4 Raised Bed Mistakes You Definitely Want to Avoid in Your Garden

[@Momcat6]

Such great info, thank you! I'm a long time gardener and bed height has definitely become more important as I get older.

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

i made the walls just from wet clay soil layer by layer dried up in the sun once in position all around them.

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

my motorbike pants already have knee protectors for kneeling down gardening which proves to be quite usefull, just that they get dirty each time - would have to wrap up their knees w/ protective foil...

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

for elderly gardeners, wheelchairs even should fit in the spaces left in between, even as a preventive measure for accidents (traffic, risk sports/work...)

[@carlaadams1386]

Will try your suggestions

[@sn232]

Where did you get your stick trellis at 8:04 in the video? If you made it, do you have a video showing how to make it? If you bought it, do you have a link? Thank you :)

[@Gardenary]

No link, sorry. That trellis belonged to the client. It's a teepee trellis that we collapsed for the peas so it would take up less soil space

[@itsGINA11]

We have dozens of old pavers from the previous owners, can those be used for a kitchen garden or is that unsafe for food?

[@AlishaHenderson-i5m]

@Gardenary We build 4 6x10ft beds all connected in a step-like pattern up a hill.. Now, I'm regretting it because I don't know how to fill them the gardenary way. We have a dirt walkway down the middle of each bed that we don't plant in so we plant in a u shaped manner. Should we leave it be, split them into 8 4x6ft beds, or what should we do about them?

[@hoosierpreppingnurse]

Opinions please. I used the old castle corner blocks for my raised beds. I put a rebar down the center to help hold the blocks in place. One of the beds has the dirt pushing the boards out on an 8 foot side. It is on a slight slant. My plan is to level the dirt under the concrete wood and blocks of the bed more. Reset the blocks. Do a wood down the side of the bed across the center of it. Maybe put a wood strip across the corners.

[@Gardenabundance]

Put an extra support on each side of the 8 foot sides. Even if it’s just a steak on either the outside of the bed wall to hold it in, or a steak on the inside attached to it. I’ve had the same problem with longer beds, and it’s just too much space for the dirt push out on. Hope that helps.

[@judylloyd7901]

​@@Gardenabundance ...stake*...😊😊 The other kind is the meat steak 😋 😍

[@bettyc4345]

Love your videos. What kind of soil mixture do you use for raised bed?

[@Gardenary]

Here's an article: www.gardenary.com/blog/how-to-start-a-garden-part-6-filling-with-soil

[@joniboulware1436]

Interesting that there was no mention of the ribbed steel beds that are so popular now.

[@Gene-kl1br]

Your definition shows high nutrients in your soil . So i will listen to you and subscribe. You would truly like my garden n Green houses .

[@TimandLiamsEastcoastkoillc]

Hello new to the channel like it so much we hit the like and subscribed. Thank you for taking the time to share this video. Was very educational. Enrolled in your website

[@TimandLiamsEastcoastkoillc]

We do aquaponics and some raised grow beds. Are well

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

i'll even NIVELATE my raised beds by refilling their paths between them, because they won't serve for E CUTURE due to the recommended distance of about 40cm below soil of the magnetized installations. although raised beds quite interesting for wheelchair gardeners or visitors !

[@C3Voyage]

Mistake #5: What do you fill with. I think that would have capped it off nicely.

[@theproperty541]

100% agree

[@ninas4968]

Thank you ! 😊 🪴

[@michellebackus6424]

I'm a new follower to @gardenary and I'm loving the method. I wasn't excited about veggie gardening before because it seemed like a lot of effort for 8 plants. Found you and went out and bought more veggies, herbs, flowers, & bush bean seeds. It looks great, I tried to be mindful of the plate method when spacing... But you made a comment about a bed being too small and not worth the effort. Our bed is only 2x8 (but 32" deep). So I'm hoping what we lack in width we make up in depth. What do you think?

[@Gardenary]

That's 16 square feet of growing space. You can fit a lot in that!

[@michellebackus6424]

@@Gardenary awesome! I went outside and counted after I posted and felt better! Cheers to intensive planting 🌿 12 flowers 12 herbs 4 peppers 4 tomatoes 2 cucumbers 1 yellow squash 1 patty pan squash 3 zucchini 2 bush beans 4 Kentucky beans

[@tanyaraz]

What do you use for irrigation?

[@Gardenary]

I recommend drip irrigation. Here's a post on how to set up your own: www.gardenary.com/blog/how-to-set-up-a-super-simple-irrigation-system-for-raised-garden-beds

[@andrewsmith6695]

What were you staining the wood with?

[@chooseanamazinglife]

That’s what I need to know too- can you give us a link please?

[@tomvallee1768]

A question on steel raised beds. We have lots of sun in South Texas, and our cars get so hot that we can't touch them. Will steel beds get too hot, lose water, and stress plants?

[@Gardenary]

Nope. I was worried about that too b/c I set up my first steel beds in Houston. The soil around the very edge will be about 5°F warmer than the soil in the middle of the bed. What I did was plant perennial herbs and some flowers there b/c they won't mind a bit less water or warmer soil at all

[@LilDebCakes]

Do you have any issues with rabbits in the shorter beds? If so, whats your solution? I've used chicken wire at the top to keep them from jumping in and digging a nest 😂

[@Gardenary]

I had a rabbit jump into 24-inch beds in Chicago but not here. Garden mesh can deter them

[@CoenCoenNL]

Galvanized metal is really the only material to consider if you're serious about growing, unless you have the money and desire to want to replace your expensive pretty wooden raised beds every couple of years, or God forbid, use chemicals to protect the wood every year.

[@Dixie-ff7ig]

How do you deal with unwanted critters; cats, birds, squirrels, mice, slugs and snails munching on your greenery or neighborhood cats sleeping in the beds and/or going potty? Do you keep a mesh cover over the beginning plants?

[@elizabethtaylor2255]

You don't have everything covered to keep squirrels out. Is there something else you do to keep everything safe? I'd love to not have to cover mine if that's possible. Nice video.

[@Gardenary]

Squirrels are an issue because there's a wooded area behind the garden space. The raised beds in the back get more shade, and those are the sacrificial plants for the squirrels. I could definitely cover if I wanted to. I've found surrounding my garden with the native plant/pollinator garden helps keep them out when those plants are full

[@TheTruthShallPrevail888]

Are there combos of veggies that you will grow in a bed? And what are your spacing rules in a bed when planting these combos in bed?

[@Gardenary]

We just try to plant a wide diversity of things. We do something called intensive planting, which means we pack in a lot of plants. I talk more about it in my book Kitchen Garden Revival :)

[@melissaschloneger9902]

I would add another mistake: putting your beds over large mature tree roots. The roots invade the nice soil of your garden and steal nutrients and get in the way of root development. My carrots were the most amazingly misshapen things - looked like a horror show

[@aussiebushgirl1829]

That’s a valid observation. Thank you!

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

wheelbarers should be able to pass in the space left between garden beds

[@apurviasharma963]

Another Mistake: poor placement of raised beds

[@patriciacole8773]

Grab an upended five gallon bucket 🪣

[@Jan-lb2sf]

The higher the bed it costs a fortune to make them and fill them

[@joniboulware1436]

Yes, but that can be mitigated in part with using logs branches and other material that can decompose. Then the rest is a one time cost. After the first year another 2 inches of compost can be added as it will settle. It is worth that initial cost.

[@aussiebushgirl1829]

Please don’t use timber or logs. The best space filler is bales of straw, lasagne’d with organic materials that help with decomposition and nutrients. Each planting season you’ll need to top up the level with compost, as last season’s soil level will sink as the materials break down. Easy fix.

[@patriciamoran9143]

​@@aussiebushgirl1829why not logs? I've been taught to use fallen branches from trees

[@elegantrebelhomestead]

Logs are great. Full of micorrhizal hyphae spores which are fabulous for nutrient transfer over time.

[@winniejack2492]

I know this is a business for you but who can afford to have a garden with the prices you charge. I’m here for the free info and that’s the truth. I’m trying,g to feed my family not buy over priced designer garden.