How to Build Raised Beds That Will Last FOREVER!

[@scottfelson289]

Have talked to the manufacturer and they were great, for me these are the only ones I will buy

[@apiecemaker1163]

Getting the wood chips is fantastic. I would use them with weed fabric over the entire plot after you removed a layer of top soil for inside the beds. Even if you had to rent a dump bed truck for a day to get them all there. I have used them with the weed fabric underneath for several years. Makes a beautiful walking path. I believe Brooklyn would love that because it’s so pleasing to the eye. Makes for a finished look between the beds and knocks out a lot of weed eating which can damage the beds. It has made my garden area look like a potager garden with flowers, herbs, and lots of vegetables. Those tall beds make picking lettuces and such a breeze. I believe you are going to really enjoy this new gardening journey. 👩‍🌾☀️ Remember to have fun along the way.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks! We certainly look forward to the completion of it all!

[@patriciamathis7042]

When you tighten the bolts just do the top half then just turn the bed upside down and finish the rest of them. Also there should be some reinforcement bars that go in the middle inside the beds. I know Birdies beds have them to keep the tall beds from bowing.

[@jettpakmann]

I came here to say this too. 🤣

[@ricsgarden7394]

@@jettpakmann I posted it and just discovered this post was here, so I deleted my post.

[@katiem9644]

Just got mine today. Looking forward to trying to put it together for fall planting. You can take all that packing cardboard and put it in the bottom of the beds.

[@tammytackitt8713]

On those raised beds when you tighten up all the ones at the top that you can reach you can take the whole thing and flip it over and one person can do it and then the loose ones are at the top when you flip it over

[@Hardlyable]

I have 4 similar beds (tall) from 2 different manufacturers that make gardening much easier on my aging back and joints. I used the hugelculture method in filling mine since I had available material on hand for filling the bottom sections. One tip I can offer is that the fill in the beds will settle quite a bit early on so I would suggest not planting any perennials yet and just stick with annual plantings.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good tip. I might make an asparagus bed with one of them at some point, but all annuals initially like you suggested.

[@rcfliertube]

Put the hardware halfway down from the top then flip it over to do the rest !

[@MimsysGarden]

Those look great!! I’m definitely envious! 😂🤣💚

[@HayseedsWormFarm]

Alot of people have suggested hugelkultur for beds like that. Where you fill the bottom with limbs or logs and the rest with soil. It helps with moisture retention and reduces the amount of soil you need.

[@rickjay4639]

I forgot to mention in your last video on raised beds as far as filling them I once filled mine with about 25 percent straw. It worked out very well it took a couple years to fully break down. What was nice was being able to mix in 2 3 or 4 inches of compost and fresh soil every year for a couple years. Where I live after Halloween I can get straw from pumpkin patches that are getting rid of them after Halloween passes.

[@ricsgarden7394]

I cant think of a single plant that requires that much root system.. I guess maybe the tall ones are for draining???? Maybe so you dont have to bend over as much??? If so you could put rocks in the bottom, basically any filler you had, The roots likely never touch it. I wouldnt put rocks of course , I would likely do as you say. Put a bale of hay and let it compress over the years and add more soil as it compresses

[@rickjay4639]

The biggest reason why people use the tall raised beds is the height, so you don't have to bend over to garden. You're right don't need that much otherwise.

[@LifewithBlindaandChuck]

They look like they will hold up pretty good. Can't wait to see you growing in them.

[@jamestboehm6450]

Go the hugel culture way, helps keep moisture in the ground too. It works very well. It is also very price smart, (cheap).

[@mylaughinghog]

What worked for me in the path was to put down fabric and cover with wood chips. The fabric stopped the weeds and kept the wood chips from breaking down as fast as they would if in direct contact with soil. One unexpected benefit is that the fabric pulled away from the beds about two inches and volunteer zinnias and other flowers grew around the beds. That was really nice.

[@apiecemaker1163]

Same here. Weed fabric then wood chips. It has been working great for over three years. They break down a little from weather and walking but where I don’t have it is full of grass and weeds. I just put a few more bags once a year on top of it. I’m like you in that this process has been great. Makes a fantastic walking path.

[@KrazyKajun602]

You can set the clutch on the drill so you don't have to worry about over tightening. Also, just flip it over to tighten the bottom ones.

[@lindyroy7803]

You could flip it upside down. To tighten the bottom bolts. That’s what I did. 😂

[@hannahrosefl]

Rewatching this video again and for a moment I was very concerned cause I'm freezing in SWFL at 52 degrees and you were in a tank top 😂 took me a minute to remember this was a summer video lol

[@nancyplank1651]

Garden beds look great!! Thank you for recommending the Hot Tar pepper sauces. We purchased the cocktail sauce, tarter sauce and hush puppy mix--they we're all wonderful!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you liked it!

[@Sorrento_Ben]

Really excited to see what happens with this raised bed plot. I noticed some of your panels had both ends on the outside of the bed. It’ll be fine I’m sure but the best structural bet is for each panel to have one end under the previous panel and the other end over the next panel - or vice versa of course. This helps with stability and bowing and reduces the stress on the nuts and bolts. If you haven’t filled them yet and are willing you might swap one end of those panels.

[@scottstewart6260]

i got the 1ft tall square foot garden raised beds, i knew a big metal one would take a tree to fill lol. you need a couple tree chipper drops to put in the bottom of those :-D

[@alabamagirl2725]

I love this. Thank you Travis. Going to get some.

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

Man the dawgs sure tore up my Gamecocks. It was bad. Georgia may be the best complete team ever. Anyways man I love those raised beds. I have seen a few different brands floating around on here from other KZbin friends of mine and they look great and serve a great function. The installation looks a little tedious with all the bolts but once you get them together, they last forever like you say. Once and done. That is what I love about them. Great video.

[@LazyDogFarm]

No mercy from the Dawgs this year. Thanks for watching!

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

@@LazyDogFarm You got that right! Hopefully we will be back in the winners category before long!

[@mattshepherd8586]

Cant wait to see what u do with this. I downsized last year and im trying raised beds for the first time , so far with great success. But im sure ill learn a lot seeing how u all do it. Thanks.

[@robertantolik2146]

I think I'd leave the plastic on the inside too. It's just added protection for the metal. No need to remove it. Might slow down the rusting

[@mutantryeff]

The deep raised beds are good for daikon radish and burdock. This past weekend I planted three varieties of daikon. One is short but has a nice spice to it, the others can get pretty long. I also planted regular radishes, as I like to use the tops to blend in with potato soup. Better to use fall-planted radish tops for potato soup, as the spring ones don't taste as good.

[@dwaynetaylor2212]

Love those raised beds,there awesome

[@kennethlatimer4607]

You be rockin it Travis. Love the idea but out of my price range.

[@caroleferreira2846]

Awesome video. I have been looking at Ollie beds for some time. Now I know I will be getting one for sure. Thanks for helping me make up my mind.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hope you enjoy them!

[@singncarpenter6270]

My experience with raised beds is that they get their moisture sapped out from the ground underneath. It may depend on your climate, but when it rains here, I still have to water my raised beds. Bending over is a hassle, but I am planning on moving away from raised beds to growing in the ground. You get way more rain than I do though, so I look forward to your thoughts after using them for a few years.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We'll be setting up an irrigation system for ours on the next video. That should make things a lot easier. Our raised beds by the barn only require watering every 3 days or so, even when it's hot. But those are more shaded than these.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

I would like to use 1 or 2 of the tall beds for growing strawberries. That way you don't have to bend over to pick them.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Good idea. I'm thinking spinach in one of the tall ones. Cutting that stuff can be a pain.

[@dirtcheapgarden22]

Turn the beds over to reach the bottom nuts Travis.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Those big ones are too heavy to flip once assembled. I can flip them to insert the bolt initially, but need a hand when tightening them.

[@waynespringer501]

I've seen videos that say on the protective strip at the top not to cut the excess off until the bed has sat in the sun for awhile because the rubber will soften, expand and contract. Some videos I seen where they cut the excess off then after the sun exposure the strip shrank leaving a wider gap. Not sure if this happens I shall find out as I'm putting 10 of these (except Vego brand) beds together over the winter.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Haven't noticed it yet, but I'll keep an eye on it. I did keep some of the excess in case I need to fill a gap.

[@meddler69]

A2 + b2 =c2 is called the Pythagorean Theorem.. I went to carpentry College at the votech and was a carpenter/contractor for a bit, and used that like 3 times

[@LazyDogFarm]

I don't use it much, but it's good to know for getting things square.

[@cathywco]

So glad you did this video. We bought one using your code and received it yesterday. Will be putting it together this weekend.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@robertantolik2146]

Pythagorean theorem. Nice. I use it regularly in construction. Hugekultur is not only cheaper for a raised bed but it's a way to add new compost every year. If you fill the bed with awesome soil, it's not going to be so awesome in 5 years and you'll literally have to dig soil out to put in new. But with the hugekultur method you can add new compost almost every year as the substrate breaks down. I think you'll regret putting awesome soil in there. It'll be stagnant and spent in a few years. But I'm just a dumb carpenter so keep on poo pooing everything I say, it's all good

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think this wood chip compost is going to be pretty awesome stuff. I'm thinking we just keep layering over the years like we've done in our no-till plot, which is working well so far.

[@jackwest5123]

Wow! First to comment! Without watching anything other than the intro to the video, my answer is hugelkultur

[@jackwest5123]

Okay, I thought this was going to be how to fill those big raised beds... not how to put them together.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Congrats on being first! As I mentioned in the video, any extra wood we have usually goes camping with us.

[@johnmullis6589]

Flip it upside down and tighten the last few bolts then you don't have to wait for Brooklyn to get home

[@bluewolf4915]

thought of that too.😆

[@davidward1259]

Travis, since you mentioned using sawdust and composted wood chips, I wanted to as if you were familiar with the "Mittleider Gardening method"? They promote the use of inert "soil" which is mainly sawdust but then using constant feed low dose synthetic fertilizers similar to hydroponics (but with granular 16-16-16 or 13-13-13 as the base for the fertilizer with other nutrients added). We tried it a couple of years ago and had excellent results with the plants. We ended up sharing with 26 families from our little 120 sq ft garden space that year and still had food left over at the end of the summer.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've heard of it. But from what I remember from researching it, there were quite a few different things you had to add to the soil. I'd rather keep things simple with just a few fertilizers in my regime.

[@matthewking2209]

Those are nice, it would take almost twenty five 2 cubic foot bags to fill that one. They are eight bucks a bag that's two hundred bones. I would say wood chips then toped with soil is the way to go.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I did the math earlier and it's going to take 20 cubic yards to fill all the beds. Good thing I found a free source of material. That would be a lot of bagged soil.

[@hardstylzz5024]

I notice peat moss gone up in price was around $10 now it's over $16 everything going up better get it now.

[@Randy_Smith]

Your raised beds look great. I'm really interested to see how they hold up without anything to keep the soil from causing them to bow outward. I have one from a different manufacturer that looks to be identical in height (32") and color but mine came with aluminum rods that are attached in the middle to keep the sides from bulging.

[@carolynmoody9460]

Been looking forward to this video 👏👏 thanks

[@teresasmith2271]

I got the cobalt blue one a few weeks ago; pricey, but I love it.

[@poodledaddles1091]

They are beautiful!

[@mylaughinghog]

I've had to sink the beds into the soil on one side because on being on a hill. The sides that were in the soil are much less likely to move or have washout than the the sides which were not sunk into the ground. Having this experience, on level ground, I would consider sinking the beds six inches or more.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's another advantage to tilling the plot. Once I set them (video coming Friday on that), they sink down in that fluffy soil.

[@HayseedsWormFarm]

Also. You might have some bowing in the middle. Maybe a brace to firm up the sides.

[@mylaughinghog]

Yep, I've seen some that have a rod screwed into the center in one pair of the bolt holes. I don't remember the brand.

[@Frankie_902]

Don't throw away the extra safety edging that you had to trim off because after the bed are in the sun for some time that rubber edging may shrink some so if you keep the excess that was ruined if you'll have it to fill in the gap after it shrinks. That's IF it shrinks which I'm thinking it has a very his chance of doing so. Not saying anything bad about the quality is just how things work in this southern sun and heat.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yeah I made sure to save some. Good point.

[@pauldilldine6817]

Love these beds and the color yall chose. Couldn't you flip them over to tighten the bottom bolts or are they kinda heavy and awkward?

[@LazyDogFarm]

You can do that. But I tried not to move them around too much with the bolts not tightened.

[@pauldilldine6817]

Ok I figured there was a reason. Was just curious. Thanks for the reply.

[@mattshepherd8586]

Thanks!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Matt!

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

We have so many rotten branches falling from our 100+ yr old oak trees I have plenty for the hugglculture, plus I pile in tons of leaves and only have good soil for the top 8 to 10, inches and it works great. I will be adding several more in the months to come if I can scrape up the money. Maybe I should do a go fund me lol.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I might have some limbs to add if this hurricane decides to come this way.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

@@LazyDogFarm I would like to get some rain from it, but not the bad stuff.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Do these beds have a threaded rod or 2 that goes in the center to keep them from bowing out? You didn't have any in the video.

[@LazyDogFarm]

These don't.

[@tetonvalley7535]

Cross bracing NECESSARY-beds will bow out over time unless used; haven’t seen your more recent vlogs to see if you added them; had to add a comment in case someone only looked at this how-to

[@LazyDogFarm]

Ours have been filled for several weeks now with no significant bowing so far. We'll see as time goes on.

[@pamelaroden5513]

I used tree limbs and logs to fill first, then leaves, then dirt.i wouldn't place my main line under my beds it's a real chore digging them out in the event they leak. Ask me how I know.

[@LazyDogFarm]

What caused the mainline to leak? Was it something at the connection? I've never had mainline leak in my garden plots or my fig orchard.

[@pamelaroden5513]

@@LazyDogFarm the bed was to heavy with the rock and the beds, it cracked it. It may have helped if it had been laid deeper? But boy what a job it was to get to it, so this time I just ran it to the edge and up. For easy access. Painted it to match and it looks ok.

[@neelsscheepers8841]

Take a look at Self Sufficient Me youtube channel on what he did to fill his raised beds. I did the same as he did and aded some peanut husks (wood chips) to fill the gaps.

[@jbradkilpatrick]

I’ve noticed a lot of these beds, on Amazon, have supports going across the middle. Do you not have any issues with the soil bulging out the sides at all?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I haven't had any issues and we're about a year in.

[@jimt6151]

They look well built. Raised beds are great for places where the soil is poor. My question, though, is...after all the work and success of building such good soil in that plot, why put raised beds on top of that good soil, especially since you're reducing your total area of productive soil surface for that plot so drastically? Seems like the beds would be better sitting on top of some un-developed soil, leaving your good soil plot in full production.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Because truthfully I have more plots that I need at this point. And I wanted to put the beds in an area with a low weed seed bank where I won't have to fight grasses and other weeds as much.

[@denniscleveland669]

You using A square + B square = C square on the first corner and then cross measuring to square the whole bed?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Something like that. I measure two sides and then the diagonal to make sure it's square. As long as I get it within a couple inches, I'm good with that. Doesn't have to be exact.

[@nolawarren3560]

You just raised the cost of my gardening x4. Gonna keep it simple and true. Seeds and bulbs are nuts right now. $24.00 for garlic bulbs. I ...it's stupid

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've never understood why seed garlic is so expensive. It's not that hard to grow and doesn't take a bunch of space. But everyone charges a premium for it.

[@hardstylzz5024]

all that cardboard from ollies you can use to go under the raisedbed just remove the clear tape. looking good so far.

[@hazeysgarden]

You assembled yours with the corner pieces on the inside of that end piece. I assembled mine with corner pieces on the outside. You think it’ll make a big difference?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Nah I don't think it matters.

[@rickthelian2215]

Travis did you read the instructions or did you wig it? Nice to get gloves with each packet. Just a late thought on plans, just the aspect of light with the taller raised beds blocking the shorter ones, with or without plants.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I followed the instructions, although they're pretty concise. Just had to see which side of the beds they wanted the washer to go and the orientation of the pieces for each configuration. I'll probably do shorter plants in the taller beds and taller plants in the shorter beds.

[@rickthelian2215]

@@LazyDogFarm they seem easy enough to put together like you said washers etc I picked 3 of the shorter long ones just like yours but free, someone didn’t want anymore they are creme color, going to put wood chips and horse manure before soil and compost to lower costs.

[@briantaylor1988]

Are there any benefits to using the taller ones as far as growing stuff goes or is it just less bending over?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Just less bending. However, I do think having some taller ones behind some shorter ones looks nice as far as the landscape design goes. But that may not matter to some folks.

[@jefferybarron929]

Wouldn't the washer go on the inside with the nut? The bolt heads are large and don't really look like they need washers. Just curious...

[@LazyDogFarm]

The instructions say to put the washer on the outside. I would have though the same thing as you.

[@petlover071]

I would be concerned about the screws or bolts sticking through on the inside, causing potential injury if you scrape your hand or arm on them. What do you think?

[@LazyDogFarm]

They're not sharp, otherwise that would certainly be a concern.

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

As a 60 something, single woman, I laughed when you Dafoe you need two people to put them together. I don't get much help astound here so I have to get creative. I'd do top them flip it and do the bottoms.

[@credenza1]

Just turn it upside down to get to the lower holes.

[@BroqueCowgirlHomestead]

Yeah those deep ones.....use half and make 2

[@cynthialewis7080]

Are the bolts stainless?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I assume so.

[@iveyexteriorcleaningservic9477]

When you said early kick off with the dogs getting after the roosters what are you referring to?

[@christilightsey640]

College football. The Georgia bulldogs played the South Carolina game cocks this past Saturday. When he says Go Dawgs, that's also what he is referring to. I say Roll Tide!🐘

[@BosnWayne]

Go Navy

[@iveyexteriorcleaningservic9477]

@@christilightsey640 duh…slipped right over my head

[@rwheeler4926]

I think the washer should go on the inside

[@LazyDogFarm]

I thought that too until I read the instructions.

[@sandragarner3913]

Put wood in the bottom

[@tedperry2441]

Not meaning to be picky but the washers go under the nuts not the screw.

[@citylotgardening6171]

👍

[@richardisbell9112]

Do you have any peas yet

[@LazyDogFarm]

Not yet. But the plants are climbing all over the place. We'll show them on Friday's video.

[@richardisbell9112]

@@LazyDogFarm have you ever seen peas do that

[@denniscleveland669]

Using a piece of leather, would ensure better protection, than cloth.

[@steveegbert7429]

I don't know what the instructions say but, mechanically speaking, shouldn't the washer go on the inside under the nut? The outside head of the bolt is already the diameter of a washer. It might be they want it that way because the outside is in a valley and the inside is on a ridge. I'm not a mechanical engineer so what do I know. I would probably overkill and put washers on both sides. Either way, those are nice beds. Why not flip the whole thing over to install and tighten the bottom bolts?

[@LazyDogFarm]

That would make sense, but the instructions say to put the washer on the outside.

[@denniscleveland669]

I wonder it rats can still climb up that tall one?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Rats die around here. lol. Our barn cats are on high alert.

[@lisanowakow3688]

They don’t have interior supports to keep the middle from folding with time?

[@LazyDogFarm]

They do have them as an option on their site now, but I haven't noticed any issues with mine bulging or buckling.

[@tennesseegregario7253]

Olle Garden is awfully proud of these. Nowhere near worth $300.

[@murdok1100]

why cant you tighten the top half then just flip it over

[@LazyDogFarm]

You could, but those big ones aren't very easy to flip without all the bolts secured.

[@kjrchannel1480]

One would think these should have cross braces. I can see these bulging out like an above ground swimming pool ready to collapse. These look like all the generic rebranded beds. I don't even view Birdie beds as original.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've heard from quite a few folks with many different brands of these metal beds. No significant bulging issues from what I've heard.

[@jenssuburbanhomestead759]

I have been on raised beds forever. I don't know why anyone would need a bed deeper than 18" especially with an open bottom.

[@mattshepherd8586]

Are they metal? How do they hold up?

[@LazyDogFarm]

It'll be nice for low-growing veggies like spinach to make for easier harvesting.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

So you don't have to bend over to harvest.

[@steveegbert7429]

Also, if you have mobility or back problems, the taller the better.

[@sandrasstitches]

@@LazyDogFarm easier on your back too. I have one higher beds and wish all of my beds were the same.

[@rickpearce4653]

Lot of water to do raised bed .

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep. That's why we're going to install a drip system. I couldn't imagine having to hand water all these.

[@rickpearce4653]

Straw is good for filler on the bottom but find old straw or straw you know doesn’t have herbicides on it.

[@Grateful_Ryan]

Why not just flip the bed over to get the bottom bolts? Then they'd be on the top...

[@LazyDogFarm]

You can do that with two to three pieces at a time, but hard to flip those big ones once they're assembled.

[@wwsuwannee7993]

I don't even bother peeling the plastic off when I assemble a new metal bed. It makes no difference in their function or even looks. FYI :) gg

[@iveyexteriorcleaningservic9477]

When you said early kick off with the dogs getting after the roosters what are you referring to?

[@hardstylzz5024]

Football game last Saturday