The Perfect Raised Bed

[British Red]

Whenever we publish videos of our vegetable plot, we get a lot of questions about our raised beds. To be fair a lot of thought has gone into their design and, in this home, we had a "blank canvas" (swampy field overgrown with 8 foot weeds).

This weeks video covers the principles, design and construction of our system of raised beds, flexible covers, cages and cloches. Its what we consider "The Perfect Raised Bed".

 

[bobnewboy]

Watched and thumbed-up

 

[British Red]

Watched and thumbed-up

Glad you liked it! Took me long enough to figure it out!

 

[Trojan]

Thank you for sharing as always

 

[Dougster]

Brilliant video. Really enjoyed it and learned from your hints and tips. Thank you.

 

[santaman2000]

I remember you discussing this on here a few years ago. It was a great discussion but the video definitely trips it. Thanks for posting.

 

[Woody girl]

I love raised beds they make life so much easier when you have a bad back like me.
I will have to renew my wooden ones next year so I'm looking at the nice galvanised ones...... I may have to sell a couple of arms and legs to afford them though!

 

[British Red]

Brilliant video. Really enjoyed it and learned from your hints and tips. Thank you.

Thanks! How are you keeping these days?

 

[Dougster]

Thanks! How are you keeping these days?

Not bad. The concern in our last conversation continues. I will message you over the weekend. Your place looks fantastic.

 

[bigbear]

We put raised beds all over our allotments as we are on wet heavy ish soil on a slope.
Two seven inch planks or scaff boards seems to be ghe best trade off but another layer makes everything easier.
we plant a high dens and seem to get fewer slugs and pests etc plus someone told me that the carrot fly cant fly more than 18 inches off the deck, not sure if the flies know that but we have not had them so far.
Ots a big initial workload, filling a bed takes way more stuff then you imagine, but we are so glad that we did it.

 

[British Red]

Absolutely its a commitment, but it works for us

 

[Woody girl]

We put raised beds all over our allotments as we are on wet heavy ish soil on a slope.
Two seven inch planks or scaff boards seems to be ghe best trade off but another layer makes everything easier.
we plant a high dens and seem to get fewer slugs and pests etc plus someone told me that the carrot fly cant fly more than 18 inches off the deck, not sure if the flies know that but we have not had them so far.
Ots a big initial workload, filling a bed takes way more stuff then you imagine, but we are so glad that we did it.

Have you treated your scaffold boards with anything to help preserve them ?
I'm in need of replacing my beds and I was planning on getting some galvanised ones, but last week I managed to get some boards.
There will have to be a bit of sawing to get them all to be the right size so i will have some raw ends on one or two of them.
As I grow organically I don't normaly treat my wood in any way, but they tend to rot where they touch the ground after a few years. This is my third replacement in 11 years!
It's getting expensive!

 

[bigbear]

I just put a coat of Cuprinol on them, they won't last forever but they're well worth having.

 

[Tony]

Brill Stuff mate, that was a good watch, I think I'll be knocking some of the portable covers up!

 

[dnarcher]

I used 4.8 m 200 by 50mm, to make 2 layer deep decorative raised beds, 2.4m by 1.2.
I lined the sides with damp proof course to stop the soil rotting the wood, and used cuprinol on the outside. Mixed a fair amount of pearlite/ vermiculite into each bed and added a good amount of water retaining gel. Seemed to work pretty well.

 

[dnarcher]

Oh yes, and buy a chopsaw, possibly a sliding one,( cheap from Screwfix, still going strong) and use 5 X 100 torx head screws. I piloted everything with 2.5 mm holes.
Getting the sides square was tricky, so as some wedges and plywood may be your best friends.

 

[sniper69]

Red - I enjoyed the raised garden bed video. It has definitely given me some ideas for my own raised garden beds.

 

[British Red]

Thank you! I've just been filming one on home made wax for re-waxing jackets etc. I must remember to post a link here when I publish it as it's quite a Bushcrafty topic (I try not to post too many and spam Tony's forum!)

 

[Hungry Cat Wilderness]

Very good information! Thank you so much! Now waiting winter to pass and spring to come in Finland!

 

[British Red]

Glad it was useful. Spring is certainly here today!