11 Mistakes to Avoid When Building Raised Garden Beds

There are so many methods of building raised garden beds that it’s hard to decide which method is best. In this article we will discuss the top 11 mistakes people make when converting their garden to raised beds, and how you can avoid them.

The First thing you need to consider when deciding whether to convert your garden into a raised garden bed is what you want to make your raised bed out of. There are so many options out there. The deciding factor really will be your preference and the price. You can build a raised bed from scrap wood and save money, but consider first how long you want your garden to last. Wood is a material that can degrade quite quickly especially in an atmosphere of watering and bugs. There are longer lasting wood options that I would definitely recommend for raised garden beds and there are some you just want to avoid.

The first wood to avoid is pallet boards. I know that pallets are super popular in DIY garden projects but if you want to build your garden to last then I would definitely hedge away from this type of wood. The next wood I would avoid is treated wood. Treated wood will last longer in outdoor conditions but you need to consider what chemicals the wood will release into your soil. It’s not the last thing I would use but if I can avoid it I will. Redwood is the way to go if you want that beautiful natural wood look. 

As much as I love the wood look, I still would go with a stone raised bed. Cement blocks are definitely my preferred way to build raised beds. 

There are other materials to consider if you are on a budget or are working with a small space. There are many different companies that offer fabric bag raised beds or plastic such as tarp bags that you can move and plant with ease. Another option is metal. Metal Raised beds can get expensive quickly so be aware of the size that you need for your yard before jumping in with both feet

2. Watering System

The next thing to consider when building a raised bed is how you are planning to water. Most vegetables and flowers do best when watered at the base of the plant directly to the root system. Some plants such as tomatoes actually suffer from over head watering. So If you are planning a raised bed garden try to build it in a way that a drip irrigation system can be utilized. If you are not sure about Drip Irrigation check out our YouTube Video HERE on the benefits of drip irrigation. 

3. Soil

Soil is expensive! Especially if you have to fill a large garden bed with a bunch of it. There are many things that you can use as fillers at the bottom of a raised garden box but you need to be mindful of what is going into your bed. The perfect soil mixture is a ⅓, ⅓, ⅓ mixture of clay, sand, and organic material such as compost. This creates the perfect LOAMY mixture for most plants to succeed. It really depends on what you want to grow and the needs of the plants you are growing. If you are growing veggies then Loam soil is the way to go. Make sure that the organic materials you use do not contain chemicals, or seed. Especially weeds seed from grasses and hays. Be careful what you add.

4. Weed Barrier

There are different schools of thought on whether a weed barrier is good or bad. My thoughts tend to lean towards the benefits of weed barrier mostly because I am dealing with very poor soil in our gardens which leads to more weeds that are impossible to pull from the root. There are organic weed barriers such as paper and some cardboards. I use these in applications where I know I want to suppress the weeds at the beginning of building the garden but may want to have access to the soil after the weeds are suppressed. In raised garden beds I only use organic materials that I know will decompose after a certain period of time. If you are planning a very tall raised bed or a raised box that is not on the ground, then you may not even need to think about weed barriers.

5. What Plants To Grow

Determining what plants to grow will largely be determined by space and the desired outcome of your garden. Are you growing to make your yard Aesthetically pleasing? Are you growing plants to use in products or recipes? Each Plant has a very set size that will need to be considered. Plants also need different amounts of sun depending on what you grow. So if your garden is mostly shaded you may want to consider Shade Plants If your garden is full sun then you can plant almost any vegetable and have it thrive. What do you want your space to look like? My raised beds are almost always planted with vegetables but I do have a few beds that are dedicated to just herbs and just cut flowers. 

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6. Size Matters

You need to think about the size of your space that you are allocating to your garden when building a raised garden. You don’t want your beds to be too wide or that makes it difficult to reach the vegetables in the center. Too narrow and your plants may not thrive or will end up spilling out of your raised boxes. 

Do not build your boxes wider than 4 feet. And do not build your boxes shallower than 8 inches. Other than that, have fun making designs like these beautiful raised garden bed ideas and raised boxes inspirations. 

7. Sunlight

When planning your raised bed make sure that you are considering your light situation for the plant you will be planting. Our veggie beds are full 10+ hours of sunlight and thrive in this type of lighting. Our Shade garden plants need indirect light and are therefore placed in different locations in raised barrels. Pay attention to your plants’ needs. 

8. The Right Price for Raised Bed Gardening

Because raised garden boxes are so popular right now the price has increased significantly. Be cognisant of the materials you plan to use and price out what you will need for the entire project before you just start buying materials. Right now it costs less to build a garden bed from cement blocks than from lumber. But the prices fluctuate constantly so check around before you buy.

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9. Planning Ahead

The space you have available matters when planning a raised bed. Is it Level? Does it have access to water? Will it be hard to deliver brick or lumber or metal to the area? How many Hours of sun does it get? What Shape do you want the bed to be? Do you want more than one bed? What are you using the bed for? These are the questions you need to ask before you buy the materials to make your raised garden beds and raised boxes. 

If you are building a raised bed to be able to extend your grwing season by coveringit then you want to consider blocks or brick instead of wood. This article teaches you more about ways to overwinter your garden.

10. Fertilizer

Another thing to consider is the nutrition of the plants. Some plants are heavy feeders and need a lot of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) to be able to grow the way they need to  grow. A raised garden bed can be a great way to control the environment of your plants and know exactly what is going into the plants you grow.  

11. Don’t Wait

Don’t Put this project off. You will be so pleased with your raised garden beds that you will wish that you had done it way before now. I love raised bed gardening and after converting so much of our garden to raised beds I would not go back to more traditional methods. The ease and beauty of a raised bed is so worth all the planning and building. Actually the planning and building are not that difficult and are a fun garden project. Add details such as arbors and trellises to make this garden project totally yours and one that people will wish to imitate over and over again.