Do-it-yourself raised beds at the dacha: photo and manufacturing technology. How to make a raised bed with your own hands: step-by-step instructions for a summer house How to make wooden beds with your own

When making your own raised beds, wood is the best option. At a summer cottage there are often boards that are well suited for forming a box.

An earthen embankment with high sides is installed in places with poor soil and where the area is often flooded. This helps to increase the yield of planted crops and make them easier to care for. The boxes are placed both in open areas and in greenhouses.

Advantages of wooden structures

Bulk beds made from boards have many more advantages than disadvantages. Positive points include:

1. 1. High fences are built on land completely unsuitable for cultivation, and lawn grass is sown between the rows.
2. 2. It is convenient to dig and remove weeds. Such work is best carried out in a small space.
3. 3. Wooden structures are easily assembled in the spring and simply disassembled in the fall.
4. 4. There is no dirt between the boxes, because it is possible to lay paths. This is important during the rainy season.
5. 5. The crop ripens faster. This is ensured by the formation of drainage, and during cold periods the plants are covered with tarpaulin or film.
6. 6. During the season, you can plant different crops in one place, which ensures double harvesting.
7. 7. The dacha plot is beautifully transformed.

The disadvantages include the following:

• wood deteriorates over time;
• manufacturing requires investments, both physical and financial;
• It is desirable to have drip irrigation, since the soil dries out quickly;
• The soil in raised structures needs frequent fertilizing.

Considering the decorative nature of the product, beds made of boards can be installed in front of the house.

Wood for fencing

The tree is sold in the form of boards, slabs, picket fences or timber. They can be used for fencing. However, the best option is boards. All existing types of wood are suitable for making beds. Moreover, each has its own characteristics:

1. 1. Oak and ash. The material has great strength. It resists rotting well. The disadvantage is the high price.
2. 2. Pine. Belongs to an inexpensive breed. Boxes made from such wood do not last long. Rot appears quickly. When using it, it is necessary to use special impregnation.
3. 3. Larch. Due to the presence of resin, the material lasts for a long time.
4. 4. Cedar. The amount of resinous components is small, but the service life of the breed is long. Together with larch, cedar is considered the best option for making a frame. In addition, these varieties have a low price.
5. 5. Acacia. It withstands the influence of wet soil well, but has high hardness. During the work, a power tool is required.

When choosing boards, you need to choose only high-quality wood. After 2-3 years, rot appears in a poor wooden structure and holes form. Through them, black soil will spill out.

Preliminary processing

Before starting work, the material is impregnated. This increases its service life by several years. The main thing is that the solution does not contain toxins. Wood is hygroscopic. She passes all the elements through herself. In this way, toxins will enter the soil.

Processing is carried out with the following substances:

1. 1. Sunflower oil and propolis. The ingredients are mixed in a 3:1 ratio. The solution is shaken. The surface is cleaned of dirt and dried. Then the mixture is applied to the wood twice with a sponge. There is protection against rot, fungus, and mold. However, the composition does not last long and after some time the procedure must be repeated.
2. 2. Beeswax. Refers to expensive but effective means. It covers the entire surface.
3. 3. Copper sulfate. The solution is purchased ready-made. Apply onto a sponge and apply to the surface in a circular motion.
4. 4. Lime. Refers to the most accessible method. Lime is diluted in water and the surfaces of the boards are whitened with a brush.
5. 5. Finnish method. The paste is being prepared. 10 liters of water are brought to a boil. During this time, 800 g of flour, 0.5 kg of salt, 1.5 kg of copper sulfate and the same amount of dry lime are gradually added. The boards are coated with a hot compound.

It is especially important to process wood in a greenhouse. Due to high humidity, it quickly begins to rot. Ants often live in it.

Fence sizes

Before you start making the box, you need to decide on its dimensions. It is difficult to give wood a shaped shape, so the frame is made rectangular.

When making a box, the guideline is based on the following parameters:

1. 1. Height. The value is within 15-20 cm. It is not recommended to raise it higher. This is due to increased material consumption. In addition, in winter, the black soil freezes, expands, and the middle part of the box expands. If a warm bed is formed, then it rises to a height of 70 cm.
2. 2. Width. This size depends on the height of the person working in the garden. Usually it is in the range of 90-120 cm. According to other calculations, this value is half the employee’s height. The main thing is to be able to reach the middle of the box with black soil from any side.
3. 3. Length. This size is a free size. However, in order not to weaken the rigidity of the structure, they adhere to the value of 4-6 m. By investing within these limits, you can be sure that the side walls will not bend outward.

The number of boxes depends on the size of the garden and the type of products grown. The distance between the beds is left such that free movement is ensured. With this planting, crops receive sufficient lighting.

Step-by-step production

In order to properly make raised beds at the dacha with your own hands, the following materials and tools are prepared:

• boards;
• beam;
• construction mesh;
• primer;
• self-tapping screws;
• shovel;
• roulette;
• building level;
• Circular Saw.

The timber is sawn into pieces and, together with the boards, is treated with a protective material. Particular attention is paid to the lower elements that are in direct contact with the ground.

Choose a convenient place that is well lit during the day. The soil is being prepared. All stones and debris are removed. If the earth is dug up, it will better allow moisture to pass through it. If the chernozem is highly hard, you need to remove the top layer of turf and then assemble the structure.

2 boxes are knocked down one by one. At the ends of the boards, 2 cuts are made at an angle of 45 degrees. These places are placed next to each other, and fastening is carried out using a beam, which is placed in the corner. Another way is overlap. In this case, the connection is made with self-tapping screws.

In order to give rigidity to the long side, a spacer is placed in the middle. Both boxes are connected together using bars. They are sawn off larger than the height of the walls, so they protrude by 10 cm.

As decoration, boards are installed horizontally on top. They also serve as railings.

You will be surprised by your past doubts about whether to make raised beds in your dacha... Your back will thank you - you will simply bend down slightly to care for the bed. Your knees will thank you - you can simply sit on the edge of the bed and tend to your garden. Your plants will thank you - there is no more competition from weeds or nearby fruit trees. Your land will be grateful to you - you do not trample it and ennoble it with humus. Your garden with raised beds can look beautiful, be comfortable and reward you with a bountiful harvest.

How to make raised beds with your own hands.

1. First we must mark out the space for the beds. The usual width of the bed is 1.2 m, the length can be any. We mark rectangles of the required size on the ground with sand.

2. We assemble high beds. The raised bed has no bottom and consists of posts with grooves on all four sides and boards with corresponding grooves. You can buy ready-made fences for garden beds or make them yourself. For fencing, it is better to take hardwood, because... Conifers secrete resin, which can have an unnecessary effect on soil composition. We check the horizontal installation of the garden box with a level.

3. Extend the high beds. Because The design of our beds is modular; we can extend our bed on either side with another module.

4. How to protect a high bed from rodents. Even if you have not encountered moles and other underground garden pests in your summer cottage, it is better to take steps to protect your garden right now than to unsuccessfully fight these rodents later. We place a metal mesh at the bottom of each box so that it extends slightly over the edges of the fences.

5. How to protect the soil in a high bed from washing out into the main soil. To do this, we use regular packing cardboard in two layers so that it covers the entire bottom of our garden box. If there are not enough solid pieces, we use scraps of cardboard and staple them to the main piece so that the cardboard at the bottom of the box does not move when pouring soil.

6. The soil for high beds should be light, crumbly and “fluffy”. You can easily check its quality by poking your finger into the ground - if it sinks to the third joint, this is normal. To improve the soil composition, you can add peat or compost. We pour the soil into the garden box, check its horizontal level, and water it to compact it a little. During the season we will need to add a little soil.

7. Irrigation system for high beds. It is planned to attach a garden hose with watering nozzles along the contour of the raised beds: we need 90 and 180 degree dividers.

8. Trellis for high beds. Because The soil in the high bed is loose, so it will not be possible to install a trellis in it, so we fix the trellis from PVC pipes into the ground next to the garden box. We stretch nets onto the trellises for climbing plants - cucumbers and beans. For tomatoes we install light supports made of steel rod.

What you need to know when building a raised bed.

1. Try to protect high beds from strong winds and heat by creating partial shade with trellises of flowers or tall shrubs.

2. The long side of the bed should face south - this way the plants will be evenly illuminated, otherwise taller plants will shade others.

3. The planting density on a high bed is twice as high as on a regular one. This is how plants fight weeds and create a humid microclimate for the foliage.

4. High beds with sides will allow elderly people or people with back problems to easily care for their gardens.

5. A high bed is a warm bed. Such a bed warms up faster in the spring and if you make a mini greenhouse based on it, it will surprise you with an early and generous harvest.

6. Divide a long, high bed into square segments with cross braces to reduce soil pressure on the side walls of the bed.

Fences for raised beds.

1. Most often, wooden fences are used for clear beds. There are a few points here - do not use used wood, especially sleepers, which may contain harmful chemicals. Do not treat fresh wood with protection products unless you are sure that they are completely environmentally safe.

2. Wattle fence as a fence for a high bed. Despite all its environmental friendliness, such a fence has three significant drawbacks: the soil in the bed dries quickly from the wind, proper thermal insulation of the bed is not provided, and soil can spill out through the cracks. Everything can be fixed - use a layer of double cardboard along the inner perimeter of the fence. It is environmentally friendly, the air gap between the sheets serves as thermal insulation, and the soil no longer spills out.

3. As a fence for a high bed, you can use a metal profile, including from an old roof or fence.

5. You can make fences for a high bed with your own hands from brick or concrete. This is a very good option, but you need to take into account that concrete will affect the acidity of the soil in the garden bed for 2-3 years.

6. The best fencing for raised beds is plastic. They do not release anything of their own into the soil, excellent thermal insulation, long service life and the ability to set any shape of the bed, unlike standard rectangular beds with wooden fences.

7. Fences for high beds made from scrap materials. You can make the sides of the beds from bottles laid like bricks on concrete mortar.

Why are raised beds needed?

High beds allow you to increase the area for a vegetable garden because... awkward slopes or poor or clogged soil can be used. Raised beds provide an eco-friendly way to control weeds and soil erosion.

Such beds warm up faster and produce an earlier harvest. They allow you to more economically use moisture for irrigation.

Various types of raised beds.

In addition to the traditional raised bed with high sides, there are several other types of raised beds.

1. Circular high bed. It consists of a round frame in which there is a path to the center of the bed. This form of high bed is also called a “keyhole”.

Branches, roots, paper, and compost are placed at the bottom of the bed. There is a tunnel in the middle of the bed for fresh organic waste and water.

This bed design provides the necessary moisture and constant enrichment of the soil.

2. High bed without fences. When constructing such a bed, the first layer of tree trunks (not conifers), branches, roots, and snags are placed in the ground at a shallow depth; the second layer is this removed turf from the place where you are making the bed, laid with grass down; the third layer is 20-30 cm of basic soil mixed with humus.

To irrigate raised raised beds, an irrigation irrigation system is used, when water comes from a ditch between the beds - a good option for vegetable gardens that are flooded in the spring, or you can use a drip irrigation option, when water enters the bed from mini terraces.

The paths between the beds are covered with straw or large sawdust. Never step on the soil in a high bed - this will compact it and make it more difficult for the plants to receive moisture and nutrients.

Raised beds of this type can be used not only for a vegetable garden, but also for growing shrubs and fruit trees if you have problem soil for them in your summer cottage. The service life of such a bed (until the first layer of wood with trunks completely rots) is 20-25 years - this period is enough for any fruit tree.

Do not spare space for paths between high beds - this way you can always go there with a garden wheelbarrow both for harvesting and with a new portion of humus. Spare your back - use a wheelbarrow.

If your raised beds are located next to fruit trees, you may need to install a root barrier before setting up the beds - dig a trench, cut off the root as it approaches the beds, install a metal sheet in the trench that will prevent the root from growing in that direction, and cover the trench with soil.

Learn more about raised beds through your own experience. This topic contains many interesting finds, experiments and new discoveries for every gardener.

And we have prepared for you a video with 100 inspiring examples of using raised beds in the country.

Have you ever thought about why, with all the advantages of raised beds, you rarely see them? This is due to the fact that many owners of suburban areas believe that the device is quite complex. In addition, not all home craftsmen have such skills. But if you are still thinking about the question of how to make beds from boards with your own hands, then you need to put everything on the shelves in order to end up with neatly and beautifully folded sides that are ready to last for many years.

As practice shows, the harvest collected from such unusual beds exceeds the usual one. Growing cultivated plants in wooden structures can be done as soon as the snow melts. Early ripening crops ripen here, including: radishes, lettuce and onions. All this is due to the fact that such a bed contributes to better warming of the earth, because on a normal surface at the end of April there is still a layer of frozen soil. But for a greenhouse this approach will be ideal.

Manufacturing of structure No. 1

If you are faced with the question of how to make beds from boards with your own hands, then you can first consider making a structure that is simple. It is suitable for those summer residents who do not like working with wood. First you need to decide on the dimensions of the future box.

Popular methods today recommend growing crops in wide boxes; this parameter should be approximately 160 cm. For a greenhouse, this option will be optimal. The next step is to prepare the soil. It should be well loosened and leveled in the place where you plan to build.

For anyone who is looking for an answer to the question of how to make beds from boards with their own hands, photos of such structures will be the best helpers. They will allow you to understand how such a product should look. To carry out the work, you should prepare four boards, the height of which will be 30.5 cm. 8 boards should have a length of 120 cm. You will need four pegs, which will form the basis of the central posts. Their length will be 61 cm.

The building material must initially be prepared correctly. The sides are usually made from edged inches, the width of which is 15 cm. It is convenient to use wood for this purpose. This is a natural, environmentally friendly material that will allow you to secure the garden bed elements together using staples or self-tapping screws.

Before installing the long side boards, you should not forget that you will need to screw the central profile right there on the floor. Those summer residents who are thinking about how to make beds from boards with their own hands should first read the instructions. From it you can understand that you need to hammer a peg in all corners of the future structure. The wall is installed at the next stage, and here you can install a longitudinal beam that will connect the corners. The second beams are installed on top of the first, their ends should meet the boards at the corners. Using a square, you need to check whether the corners are perpendicular.

Assembly Features

When installing walls, you must ensure their vertical position. However, the support pins must remain outside. The two side beams are screwed in the next step; they need to be secured to the four posts so that the ends of the planks meet the pegs.

Now you need to make sure that the workpiece is square. It should be measured along the diagonals and compared. The box is leveled until the diagonals are the same. If you are faced with the task of making boards with your own hands, then at the next stage you must strengthen the frame.

Two posts should be placed at the center point of the outer wall. They are dug into the ground so that the top edge of the post is flush with the top of the crossbar. The stand is fixed with screws; the remaining walls must be done in the same way.

The second option for making strong boxes

If you have a garden board and experience in carpentry, then the beds can be made using a different technology. To begin with, the structure should be marked, and then unnecessary parts should be sawed off from the boards. Using a square, you can determine the angles so that there are no problems during assembly. The boxes themselves are held together with bricks. To begin with, you should prepare elements for several boxes; it is important to ensure that the structures turn out to be rectangular, otherwise it will be problematic to connect their ends. There will be gaps that are not needed.

The finished boxes are installed at the next stage. If something is already planted in the greenhouse, then this will not be a problem. You can install such sides at any time. But if cucumbers and melons grow in a greenhouse, the stems of which are already in the aisles, then you will have to wait until autumn. Whenever possible, it is worth choosing a type of wood that is not so susceptible to destruction. Otherwise, the boards should be treated with a substance that will not harm the plants.

Making a bed in the form of a pyramid

Quite often, summer residents wonder how to make beds from boards with their own hands in a greenhouse. The most interesting idea for this are pyramids. You can grow not only vegetables and herbs in them, but even flowers. Garden strawberries and strawberries feel especially good in such a house.

The most impressive advantages of such a bed are the space saving in the greenhouse and the exposure of each plant to ultraviolet radiation. To carry out the work, you should prepare 11 dried boards, the dimensions of each element should be 200 x 50 x 2.4 mm. Among other things, you will need the following tools:

• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• drill;
• square;
• roulette;
• protractor;
• screwdriver

Work methodology

If you are faced with the question of how to make a garden bed fencing from boards with your own hands, then use the following instructions: at the first stage you need to take 4 two-meter boards that will serve as support. At one end of each it is necessary to make cuts at 30°. At other ends the cut should be made at 60°. The boards should ultimately remain two meters high. This will allow you to get the same bases.

To connect the boards, you should prepare a block whose dimensions will be 50 x 50 x 400 mm. It will act as the basis for the side faces. Two boards, the ends of which were cut at an angle of 60°, are laid next to each other, and a block is installed between them. The elements are aligned and tightened with screws. Now the product that was obtained by twisting at the previous stage must be placed and leaned against the edges with angles of 60°. Everything is fixed with self-tapping screws.

In order to fix the longitudinal shelves, edges are marked for them, and then the sides are measured. On the edges of the future structure that extend from the base, it is necessary to make 6 marks every 285 mm. These manipulations must be repeated with each support. For proper alignment, you should measure the distance between the edges, everything should be at the same level. The numbers are added and divided by 4. This will give an average value, which will be the length of the horizontal supports. The edges will need to be set according to it.

Making shelves and installing a pyramid

Before you make beds from boards with your own hands, you must make shelves. The resulting numbers must be measured, and then cut four boards according to them. On the sides they are cut at 30°, but only on one side. The other side must remain as it is. These steps must be repeated for each level of sticks.

Now you can move the long supports and horizontal boards into the greenhouse where the bed will be installed. Moving it afterwards will be quite problematic due to its impressive size. Each horizontal support is fixed with three screws according to the marks you made earlier.

The vertical edges must be perfectly level; for this it is recommended to use a level. If you are faced with the question of how to make beds from boards with your own hands, then the horizontal shelves must be leveled, they must be at the same distance from the surface, then the soil will not sag.

Filling the pyramid

You need to start filling from the bottom shelves. To do this, everything is covered with soil and compacted well. Thus, you need to move to the very top row. Once the bed is ready, greenhouse plants can be transplanted into it. It is also important to know how to fill such a structure.

A metal mesh should be laid at the bottom, which will provide reliable protection against rodents and moles. The next layer is wood, paper and cardboard. All this will serve as good drainage. Now you can add coarse sand and a mulching layer of sawdust, fallen leaves or grass. All this is well watered.

Final works

The next layer will be 30 cm of fertile soil, which needs to be well compacted. If you have wondered how to make beds from boards with your own hands, it is recommended that you first consider photos of such structures. However, at this stage we can assume that the pyramid is ready and can be used. It has a low cost, but will be ready to serve you for about 10 years.

More about sizes

If you are thinking about how to make beds from boards with your own hands, the dimensions of such structures must first be carefully considered. For example, low structures with an impressive volume of soil are suitable for perennial grasses and strawberries. Such beds can look like shelves or pyramids.

Whereas for greenhouse crops, pyramids with a well-thought-out irrigation system are needed. A vertical pyramid for vegetables is made up to 1.8 m high. The width can be 1 m. In such a bed, fertilizing can be done using the technology of automatically supplying a nutrient solution.

Advantages of board beds

Before starting work on the manufacture of the described beds, it is necessary to consider their advantages and disadvantages. Among the first are:

• high productivity;
• long service life of beds;
• ease of maintenance.

Before you make beds from boards with your own hands, you should consider the advantages of such structures. Among others, it should also be noted that using this approach you can get a fairly rich harvest even in cold regions.

Main disadvantages

However, such designs also have their disadvantages. Among them, summer residents especially highlight the need to allocate time for the manufacture of structures. In addition, they will have to be treated with special substances that will prevent rotting and deterioration of the material. Before you make beds from boards with your own hands, you should consider the disadvantages of such structures. Among others, it should also be noted that every spring the wooden elements will have to be varnished or painted. But if the manufacturing is not approached conscientiously enough, then such structures can completely ruin the landscape, which also cannot be called a plus. But if you have experience, then the beds can turn out to be very attractive, which is also true if you plant them with flowers.

How to make beds from boards to increase productivity and improve your summer cottage? This is not as difficult a task as many imagine, but you still have to try. Before starting work, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the advantages and other features of this design.

Assembling the box is quite simple

Despite the multiple advantages of this solution, it is not without its drawbacks. These include the need for annual maintenance of the manufactured wooden structure. In order for the box to last longer, it needs to be treated periodically.

What materials are best to use

The box can be constructed from any lumber left over after construction. For example, from decking boards, lining and other things. However, if we are talking about purchasing lumber for the boxes being constructed, in this case it is worth paying attention to one nuance, namely, what kind of wood the board is made of.

Before installation

Oak or ash

A box made of ash or oak will last as long as possible. Of course, such lumber “bites” in terms of cost, but the good quality of the board more than compensates for this.

Pine

Pine is beneficial in terms of cost and subsequent processing. But it is worth considering that untreated pine quickly breaks down and rots in damp soil.

Diagram with dimensions

Larch or cedar

Lumber from cedar or larch is best suited for making boxes. These types of wood are initially richly impregnated with resin. Due to this, they do not always need to be processed. They are already able to lie in the ground for a long time without consequences. An additional advantage of this solution is the price: it does not hit the wallet.

All that's left is to plant the seedlings

It is up to you to decide which type of lumber to choose. But, of course, it would be a mistake to save on this. Low-quality wood will rot within a couple of years.

Wood protection

Whatever type of wood the board is made of, it still needs to be processed before subsequent use.

The only exceptions are larch and cedar boards. The service life of the box will depend on this action. However, be extremely careful not to subsequently contaminate the soil.

The best option for processing lumber is coating with lime. The best results are shown by impregnation with the preparation “Senezh” and similar ones. But their use will entail additional financial costs.

Manufacturing diagram and sequence

Another good option would be to coat the wood with a double coat of paint, preferably oil-based. This will also give the appearance of additional framing. This coating will not harm plants or pollute the soil. However, it is worth choosing environmentally friendly paint, especially if the frame is being built in a greenhouse.

There is also one more nuance - during the painting process it is not advisable to paint the ends of the boards. It is through these areas that the tree will breathe and get rid of accumulated moisture, especially in a greenhouse. If you do this, the tree will rot much faster.

The photo below shows the installation of boxes.

Maintenance aisles must be taken into account

What fencing size to choose

Basically, rectangular formworks for soil are made, although they can be triangular, diamond-shaped or square. It is very important to determine the correct dimensions. Correctly sized formwork is easier and more convenient to maintain.

So, boxes of the following sizes are made for the beds:

1. It is very important to calculate the height correctly. A deliberately erroneous opinion that many gardeners adhere to: higher means better. Of course, such formworks have certain advantages, but there is a limit to everything. Making raised sides (75 cm) makes sense for “”, in which filler is laid in layers. Also at this height you can assemble a bed for cucumbers (for cucumber seedlings), tomatoes and other things. A height of 20 cm is sufficient for ordinary raised fences. The disadvantage is that quite a lot of wood is consumed in its manufacture. Moreover, during the cold season, the middle layer of earth inside the structure will freeze and expand, causing the destruction of the entire frame.
2. The width of the structure determines the convenience of subsequent work. There is an opinion among gardeners that the width of the bed should be equal to half the height of human height. This parameter is 95-120 cm. And indeed, with such parameters, the gardener, bending over, will be able to reach from the side to the middle of the bed.
3. Length is a parameter that has no restrictions. However, it is worth considering that if you make the side too long, its middle loses its rigidity. In this case, the middle of the structure should be reinforced with rigid guides. The optimal length is from 4.5 to 7 m.

It is also very important to take into account the presence of paths in this area.

The photo shows triangular shaped boxes.

The variety of possible shapes will satisfy the imagination of any gardener

The frame must be constructed taking into account the 45-centimeter path along which you will move around the summer cottage.

The dimensions of the structure being constructed may depend on both the soil itself and the crops grown:

• if the land at your summer cottage is fertile, it is not necessary to make high sides;
• if the soil is quite rocky or infertile, it is recommended to build a structure with a side height of 30 cm, taking into account the laying of an additional layer of fertilizers;
• As for warm compost structures (greenhouse), their height starts from 50 cm, such parameters will protect the cultivated crops from sudden spring frosts;
• for the fastest ripening of early crops, you need to use a box higher than 20 cm;
• if your plans are to grow potatoes, then in this case the sides of the box should be at least 40 cm.

The photo shows trapezoidal boxes.

The most basic mistake gardeners make is that they pay attention only to the area, shape and boundaries of the paths when building beds from boards. However, not only these parameters should be taken into account. The location of the structure in relation to the lighting is of great importance.

Strawberries and other fruits and vegetables require a certain arrangement of structures, since the yield depends on this. For example, it is worth building in the direct sun. This will promote crop growth.

Layout diagram in the greenhouse

It is correct to make beds for strawberries in an orientation from north to south. In this case, before lunch, the plants will be perfectly illuminated on one side, and after lunch on the other.

It is also possible to place structures on a summer cottage from east to west. On the north side, you can plant a type of plant that loves shade. An example of the arrangement of boxes is shown in the photo below.

It is necessary to correctly position the structures relative to the sun

Posted from: 5-29-2016

To increase the yield of many crops and make them easier to care for, many gardeners create raised raised beds using a variety of materials. Some people make garden bed fencing from asbestos-cement sheets, others from roofing felt on wood, and some even manage to use polycarbonate. I would like to suggest making beds from wooden boards, as we did at our dacha.

Why raise beds?

I am a supporter of raised beds made of wood and rectangular in shape - thanks to this I can unify my gardening process. My wooden beds are combined in groups of three or four. We made them one board 150 mm high.

The most convenient width for a bed is considered to be half the height of the person who will be cultivating it. My husband and I differ in height by 30 cm, so we took the arithmetic average and made beds 90 cm wide. We made the paths between the beds 40 centimeters, this is enough width to make it convenient to care for the beds - both a bucket and a basket will fit, a shovel will pass.

So our vegetable garden is located on level ground; the beds are made on the same level, but I saw my neighbors’ beds that were made with ledges. A wooden path runs along the beds, so access to them is very convenient.

How we made wooden beds

First, we marked out the area for the beds, which were a maximum of 1.5 meters long and, as I already wrote, 90 cm wide. Pegs made of 40x40 mm timber were driven into the corners to the height of a wooden board (approx. 15 cm).

The outer stakes were made higher by sawing a two-meter beam into three parts (the result was stakes approximately 70 cm long). They were buried in the ground to a depth of about 20 cm, and about 50 cm remained above the ground level. Plastic bottles were placed on the outer stakes so as not to accidentally injure yourself and to avoid damaging the hose during watering.

The boards for the walls were edged, 40 mm thick and 150 mm wide. For convenience, they were attached to the outside of the stakes with self-tapping screws (nails can cause cracking of the peg).

How to treat wooden beds?

Before assembling the beds, I soaked all the boards and stakes with special. impregnation - so that they do not rot in a few years. You can treat the wood with lime - the simplest and cheapest option. You can use Senezh impregnation to prevent moisture and rot, or cover the boards with wood varnish, as we did.

Just be sure to leave the ends without varnish so that the wood can “breathe,” otherwise a board completely covered with varnish will rot even faster than one that was completely uncoated. The most non-toxic paint for wood beds is oil paint for damaged or cut branches. You can use it to paint boards without worrying about the ecology of your plantings.

Size calculations

It is very important to correctly calculate the height of the raised bed. Sometimes gardeners, thinking that the higher the better, make the beds too high and after a few years their walls tilt. This is due to the fact that in winter the ground freezes and natural “expansion” occurs due to the moisture contained in it, which increases in volume. That is why I recommend making them no higher than 15-20 cm from the level of the track.

One bed for compost

Every summer we empty one bed of soil and use it for compost - putting organic waste there during the summer (and we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables).

When the bed is full, we fill it with soil and sow green manure plants (mustard, peas, phacelia). Next spring, this bed needs to be loosened and you can plant tomatoes or cucumbers on it, and take the neighboring one for compost.

The soil level in the bed before planting crops should be several centimeters below the height of the fence. It turns out that compared to the path, the beds are about 12-15 cm high.

By the way, the paths between raised beds can be used for preparing compost. If you sprinkle bird droppings on them and sprinkle a thick layer of sawdust on top, then by next spring you will have excellent fertilizer for your beds.

Video tip for creating a raised bed