10 Common Raised Bed Garden Mistakes

In this video I will share ten common raised bed garden mistakes. Gardening in raised beds is easier because you have control over more variable and can grow more in less space, unless you make these mistakes. So watch this video and avoid all 10 of these raised bed gardening mistakes.
MENTIONED PRODUCTS
Grassroots Fabric Pots & Raised Beds
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MENTIONED/RELATED VIDEO
Building raised beds (like at old house): • How to Build a Raised ...
Build Simple Raised Beds (like in this video): • How to Make a Simple &...
Winterizing Raised Beds: • Video
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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
Welcome to our online community! A place to be educated, inspired and hopefully entertained at the same time! A place where you can learn to grow your own food and become a better organic gardener. At the same time, a place to grow the beauty around you and stretch that imagination (that sometimes lies dormant, deep inside) through gardening.
I’m so glad you’re here!
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[@francus7227]

No comment. I'm just feeding the algorithm monster and tapping the thumbs 👍 button.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Appreciate it!

[@judymckerrow6720]

If I kneel on the ground I better have a back up plan as to how I’m going to be able to get up! 🌷💚🙃

[@camicri4263]

I can't kneel down. I will have to sit rather.

[@blkmjcwmn61]

The good thing about raised beds, you can get them as high as you need!

[@wifeofagrumpyoldmarine428]

I just roll over and crawl until I can find something to push myself up!😆

[@blkmjcwmn61]

@@wifeofagrumpyoldmarine428 🤣

[@fragout45mightyjungle63]

Me to😅. My knee was replaced in 2009

[@charlesmcmanus4229]

Regarding the amount of space BETWEEN the beds: I have always based it off of the widest wheelbarrow (or gorilla cart) that I’m using. I look at the widest part of that wheelbarrow (usually the handles) and add 6-8 inches. This ensures you’re not scraping/damaging your plants as you move down the aisles with your wheelbarrow.

[@mpetersen6]

Plus you need room at either end to turn around (1). Gorilla or garden carts do not backup very well. Myself I would want beds tall enough to do anything you need to do with minimal bending over. Or being able to work sitting on a wheeled chair. 1) If you live where you get a lot of snow you Snowball about the joys of turning the snowblower around. Usually I will go a couple of houses down just to turn around.

[@krisoberhauserbishop7552]

I use trees that have come down in the winter or slab wood.

[@sodsqad8089]

Finally someone explained the soil mixture correctly.

[@rhondak_ManorMiravalles]

We are experimenting with raised beds here in Costa Rica, not because the soil isn't nutrient rich and fertile, but because of the need to control moisture levels, which varies to the extreme between our two seasons--rainy season and dry season. We're playing around with hugelkultur techniques but modified; for example, beds with bottom fill of madera negra limbs offer great drainage for the wet months, while beds with bottom fill of banana "tree" stems are great for retaining moisture in the dry months. We're also channeling ancient Mayan gardeners by using the gloopy muck from the bottom of swampy areas to mix with compost for a really nutrient-dense middle layer for our hugelkulturs. Over time, we'll know more about whether these strategies work, but for now it is certainly fun to experiment!

[@J.Smith-rc6wh]

We use wood that has come off the beach at the lake near our house. We use it for same reason you use it for, water retention. Works very well, the other good thing is it makes the bed cheaper to set up

[@bobalman]

FLUSH THE DRIP SYSTEM! I am just now bringing my drip system online and found one controller that provided less water than I thought it should. I opened the end of one channel and it barely had any water because the input to the controller was plugged with algae. I disconnected the feed line and flushed out a lot of algae and now it works well. I then flushed out all lines to and from each controller/channel. Added this chore to the todo list!

[@kristinamurphy4847]

I've gotten turned on to planter blocks. They are bricks with a 2 inch slot on each side so you can just slide in a 2x6 to make the walls of your raised beds. I like them because they are more modular and because I rent my home if I move i can disassemble them and take them with me.

[@angelabluebird609]

Oh yes! I went up 2 high and used the round hole in the middle to add rebar. This makes it more sturdy and gives me a place to add vertical supports.

[@doloresreynolds8145]

Way better looking than, say, buckets (which is what I used when I lived in a trailer park/modular home community). I got free 5 gallon buckets from a local bakery and deli.

[@dennybarber9360]

I built one of these beds three years following your video and I am probably the least handy person I know. I've gotten so many tomatoes using the bed you designed and I can't wait to fill it with tomatoes again this year. Appreciate all the work you do Brian!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing that!

[@PlantObsessed]

I just put in a tall raised bed using logs and branches. I was shocked that it dropped by a foot over my zone 5 winter. Crazy 😮

[@ChristinesBackyardGarden]

I was too busy looking at the gorgeous mountain view, I had to keep rewinding to hear what you were saying. 😂

[@ShortbusMooner]

LOL! I'm glad you told us what you were using for mulch. I kept looking at it, thinking 'is that sand?'! 😂👍

[@marypuncer8251]

What a view! It’s beautiful. What a blessing to have a property to garden and live with such a beautiful view. So happy for you!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you so much!

[@jeannamcgregor9967]

I used the raised-bed corner bricks from Home Depot: the brick sides have slots for 2x6s and can be anchored with a bit of rebar. I stacked 2 for my 2x12 boards. Easy!

[@viper04af]

we did this also in 2020 however, metal beds are cheaper right now due to wood cost so high....

[@lysan4878]

@@viper04af true but in Deep South it gets so hot and the metal beds get hotter so they need to be watered more often. Just another variable that people need to consider when making their choice

[@joanies6778]

​@@lysan4878 I live in the high plains where it's hot and very dry. Layering the bottom of the metal beds with tree logs, stump, yard waste, etc, should help as it retains moisture. Putting a thick layer of straw on the top as mulch helps a immensely because it actually retains moisture, too. People use raised metal beds successfully in most climates by layering.

[@joanies6778]

​@@viper04afSame here. I was going to pay my next door neighbor to make one and the wood cost more than a new metal bed from Canada. I plan to eventually replace them all with metal beds over time.

[@janea4777]

We built 3 beds this way, 5 bricks high and filled them with logs from a tree we trimmed, a mix of local dirt, bio char, peat moss, vermiculite and mushroom compost. This year we topped off with the peat moss/vermiculite/compost mixture. We had to move one bed this year and the soil we created was amazing - we had a few grubs but the roadrunners enjoyed stealing them while we were moving the bricks and boards.

[@lorijohnson8425]

The view from your property is absolutely stunning!

[@blender_wiki]

Perfect video for a post apocalyptic society. For people who loves nature just don't make raised bad and you will be happy to know you can remove squats from your workout.

[@liamsdad33]

It feels like we're already living it

[@marthavanderpool6829]

You’re by far my favorite YT gardener. Love all the solid info shared calmly with your pleasant voice. Thank you for all you put into each gardening lesson!

[@stephenhope7319]

2 things, I built my raised beds with redwood 2x6 over 17 years ago and they are still in great shape. Secondly, I use a local tree service for trimming in the winter and they always bring me shredded wood when I ask; they know I only need a couple wheelbarrows full so they only drop off that amount. Good to get to know a tree trimmer or arborist for mulch for free!!

[@whatanitemare]

If I were to fill my raised beds with the type of material you recommend, I would have to have more children because they're going to charge me my first born. Considering the cost of materials to build the beds, buy the right kind of soil, getting row covers, paying for the water system, the cost of the water, having to buy wood chips, winter protection, garden tools, weed killers/fertilizers and even the cost of the seed itself, I've come to the conclusion that I would get off a lot cheaper just buying organic from my local farmers market. It's so sad that in order to do anything well today, the costs usually out-way the benefits, especially if you take your labour into account.

[@Laura_Brock]

Your hills remind me of the geography near Temecula. My grandma was born on the Ludy Ranch in 1895, and each time we would drive down rt. 395 to go to Oceanside, she would reminisce about her early childhood memories.

[@paulspecht3080]

It reminds me of M*A*S*H

[@joanies6778]

He's not too far from Temecula. I used to live up that way in Fallbrook... wish I knew then what I know now about gardening.

[@shelshele]

You have clearly been busting hiney on your dream of your different garden areas! Looking fantabulous!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you!

[@dac7046]

Im in Northern Colorado and eventually ripped out my numerous 4’ x 10’ x 8” beds in favor of in ground beds and haven’t regretted it for even a second. I recognize as valid only about 3 of the typically claimed benefits of wood/concrete/etc. raised beds and as I near my 70th birthday I firmly believe the incremental bending, kneeling, etc. is a giant benefit that will help keep me spry until it’s my turn to become part of the compost heap.

[@debraowen6723]

Dac 😂😂😂😂😂! Love that! EVERYONE ends up in the compost heap!!!!

[@tbirdtravels]

Omg everyone is a critic! Thank you for the information and taking the time to post this.

[@reneejmj]

In my husband's field, you cannot talk about projects they worked on. When interviewing for a new job, since he couldn't talk specifics about what he did at his job, he used building a raised bed as an example 😂. Got mult job offers, so it worked. We watched Brian's videos at old house as a guide.

[@NextLevelGardening]

🤣

[@christophera-realone9834]

I put my garden in what used to be my front yard. I also cut down all my trees in my front yard facing south 😂. It’s awesome. Full Sun all day

[@bobalman]

If you are thinking about raising plants in horse troughs, see if you can find a place that sells seconds. They usually are leaky which is cool since you need to drill holes in them anyway, and they are substantially cheaper!

[@juliepoolie5494]

Any tips on where to look for troughs that are seconds?

[@bobalman]

@@juliepoolie5494 Maybe I was just lucky, but I just searched for cattle/horse toughs, and asked the supplier if they had seconds, and found one.

[@CaliRose1955]

Don't they get really hot in the summer though? That's my concern

[@bobalman]

@@juliepoolie5494 I haven't noticed that, and I see a lot of restaurants and wineries around here that plant citrus trees and flowers in them. It definitely gets hot here in Santa Rosa CA.

[@adriankap2978]

@@bobalman Oh my goodness... Santa Rosa, oh how I miss it. Yes it gets so hot there but what's nice is it cools off in the evening which makes for the best wine grapes. All my family are living in the Bay Area and Central Valley and it's been pretty rough goings for the last decade plus. My family blames me because when I left in 05 is when the drought started... I'm sorry. I also bring earthquakes with me to places that don't normally. Hawaii and Virginia. :( I'm cursed. Take care Bob and stay away from the rivers with the snow melt. Russian River can be pretty hairy.

[@consciousgardener9790]

Hey Brian! My husband built three 8x4 elevated raised beds. A game changer for the more mature gardeners 😊 Also Gardeners Supply has something made out of juniper oil that is safe for organic gardeners. This solution helps protect wood from moisture on the inside of the bed.

[@laniftallon]

that opening shot it just beautiful, you build a paradise

[@MichaelJosephJr934]

I built 3 big raised beds and rookie error filled with Garden soil. The crops did fine but I had to water nearly twice as much. Amended over the seasons and now it's fine.

[@zemtek420]

14:30 I doubt you will even see this but instead of adding more soil I add more cedar shavings used for horse beds. It does a great job holding moisture in and creates a microrizal layer just under it. This actually adds more nutrients to your garden soil and reduces the need for watering by a factor of at least 5. Without that layer I would have to water pretty much every day. With it I only have to water maybe once or twice a week. I like cedar shavings because they also are a good slug deterant and other unwanted bugs. If you found this useful check out Pawsuasive Dog Teaching. My Ruby Doo knows over 60 service dog tasks. We would love your support.

[@zemtek420]

19:05 the main reason you dont want to encorporate new wood shavings into the soil is because it will actually take away from nutrients for the first year. Which is why its best to put down a layer in the fall so it has time to break down a bit so when you do plant in the spring and you if you do get some wood mixed in its not taking away from the soil. I used the no till method in my own garden even though my garden has gotten away from me currently. Even after I do that I still try to not mix it in with the soil when I do plant but thats because I am a cheap bastard and want my wood shavings to last as long as possible before I have to buy more.

[@iamportersinger]

Super helpful. Thanks!

[@marysibley6864]

I’m so impressed with the amount of work and care you have put into your garden area as well as your entire property! Thanks for sharing this with us. It gives me hope that I can make something out of the space we have been given! Great job and fabulous channel!!🙏🤗

[@NextLevelGardening]

So nice of you

[@doloresreynolds8145]

I have used free 5 gallon buckets (local bakeries and deli’s) with drilled drainage holes, also old wheelbarrows & wagons for shallow rooted crops - the rust holes were the drainage, and I could move them all to sunnier areas as the season progressed.

[@ElderandOakFarm]

My husband & I JUST finished building my DREAM raised bed garden, I have wanted for over10 years! When I forst started gardening people talked like clay soil wasnt good enough to grow veggies in, & that you needed to have raised beds filled with really good spil to have success. But I learned that clay soil actually has a lot of nutrients usially. But it is a pain to plant in... but just laying down a few inches of loose compost before planting solves that problem. It makes it east to plant your seedlings into the loose compost, & as they for they can get their roots into the clay soil no problem. So since i couldn't afford to build my dream raised bed garden (which is 12 total beds, with mulched paths & a border of some kind)- which is really just for aestetic purposes- weve been just building & filling a couple beds each year for the last 3 years. But this fall were finishing the rest of the entite project! Laying down landscapefabric & Mulch in the paths, etc. 👏

[@leiatyndall8648]

If doing hugelkultur (logs/branches on the bottom if your plot, you may want to avoid using walnut tree family (Jugulandaceae) cuttings, esp if your plans are to plant things from the nightshade family (Solanaceae; tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, etc) in that location in the following 1-3 yrs. Jugulandaceae trees produce juglones, an allelopathic chemical that suppresses the growth of other species, & Solanaceas are particularly susceptible to it. It will eventually leach out of the leaves after a yr or so, but not sure how long for branches. Leaves can be added to the general compost pile after it leaches out (after abt a yr) but if it hasn't, it will actually delay the composting process. Logs/branches that are below the reach of sensitive plants might be ok, eventually, but there is the possibility of some kind of effect for a while.

[@ColleenNurse]

It’s supposed to snow tonight 😢 I keep watching you digging in the dirt lol

[@camicri4263]

Great video Brian thanks! Have a blessed week ❣️🤗🙏

[@MiladaKaiser]

I am using for years a trellis made of the wire mesh from HD - 6” net, 8’x4’. ( used for concrete slabs). It looks like a cattle fence, but smaller. I connect two on upper end - as A. They are perfect for beans, cucumbers, peas , Malabar spinach… They work really well for many years.

[@peggylou162]

Thanks, Brian. So informative!

[@janiceboling]

I am fixing to build some raised beds. Thanks for the tips!

[@joanies6778]

Excellent coverage, Brian! 👏👏👏

[@weibullguy]

For those in the northern climes who may want to use hoop houses over their raised beds for winter, the 4 foot width can be a little cumbersome to reach the "back" when the hoop house is installed.

[@lauraheraly3455]

You are a good teacher!

[@debralangel6126]

Great video! But we can't use wood here in my part of West Tennessee, too many termites! So hubby and I purchased plastic food safe 4' x 4' x 12" tall raised beds and used the same hardware cloth (we have tons of moles/voles too!) And put down cardboard then put in Kellogg's with black cow manure. We did find plastic, soft and hard, glass and some wire in it, and some had mold, I'm sorry to say, but not as much as some of the other ones I've bought. I like it better than the other organic mixes, it looks and feels nicer so far. It also seems to have more of the white vermiculite or perlite in it, which even my hubby noticed! I still have 3 more beds to fill this coming weekend, 😂, and it will be with Kellogg's! Just wanted to add plastic raised garden beds are an option for those in spots like we are, didn't mean to ramble on and on!

[@mistyme7]

While you didn't talk about it, I noticed that you used screws to connect your pvc pipes. I think that's a great idea and will try it this year rather than using pvc cement to construct my tomato trellis.

[@Chocamatoes]

Great info. Measuring my calf for the path was something that was new to me. Thanks.

[@joybrown8644]

What a beautiful view to garden in.

[@DreamsSketcher]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing this info with us

[@georgianamcglinchey573]

That was a great refresher, I was about to make some mistakes! Thanks!

[@rachelnonamaker7118]

Thank you for this video! I learned several great tips which I will put to use immediately.

[@joannuttall1508]

I like the way you speak and share your knowledge. Great!!

[@Janaline]

I’m Glad i Found your Channel Today! Thank You for sharing your knowledge and mentioning the word disabilities!! Gardening reaches across many diverse communities!! Such a Beautiful Property You Have. Happy Gardening Everyone🤗🤗🤗

[@phenixwars1]

Great video. Thanks for the reminder to amend the soil in spring. I was thinking of doing it right before planting in the summer but I'll get it done soon now.

[@Blake.Cooper]

Beautiful property! I'm tackling raised beds this year and this video is perfect!! Thanks so much Brian!

[@Elizabeth-tb5oh]

Yes, I learned something. A lot. Thank you!! Helps very much.

[@terrireis2093]

You have a beautiful setting. Thanks for sharing this video. My raised bed garden is near my patio and easy to get to. It is also my happy place 😊

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you

[@galinarou]

This is really detailed and thorough video, great job. I got so many questions answered I feel almost ready to get started!

[@redhorserider2]

Perfect tutorial! You got right to the point and explained everything so well....and you answered any questions I had about 2 seconds after they popped into my brain. Bravo!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anonz975]

Great explanation of why to use cover crops. Thanks!

[@kat6084]

we built our beds at 10x4. But we also got free wood from hubby's work (construction) and they were 2x4x10. Our beds are a foot tall for ease of work for me while sitting. We have 4x4 posts in the corners that we do sink into the ground to hold beds solid. We also get partial rolls of chicken wire there too. We are lucky. Made building our garden much more affordable. We filled all our beds with compost. Our local landfill compost all yard waste & offers it for free.

[@michelledaleo]

Great information! Especially about the space between boxes.. to be able to kneel comfortably-Thank you

[@estheronajourneytocontentm1097]

Thanks for the ‘101’ lesson for raised bed gardening. Hadn’t really considered the need for winter mulching but will plant cover mulch from now on.

[@johnmulvey5121]

Very clear and instructive. Thanks!

[@patkrueger7353]

Once again great info. Good luck in your new home. Your gardens like fabulous! Happy gardening

[@jasedrifter]

Great video Brian, i used 100 liter (26 gal) food-safe plastic barrels (cut in half) and old baths.

[@mdfarm8979]

In tropical/sub tropical climates see if you can get banana leaves/plants that are cut down after production of fruit is done. They are great for filling the bottom of your beds. You can even use the “trunks” to grow directly in for things like lettuce and then add to compost when it starts to break down. Banana plants hold a lot of usable water well after they are cut.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Great tip!

[@pjsviking]

Thank you for the extensive detail. You've thought of everything - great task analysis :O)

[@searose6192]

That hillside behind you is really neat! So many giant boulders!😮

[@larawalker4737]

First time viewer here! I really appreciate your video! It was informative without being too long or boring! I really took away some great bits of knowledge. Thank you!

[@denniskurszewski2707]

Thanks for the old fart raised bed ideas for me . This video had a lot of great information thanks for sharing these ideas .

[@user-pn5hh3db5c]

Hi Brian, I am new to your channel and live in south australia! We are building our food garden and wanting to make raised garden beds for a few different reasons but generally for ease of access and so that our dog does not run through our plants! I really like your easy garden beds and the information you have given about things to watch out for is so valuable when starting out. We have a lot of sugar can mulch here because Queensland is a huge cane producing state BUT I had not thought about chemicals used on the cane??? will need to do some research on that one. anyway, thanks so much for taking time to share your knowledge and ideas with us!!! cheers, Rosie from Down Under

[@lisagoggin8021]

I use compost as my mulch…..love it

[@katrinaseifarth6706]

Your videos are awesome. Thank you : ) I love you're all organic.

[@jodeemonckton1251]

Great info. Thanks for sharing.

[@freakygardener8033]

My raised container garden, is buckets, and totes, that are on beams laid across milk crates. That way, the top of my soil level is about 24-30 inches above the driveway! That makes it MUCH easier for me to reach without having to bend down so much. I've even been considering lifting them up a little bit higher, but I'm concerned about wind!

[@adriankap2978]

You are so smart. I wish there was a picture I could see. I'm wanting to do elevated beds since I'm VERY mature (old) and need some ideas on how to make it easier. I also have a sloping area and need to make the beds level. Thank you for the iidea you gave me!

[@freakygardener8033]

@@adriankap2978 get some of those plastic milk crates, and put them upside down. Then, lay some boards (I have 2x8's) on top, making a platform. Use 5 gallon buckets (I use cat litter buckets) for your "garden" Make sure to drill holes in the bottom for drainage!!! I used a 3/4 in spade bit for the holes. You can see how mine is at: freaky gardener, on KZbin

[@adriankap2978]

@@freakygardener8033 Awesome, Thank You!

[@WestsideUK]

Thanks so much, great info, I am just starting out, so this was gold, Next Level thanks from UK

[@tombattisti8682]

excellent tips. I'm a complete and utter brown finger gardener. This gives me hope.

[@LittleLady633]

We have the Vego metal raised beds. We tried filling the 32in with all the soils, but when we put in the U shape 17inch high. We went to Arizona's worm compost for raised beds. What a difference. We even went back and took the worm class and brought home our own worms..

[@gracielarios4574]

I had 4x8 bed for several years but found I much prefer smaller beds I can move around more easily. All my beds are plain Doug fir, still going strong.

[@lisapatterson2044]

I do container gardening but these are also great tips for my type of gardening - thanks!

[@Michael-mq8gy]

I live in S. Indiana and here, Hay and straw are two entirely different things. I learned a lot from your video however. Friendly suggestion about the hay/straw.

[@viper04af]

i love using the scraps from my woodworking as mulch, especially cedar! keeps some bugs away

[@user-kp5vd1tg3r]

You are correct for certified organic not to use pressure treated, but a study in 2014 did show that root veggies do not uptake the copper. I also prefer not to use pressure treated.

[@jonedwards2107]

I used 2x6 redwood, with concrete corner blocks stacked three high. Still need to cut planks to bring the wood level to the top of the corners as I add soil through the years, I will do that. I drove rebar into the center holes of the corner blocks to hold them. Just finished the third year.

[@timv12345]

Love your videos! great clear explanations

[@w1tjl]

I had to make some gopher proof beds (actually not gophers but voles and moles - the galvanized wire did not last very long at all. So the next time I found that Amazon sells stainless hardware cloth for just marginally more than the galvanized equivalent. I used 1/2" by 1/2 inch X 4 ft wide roles and after 4 years they are still liker new. Well worth the added cost. It will likely outlast me! Great videos on raised beds. My soil (I cleard a couple of acres of forest to build my house and there was NO topsoil so had to bring in all my soil and compost. I use (3) 2x6 width decking (plastic lumber for the sides - so about 15 inches in depth. Quite adequate and the trex-like lumber will never rot or leach... Not cheap but you only have to build it once. Thanks for your videos and help!

[@powervoc2]

You can also use rotational molded polyethylene timbers commonly found as edging with commercial playground equipment. I was able to get my hands on thirty 4'X4'X12" which made five 4'X8'X12" beds. They will never rot, are food safe and look great.

[@ronweldon5892]

I love that you mentioned the Kellogg Raised Bed soil. I've tried them all and the Kellogg RB Soil has so many nutrients in it that is like putting your plants on steroids. Example; my raised bed plants were all planted April 14th in a 50/50 loam compost mix with Black Cow Manure worked into the top 6 inches. My 5 gal buckets I filled with Kellogg RBS and planted my extra seedlings in those on June 21. Here it is July 14 and my plants in containers are already bigger than the ones in my RB. I wouldn't believe it if someone told me this but seeing is believing. I'm a DAV full of rods pins and screws and had a friend build my RB's 4'x8'x32" high because I can't bend. In the bottom of each RB I put 4-5" of non printed corrugated cardboard followed by 6" logs on top of that, branches on top of that follwed by 4-5" of mulched leaves and grass mixed, and then topped with a 50/50 mix of loam and compost. The Germans call this Hugelkultur. Over the last 4 months the soil has sunken down 6.5 inches. I topped it off with Kellogg RBS because roots were starting to show on a few tomato plants and two of them were actually falling over so I mounded up around the base with Kellogg RBS and then dumped more all around the bed. I didn't mulch the top of the soil. When the season ends I'll mix it all in with the other soil and add more in the spring before planting. Best soil ever sold at Homie Depot. My 32" high raised beds are 2 x10 x 8 Pressure treated on the bottom making the lower 20" and then above those I have two 2x6x8 Douglas Fir boards making up the walls for the top 12" required for the roots to grow in. The PT boards I was told do not leach out into the soil like past PT boards. Also I started every plant with heirloom varieties from Baker Creek Seeds. Every seed I planted grew and wasn't expecting 100% rate. My kitchen table was covered in seedlings. Not wanting to waste them I started hitting up restaraunts for 5 gallon empty pickle buckets that were all happy to share. So now my yard has 32" high raised beds and dozens of 5 gal buckets. I drilled 12- ½" holes in thd bottoms of each bucket and put them on bricks two high so the rabbits won't touch them. Just mentioned the bucket idea for anyone restricted to a patio garden. 5 gallon buckets filled with Kellogg's Raised Bed soil might be taking over my entire yard one day. My pepper plants love them as well as many tomato plants

[@sueburdett8066]

We made our new garden out of cinder blocks, double stacked. It took a lot more dirt, of course, but it has really paid off since I am somewhat disabled. The blocks are laid with the holes up, and are perfect for growing something small like radishes or lettuces.

[@bobalman]

I used cinder blocks too. I filled the holes with compost and plan use them to grow companion plants, basil, etc.

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Us too. I am fine but both my parents are pushing 70 and disabled. My dad was born with a club foot, and my mom has rheumatoid arthritis in her knees. We chose cinder blocks because we would never have to replace them. It was cheaper than we imagined. Mostly I garden on my own, my dad helps maintain the drip irrigation and some lighter work. My mom doesn't do anything.

[@karenreneelyles261]

If I made a bed from concrete, what food safe liner do you suggest?

[@robingreany899]

This was so very informative. So many things I must do. Not sure how to set up a leaching water system but have sprinklers that haven’t hurt me in the past. Have a bunch of wood ships that I will distribute to my garden.

[@SloggieBear]

Good advice in a well organised video, thanks

[@user-ev5jl2hq8g]

Great video, so much good info. Thank you immensely.

[@kurtc6372]

I like the spaces between the beds to be wide enough for a wheel barrel to get around. So 36” gives me enough room to maneuver a wheel barrel around to add soil or for weeding.

[@thelazynortherngardener7607]

Me too. I also like to bring a wagon through for easier harvesting or lugging tools.

[@georgekahn3313]

Thanks, always learn something from your vids

[@mdfarm8979]

You may want to try wood pellet made for horse bedding. So easy to handle, don’t blow away in the wind when you are applying them, and a quick misting of water expands the pellets and breaks them apart into a beautiful fluffy mulch. When I was still in the states I used these for all my gardens. Each bag covers much more than you think it will.

[@sueburdett8066]

We use the pine pellets regularly for our animals but I can't recommend it for a mulch in your gardens. In my experience, it retards growth. Pine does not break down quickly and really doesn't help in a raised bed. It takes years to break down.

[@laurie6123]

They said wood pellet not pine, so maybe there is a difference?

[@lsherylc2524]

Has anybody used shavings ? The ones used for animal bedding? Seems so much more tidy then messy straw

[@rainwaterrefugehomestead2267]

​@lSheryl C I have. In my experience it creates a sort of carpet right next to the soil and easily grows mold. Which...has never hurt my plants. But I'm moving away from it this season. I may have used too much. Idk. Just be cautious!

[@emilybh6255]

I use it for kitty litter and mix it with 25% clay clumping litter. I usually wet it with water until it expands to double the volume; pour it in the litter pan and sprinkle the clay "clumping" litter on top. Buying it as horse bedding is a fraction of the cost as buying the same thing marketed as cat litter.

[@TGrowsCropss]

Garden looks great

[@sorinorrin]

Learned a lot! thank you!!

[@ChatBot1337]

Props to all KZbinrs for trying to teach people. I helped some inlaws with their garden a few years back. They wanted raised beds mostly due to reduced weeding. Well, my brother in law would eat dogfood if socially acceptable to save a buck. So they built them four inches tall, would not invest in automated watering, refused to bother composting their scraps even in the garden directly. Two years later, the garden went unused this year, they complain about back pain because theyre so low, and hated watering all the time. Im not one to hold my tongue. I guilt trip the crap out of em for wasting their money, their time, and my time. 😅

[@debraowen6723]

Chatbot, yes, I get you. Some people are just slow learners. They have to experience the results of their not listening/paying attention to, or asking enough questions to people who have more experience than they do. Unfortunately, this seems to be the way of haughty people. By the time they learn from their mistakes, they're too old to make a difference. Maybe offer to show them about container gardening where they could still grow a few vegetables and flowers without hurting their backs as much. Let their obstinate resistance go. You've been proved correct and they've been proved wrong. Maybe they'll listen to you now. ❤

[@yauker]

I've been experimenting growing behind a wooden fence that gets near no sunlight, contaminated and compact soil no matter how much you turn it up and water it. It's amazing to see what struggles and what flourishes. by year 3 I dont have a space that doesn't have colourful growth .

[@crt9082]

Great tips !

[@amylivingston458]

Just an FYI, in zone 5a with pretty cold winters and lots of snow, winter rye cover crop doesn't die. But you just mow it tight in the spring and dig it in.

[@phyllissecraw7891]

Thank you for the information about mulching! I did not know about keeping it on, not mixing into the soil!

[@TheNakedBud]

You want to wait at least a year before mixing mulch into the soil.

[@TMX369]

This is so helpful! Thank you so much for your expertise!😊

[@NextLevelGardening]

You are so welcome!