Cheapest way to create a raised bed

[delmar831]

I need a few small-ish raised beds. Around 3x3 or so. Are there containers that would be good that don't add toxins to the soil? I see people use plastic bins that they bury in the soil, but I don't know if that's safe or useful.

Any suggestions besides building from scratch?

 

[zigs]

Plastic tends to go brittle and break after a couple of seasons. Cheapest way is to knock the bottom out of some old wooden drawers, keep an eye open in skips or put a "wanted" on Freecycle

 

[ChanellG]

Old drawers are made of treated wood so they may leach toxins. I think the cheapest way is to arrange some cinder blocks into the shape that you need and then add your lasagna layers and soil. You can also use the holes in the blocks to plant aromatic herbs to deter unwanted garden pests.

http://pinterest.com/pin/282530576597166778/

 

[MindyT]

I like the cinderblock idea. However, I like to change things often. If I laid all the cinderblocks down, that would be a lot of work to take back up. Plus, I would like something a little more attractive on the outside.

 

[justusforus]

I have buried the half wooden barrels to do a raised bed and have actually gotten some wooden crates from local companies. They are the larger crates made of wood and if you look on Craigslist or other online classifieds under the "Free" section you may find some. There is often a lot of wood for free and it is not difficult to build a small raised bed as you have described.

 

[Cammie27]

Cinder blocks, painted and planted with flowering companion plants like marigolds or trailing flowers like creeping thyme in the wholes, can actually be quite attractive. And when it comes to cheap and non-leeching they're a great option.

The problem with reusing materials to construct raised bed is that you can either go cheap or toxin-free, but can seldom find both. Brick or block are the most inert things you might find cheap or free via Craigslist or similar sources but they are heavy and difficult to move if you want to change things up. Free or inexpensive wood materials are usually pressure-treated, so the chemical aspect is inescapable and unless you know about how old they are you don't know how hazardous they might be. Pallets are an easy, often free item that can be deconstructed to use in scores of garden projects, but they are pressure treated.

 

[ChanellG]

I like the cinderblock idea. However, I like to change things often. If I laid all the cinderblocks down, that would be a lot of work to take back up. Plus, I would like something a little more attractive on the outside.

If you changed things often it would be a lot of work regardless. You have to rotate crops and amend the soil each season and using cinderblocks would help you control the size and dimension of your bed, plus you would have extra planting space to create a border of aromatic herbs to try and repel unwanted pests from your plants.

 

[MindyT]

ChannellG,
Thanks for the tips above. It would be easier to control the spaces since they are smaller and more contained. What herbs would you suggest placing on the border to help with pest control?

 

[ChanellG]

It really depends on you and what you're growing, etc., but lavender, nasturtium, and basil are both good ones, though I'd use a container in the block opening for the lavender so it will be easy to transplant when it's time to put it in something larger or when you change the bed.

Feel free to look through my gardening pins for stuff on herbs and companion planting:
http://www.pinterest.com/cdgautreaux/gardening-ideas-tips-and-resources/

 

[Jewell]

Cinder blocks also come in thinner sizes if you want to make them lighter, and cheaper. Wish I had started collecting them years ago.

 

[ChanellG]

Cinder blocks also come in thinner sizes if you want to make them lighter, and cheaper. Wish I had started collecting them years ago.

We have a few of those narrower ones around. I have been thinking of using them as dividers in the raised bed so that I can compartmentalize it like a square foot bed. Sectioning off parts of the raised bed area that way would also let you build the bed gradually so you wouldn't need a huge pile of soil upfront. You could just prep an area, section it off a add stuff as you wanted. I think this would be a good way to do a perennial bed, or one that was mixed.

 

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

Old drawers and pallets are not necessarily treated. In fact I would say that most are not. If the drawers are made of wood instead of particle or press board, they're no more toxic than whatever stain or paint was used on them. And most pallets, the makers and buyers don't want to pay the extra for treated lumber. I know of at least one place that has a mountain of non-treated pallets that they make into mulch.

 

[firelily99]

Lots of options for you, take a walk through stores and check out how other people are doing it. My best ideas come from just checking things out and being nosy!

 

[ChanellG]

Old drawers and pallets are not necessarily treated. In fact I would say that most are not. If the drawers are made of wood instead of particle or press board, they're no more toxic than whatever stain or paint was used on them. And most pallets, the makers and buyers don't want to pay the extra for treated lumber. I know of at least one place that has a mountain of non-treated pallets that they make into mulch.

Yeah, but that's the point - stains have been used on them. I'd love to find a mountain of those pallets somewhere near me!

 

[Mariam]

This may be tacky or leach chemicals, but I have used tires to make raised beds. My grandpa had an old workshop behind his house. He collected all kinds of random junk and I found tires in all kinds of sizes and widths. I collected them, and used them to make a fountain design, in the middle of one of his flower beds. It came out pretty and since they were small tires, you could not tell they were tires. I'll try to get a picture of it, when I go back over there.