds and planters such as our potting mix. Here s a look at what materials you can use as a raised garden bed floor to help your plants thrive.

You need to drill some holes in concrete slabs with a drill machine in the concrete slab for drainage. But clay does contain beneficial minerals so if you mix it into your garden bed do a soil test first to see if you need to add amendments. The dovetail joint construction means you won t need tools to assemble the garden frame. The bed frame can be as simple as 2 x 4s on top of the ground or even patio retaining wall blocks.