How to Build Raised Beds that will LAST!

There are some things that you can do to help protect your outdoor timber from decay and increase the life of your raised beds.
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[@c.a.g.1977]

I've heard that talking to plants could be beneficial, but not so sure telling them off will result in more strawberries... 😄 Nice project, Stuart! Looking forward to see what you are coming up with to sift more efficiently!

[@Rayzzia]

Awesome book that gives you step-by-step photos kzbin.infoUgkxTNB_zFBSnTo_O1PqfVUwgi7ityw0JlKt and directions to make every day project. I can see myself making a few of these projects and giving them as housewarming and holiday gifts!

[@martinmorgan9]

I love the idea of using galvanised steel banding as a tension member.👍

[@stevekent3991]

You don’t have to completely fill a raised bed if you don’t have enough material. If you don’t fill to the top, the wooden sides provide extra protection against the weather for your seedlings/plants as they grow. Also, over a number of years you will be gradually adding more home made compost anyway. There isn’t a rule to say you can’t use a raised bed until it’s full of soil. I have waist height raised beds, they are great for my back.

[@kathrynck]

I like the idea of a masonry brick raised bed, and filling the bottom with rock & then concrete. Removes an obvious path for moles, and really glues the foundation together. Just include some drain tubes at concrete level. Also not a huge fan of "buried wood", kinda invites termites to the neighborhood. Invest 1nce, do it right, enjoy forever. But yeah, I'm with you on "waist high or bust"... the whole point is to save that back, and avoid crawling around on hands & knees :)

[@R1chardH]

What do u put at the bottom? want to stop weeds/grass growing up but then there's drainage. Or is it not an issue growing from that deep?

[@stevekent3991]

@@R1chardH season one, treat your empty waist height raised beds as a cold compost heap, dump everything organic you can find in there including weeds (as long it’s not the type of weed which grows from root cuttings). Logs, branches, hedge and bush trimmings, grass, leaves, dried stems/stalks, soil from other parts of your garden, anything you would put onto a cold compost heap. You can put cardboard down as the base layer if you want but you don’t need too. Stage one is creating subsoil with plenty of organic matter. Stage two is adding top soil. Doesn’t matter if this layer is low down because you haven’t managed to gather enough organic material during stage one. For topsoil, you can use home made compost, a soil mix like Mel’s mix or purchased compost, whatever works for you. Stage three, get growing and keep top dressing with more home made compost every year.

[@PaulIreland1972]

I don't know what's going on with you, Keith @ R'n'B B and Matt @ BadgerWorkshop, but this year my DIY project list is a catio, a new workshop and a raised bed and you've each dropped a video just as as I've started to plan out how I'm going to do one of them and each video has given me a solution to a problem. In this case how to stop the boards from bowing out, so thanks for that little tip!

[@totherarf]

If you are after growing strawberries why not use your spare tyres? Stack them up and drill holes with a holesaw in the upper part of the tread. If you want to do a "permanent job" screw through the sidewall into the one below. Fill and plant! If you are worried about tyres looking a bit naff ..... spray paint them before you plant!

[@phonotd]

A bit of overkill with the staples there Stuart. 😂

[@spatel3783]

nice work Stuart. I like how you always make things cost effective for the average DIY person. much appreciated

[@martinhunt6004]

A joy to watch Stuart. Fantastic idea with that banding, wow!

[@AdityaMehendale]

Quite therapeutic to talk to strawberry plants, yes.

[@dannybaker2763]

I'm dieing to know the plants response!😂

[@davidgrover2665]

Built a raised bed for my daughter yesterday & used the steel band idea - great tip Thx! 👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@fitzg002]

Love when the civil engineer comes out, really interesting when you discuss forces and materials!

[@Gman4633]

Instead of paying to get rid of the tyres turn them into planters for potatoes, they work really well. Sorry if this has been commented already. Love the vids and projects.

[@theborderer1302]

I've read research that the chemicals in tyres (they're synthetic rubber) leaches into the soil. So maybe OK for flower planters, but I would'nt recommend for food crops.

[@AV_N_DWG]

The fact that I will apply some of the ideas in this video and will defenetly avoid others means it did the job. A nice, educational and overall good video... Again... Keep doing more.

[@andrewlitchfield4843]

Hi Stuart, for raised beds in the past I used 200 x 100mm sleeper posts and reclaimed scaffold boards.... was fairly cheap and solid! Andy

[@sytemastudio]

I'd love to see the results once the plant has grown and spread it's roots in there. Looks lovely!

[@olson.pamela]

"rubbish" is too cute a word for the crap that has been April weather in 2023 Minnesota. That said this raised bed is exactly what I need for my next bee lovers garden. Thank you Stuart!

[@garulusglandarius6126]

I made my raised beds with 2”x8” timber, 3” square posts, bed sizes at 10’x2’x2’ and 14mm thread bar threaded through 15mm pvc pipe for protection from moisture to avoid mid bed warping/bowing five years ago and they’re still solid and rot free ( I maintain them with wood preservative annually ). Love your work and your channel Stuart ( I’ve watched every episode ) and gained a lot of very useful ideas/methods which have all worked beautifully. Thank you Stuart 👍

[@welshrambler1893]

Excellent video with great practical ideas to extend the life of the beds Stuart, well done! It's worth doing a soil test on the acidity of the soil. Since I found my soil in the raised beds was acid and needed a good dressing of lime my yields have increased a lot. Regards Keith

[@gordonmonteith8486]

I use 450mm DPC overlapped as it is easy to work with and is stronger. I also bend it over the top boards and fit a wooden capping strip to protect the side walls.

[@Loosehead]

Use the pavers as a base for that water tank, fill it from gutters on the roof of your building, and never worry about a hosepipe ban again.

[@olivercowan]

That plastic tank you moved could make a great DIY water butt (depending what was in it etc)

[@stephenmcgeown]

Brilliant build Stuart! I loved the final zoom out shot as you harangued the strawberry. A lot of pressure on the little fella :-)

[@philgornall]

Love the video. I’ve made raised beds before, not quite as sturdy as these, but you need to mix in some topsoil with the compost. I did the same as you and the compost breaks down quite quickly and your levels will drop. Also topsoil adds different nutrients for the plants, as well as not breaking down.

[@anwolfs9804]

Now I know I made mine all wrong, thank you Stuart for showing me how the next raised beds are going to be made!

[@tureq85]

love the pep talk with the strawberry!

[@leapark01]

Very interesting video. I have just finished building a new raised bed as all my old ones have started rotting away. What I did this time was to put old roofing slates under each corner to help prevent the sides sinking into the ground.

[@rich8037]

Wrapping the side timbers in DPM - genius! I always learn something from watching your videos, Stuart. Thanks for all the work you put into them.

[@ProperDIY]

Thank you - much appreciated.

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

nice catch of the slow worm off to find a new home !

[@johnharkin5278]

Great video - lots of useful, practical advice. Thank you,

[@FusionFixings]

Great video and something we have been looking to sort away from the office...

[@lafamillecarrington]

I like the idea of using the banding tape to hold the sides - even though I am one of those people who has used screwed-in ties to hold the sides in, which has worked okay for me over 3 or 4 years. I recommend getting an electric stapler.

[@awantamta]

An absolutely brilliant build

[@terrytopliss9506]

Nice job Stuart,really helpful video.👍👍

[@PaulBakewell]

Another great video. Thanks, Stuart

[@allongshanks940]

Look out for post levels, a bit of plastic that covers 2 sides and has both horizontal and vertical bulb levels, attaches with an elastic band a saves you from having to stop and check it is straight

[@kevinfisher7142]

Looks great Stuart , i got loads of well rotted horse muck for free and put that in with my compost , worked a treat.

[@sugarplumfairy101]

Hang a sieve from an 'A' frame (like you would get on playground swings). Little effort and it will work a treat. 👍

[@imtinyem]

I can't wait until I have the garden space to make my own raised beds 😃

[@netneo71]

Always enjoy your channel....but this is a great job. I'd be very happy with this 😊

[@geoff544]

I've done something similar using threaded rod as a tie from one side to the other. It needed doing as I have made exact sized covers and the beds were beginning to spread a bit in the middle - aren't we all?! 😉

[@edbicknell4170]

Nice work as always.

[@vegawan4765]

That was a very educational video, sir. Thank you.

[@YesiPleb]

I was going to plant a hedge around my garden but as I'm in a new built, the side down my garden path was full of builders rubble, mainly concrete and even with a pick axe, I could only get it about 4" into the ground so that idea was scrapped. Instead, I made two planters. Both were 2m long, 1m wide and 0.5m high. Each planter took almost 2 cubic metres of soil. The old hedge I ripped out I mulched. The root balls went in the bottom, the mulch on top and then top soil I got from someone else who was levelling their back garden. I built a sieve to remove the stones and as everything buried at the bottom rotted down, sure enough, the level has dropped a few inches. Now there's a massive plus side to this - that and the used coffee grounds I mixed in as I was filling and the egg shells I had dried out and placed through the blender has produced some of the best soil I've ever seen. The sheer amount of worms I've got is more than I've ever seen and everything I've grown in there has been incredible. I've had plenty of comments especially the size of the rhubarb by people passing. Total cost for my build was about £17 and that was just the thick plastic I used to line both of them. The wood was old pallet wood from work, the Creosote (not Creocote!) was found in the garden of my late in-laws, the soil was free from someone nearby via a local Facebook group. Topping the soil level up isn't a problem either as I've been emptying the pots of my plants in there after they've died. Almost forgot to mention my planters were bottomless. The plastic sheeting I bought I wrapped in by about 6" at the bottom so there's plenty of drainage.

[@du7ch384]

Glad to see the return of Speedy in the intro, just keep him away from the new strawberry plant 😁

[@bagpusscat7839]

You can use the tyres as mini compost heaps 🙂. Stack them and just fill them, they are easy to take apart and easy to resite.

[@user-ni9gr1qn5t]

I enjoy all your videos Stuart,I like what you are doing in the padock, I did noticed a big vat or container that wood be handy to store rain water, put up a rain gutter on your out building be handy for your raised beds I think those will last a long time ,raped up in that black sheeting. Great video all ways good to watch useful tips and ideas ,take care see you in the next video Regards Shaun

[@user-my9yn4yn6y]

I have some British Cedar Featherdge cladding leftover to use up which has nail holes in it so it is unsuitable for cladding. It varies from 20mm-5mm thick, do you think I should use it for raised beds? Maybe with more supports and should I overlap it like you would normally with featheredge or not? It should be great because cedar won’t rot nor leach chemicals into the soil

[@emdotdee]

Looks great, any concerns about the leftover chemicals and rubbish that was there previously contaminating the whole thing?

[@denisoriordan6739]

Thought there was a mechanics lecture coming there for a bit. 😂

[@helenarusso]

Hello Denis how are you doing, nice to meet you here.

[@Quaker521]

Great start to your raised beds Stuart, how many do you eventually aim to have? Great video, thanks.

[@nebsun]

Copper Naphthenate or zinc naphthenate can be used as a preservative - both are suitable for contact with vegetable gardens or fruit trees. The copper will leave a greenish stain, but is probably more effective.

[@thedaveaftertomorrow]

Another solution would be to used galvanised sleeper brackets (with stakes) to join the timbers and bed everything down. Also, using a roll of black rubble sacks to line the inside and bottom edge works a treat

[@tonycornelia]

Great job 👏

[@michaelplays2449]

Great video !! ThankYou

[@richardclarke9966]

Car tyres make good planters as well, Stu #prayforthetyres. As do washing machine drums 👀👀👀🤣

[@sonyvaioboy]

Not sure I like the galvanised wire idea. When you come to dig it over once twice or however many times, you are going to swear a few times when you hit the wire! I’ve always used old scaffold boards and never use any preservatives. I wouldn’t worry about filling the beds to the top. Over the years you will add more organic matter and slowly it fills up.

[@evelyngorfram9306]

Lovely job, and nice setting that strawberry plant up with a worthy challenge. Are you worried at all that, in a few year's time, you're going to be find sharp, rusty bits of that steel tie as you dig in & cultivate the bed?

[@FlashPan73]

Any reason for a raised bed and not ground level? Good vid as usual, thank you.

[@GretatheEvilGremlin]

Pallet collars are super easy for raised beds, stack them to whatever height you like. Made to measure.

[@waterloowar]

I love the ending...

[@valborchardt3596]

Lol, poor strawberry plant, nice job Stuart. Take care

[@davidmiller6504]

Very tidy job

[@mcookie2509]

The car tyres hold down covering for the raised boxes, the IBC depending on previous contents capture rain water when connected to any roof structure 😅

[@biffoswilly]

Large beds can make great Hugelkultur units, fill the lower level with old logs etc

[@JanievanderHeijden-bu1eb]

Talking to the strawberry plant. This summer you've a lot of strawberries 😂

[@simonmiddleton4977]

Stuart you could off set the price of the raised bed by taking those old car batteries to a scrap yard and your doing your bit for the environment 👍😃

[@kennytait9865]

Hi stuart some people put cardboard down in raised bed first before thay fill the bed you can fill the first 150 with wood chips as thay will rot down through time but thay need to lay for a good few months or over winter before using

[@frankoneill4692]

Hi Stuart Can you not use the IBC for Harvesting Rainwater ?? Just a thought 🤔🤔👍

[@user-hr7hb8qu5g]

Use the tyres as beds for plants u can spray paint them

[@pakibasaplease1]

Stuart do you ever get rodent issues with your compost heap and if so how do you deal with it. Maybe a video would be good

[@csehszlovakze]

the logs breaking down isn't just about being cheap, think of it as long term fertilizer and water storage!

[@shadowminister4090]

Maybe concreting in some posts on the outside of the beds would work better? I'm a bit concerned that at some stage, you'll hit those buried metal straps when digging in the beds.

[@Hermod_Hermit]

Buy an old IBC tank that has had some sort of food stuff in it originally. Split it in two halves, including the frame. Remove the outer parts not needed, just keep the steel frame and the plastic containers. Drill holes in the bottom of respectively half. Place where suitable. Turn the cut off steel frames with the cut parts down towards the ground around the plastic containers. Those will last you a long time. I got four, so far.

[@TheSudsy]

Could drainage be a problem if like it rains for example? or does it just leach into the base earth?

[@cliveadams4538]

We've been thinking about raised beds for a while now so thanks for this Stuart. Are the boards gravel boards?

[@helenarusso]

Hello how are you doing, nice to meet you here.

[@clarkvalcoic1736]

nice job. what is the "DPM " material you use to protect your timber?

[@bagpusscat7839]

Damp Proof Membrane, I think.

[@lllCostalll]

Where did you get your DPM as I believe the recycled plastic ones contain bad chemicals.

[@thelittoralzone8716]

Where did you get the pointy ends for the stakes

[@harryinhuahin1272]

What was the reason for the 18mm ply offset...?

[@kenkennedy5516]

What! No cordless staple gun……..🚀

[@dave4728]

Probably gonna get more chemicals leaching from that plastic than you will from the treated timber so probably good that you're not that worried about it

[@diversemix]

Would love to know what timber yard would sell you all that material for 50 quid. 😊 Could you divulge please!

[@rorymakesstuff]

Logs take decades to decompose, yes there’ll be settlement but it’ll happen gradually over time. Large depth of soil could easily settle more in first year or two.

[@coolmonkey619]

Top lad

[@TonyAFC85]

Did you put a wood preservative on the stakes once you cut them?

[@aj7803]

Im seen people use bitumen paint

[@paddypower123]

Your lawn lute would help to sieve the soil and push the excess into the barrow

[@andyxox4168]

Forget galvanised banding, just use nylon or polypropylene rope!

[@SamLTate]

Those car tyres would be perfect for potatoes!

[@trolleyproblem7195]

Might not be a good idea. An informative but inconclusive video: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWGslIl5gdKopsU&pp=ygUaR3JvdyBwb3RhdG9lcyBpbiBjYXIgdHlyZXM%3D

[@suefenn7035]

Tuck the landscape fabric under the next bed so weeds can’t get in the edges or staple it to the bottom board. I’ve learnt this from my allotment...

[@kevinwillis6707]

Doesn't really matter if he is using gravel, that path will be full of weeds in a year, woodchip is a much better idea for paths, agree about tucking it in though.

[@KidsPartyTime]

Put the stakes on the outside and ditch the plastic

[@richardstevenson2727]

👍

[@chrismurphy8383]

Build a tall one and fill it with, oh, I don't know, a ton of tyres, , greenhouses, metal, axle, water tank, gas bottles

[@jassman1]

You tell that Strawberry plant !! .. give it a good beating to grow up, and behave! And give you lovely fruity berries ! lol .. Quality 👉👉👋👋❤

[@cuebj]

One of the downsides of clearing a site like that - slowworm disturbed. Shame, but I'd have done the clearing too.

[@its_marc]

I make raised beds for a living much the same way but out of 47mm thick timber and premake all the ends with the corner posts on the bench, I use the recycled plastic liner too. That way just need to screw the sides on and line them on site 👍

[@steven0846]

Why not use the car tyres as a planter? You could even build a timber planter around them for aesthetics maybe?

[@its_marc]

Chemicals mate, tyres are full of them. Wouldn’t want them near my food.

[@steven0846]

Not to grow food, just for plants I see people doing this all the time online. Just a thought tho.

[@its_marc]

@@steven0846 yeah good for flowers and other pollinators

[@simoncollier9855]

Tyres really good for potatoes...

[@Marc-et2rr]

@@simoncollier9855 unless you want to live

[@barryroberts6470]

Hi Stuart, any treated wood before 2006 contained arsenic so growing would be bad, but after 2006 all treated wood with arsenic in it was banned from food use, the only arsenic found now in garden beds made from treated wood would be a very very light trace in the soil, so it would be ok to not line your beds but i always do for that extra protection for the wood. Barry (the Wirral)

[@stevewoodw]

DIY compost sifter kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2WkZZSKq9Fmr6c Good design, I think. Burning the outer of the stakes you were hitting into the ground around the base might lengthen their lifespan - or is that too japanese for you?

[@rozeeboy74]

I hope you got a discount on the house for the last owner leaving all that junk? How annoying.