garden bed questions

So i took a 5 year hiatus on my ganja culture due to some really bad habits. Now that i m on the wagon, gardening has become a much more interesting & doable hobby and i would love to get a huge project going.....

Simple questions,
1- Do i have to work the dirt under a bed or just build my 2x4s over the fresh cut grass ?
2- Why are garden beds even a thing?
3- Any heads up or tips&tricks for me would be AWESOME


Thanks guys, will update with my project if peeps are interested.

you don't have to work the soil where you put your beds, if you can work the soil, why use a raised bed?
i use them because the ground here is crappy clay soil full of tree roots and rocks. it gives them a bed of good soil to get started in before they hit the crappy soil. i use my old used promix/perlite, mixed with top soil, and composted manure. if you've got room start your own compost heap, and always have a source of good compost for your garden. make sure you pick a spot for your beds that gets good sun, and isn't in a run off path when it rains.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

you don't have to work the soil where you put your beds, if you can work the soil, why use a raised bed?
i use them because the ground here is crappy clay soil full of tree roots and rocks. it gives them a bed of good soil to get started in before they hit the crappy soil. i use my old used promix/perlite, mixed with top soil, and composted manure. if you've got room start your own compost heap, and always have a source of good compost for your garden. make sure you pick a spot for your beds that gets good sun, and isn't in a run off path when it rains.

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Thanks you VERY MUCH very appreciated!!! Will upload before/after pics once i get startes this week!!!

Roger A. Shrubber said:

you don't have to work the soil where you put your beds, if you can work the soil, why use a raised bed?
i use them because the ground here is crappy clay soil full of tree roots and rocks. it gives them a bed of good soil to get started in before they hit the crappy soil. i use my old used promix/perlite, mixed with top soil, and composted manure. if you've got room start your own compost heap, and always have a source of good compost for your garden. make sure you pick a spot for your beds that gets good sun, and isn't in a run off path when it rains.

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Btw, do u have any dimensions or photos u coûd share with me ? Im at HD right now going to buy wood but wondering if im getting enough gear... don t wanna have to come back here 3-4 times lol, thanks

4x8 is a good size, and i like to go two boards high, so you have an 8 inch deep bed, at least. 8 foot pressure treated 2x4s, or 2x8s if they have them, so you need three 2x8 or 6 2x4s per bed, along with some 2x2 strips for corner braces and braces at the center of the long board.
i like to put landscape cloth (mulch cloth) around the sides on the inside, but leave the bottom open. i guess thats not really necessary, just my ocd. deeper is better, if you can go with two 2x8 for a 16 inch deep bed, do it, but you can get good results with an 8 inch deep bed.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

so you need three 2x8 or 6 2x4s per bed

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why 3 ? or 6 ? Aren t we building square/rectangles?

Roger A. Shrubber said:

well, i said 4 x 8 beds, you can make them any size you want, but if you make them 4 x 8 you only have to cut the end pieces in half then screw it all together, so 3 wide pieces or 6 narrow ones, doubled up..

2 2x4 wide
View attachment 4139365
one 2 x 8 wide
View attachment 4139366​

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aaaaaaaaaaaaaah i get it now !!!!
Gonna make my own lil garden of eden now thanks man one love!

I'd still remove the grass. Some grasses will survive long enough to grow up through a foot of dirt. I use raised beds because the soil I have is decent but completely full of rocks. Not just little ones but big rocks some the size of basketballs.

One thing I do is grow up. I build frames that I attach to the outside of the raised beds with screws and grow some things like cucumbers vertical. It saves space and keeps them off the ground. It's also easy to reach in and pick them. They're real easy to take off and move to a different bed for crop rotation. If you are leaving grass in between don't do like I did and make them too close to get the mower through. I'm currently in the process of digging up the grass because I'm tired of cutting it with a weed eater.

Here are the frames for my cucumbers. I just wrap cheap twine around and staple it in place. Train the cucumbers at first and then they climb on their own. Nothing fancy but they do the job.

Another reason for raised beds is some folks have trouble getting down low to pick the stuff. My wife has building raised beds on my to do list for that reason.

Have you guys seen these blocks? You just stack them as tall as you want, drive in some rebar to hold them in place, then put in boards. {this is a pack of 24}

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-Pack-of-24-16202486/206942399

too larry said:

Have you guys seen these blocks? You just stack them as tall as you want, drive in some rebar to hold them in place, then put in boards. {this is a pack of 24}

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-Pack-of-24-16202486/206942399

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I've never used them or even seen them. They look like they would work just fine. It's odd that the link you posted goes to a package of 24 for $153 but you can buy them individually for $2.98. So you can get 51 for $153 by not buying the package. It doesn't make much sense but it is Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-16202336/206501693

xtsho said:

I've never used them or even seen them. They look like they would work just fine. It's odd that the link you posted goes to a package of 24 for $153 but you can buy them individually for $2.98. So you can get 51 for $153 by not buying the package. It doesn't make much sense but it is Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-16202336/206501693

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That was the first link I came too. I thought that was higher than my buddy said he paid for his.

i use 2x12s for my frames.
i do dig into the packed ground and turn the soil over at least a shovel depth down, then start filling with your soil mix.

i start with my citys FREE compost and screen it, makes good base soil....... for like i said FREE

I LOVE THIS FORUM!!!!! Thanks for all the answers guys you re awesome!!! I just finished my beds last night getting 17 bags of dirt in il update pics when it sall done !!!

One last question guys.... my beds are built !!!!! But theres a little problem. They arrnt flush with the ground??? How do u sugfest I fix this problem? Just seal it with dirt or some other shit ???? Thnks in advance !

too larry said:

Have you guys seen these blocks? You just stack them as tall as you want, drive in some rebar to hold them in place, then put in boards. {this is a pack of 24}

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-Pack-of-24-16202486/206942399

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look good, but a little pricey

itinkitook2much said:

One last question guys.... my beds are built !!!!! But theres a little problem. They arrnt flush with the ground??? How do u sugfest I fix this problem? Just seal it with dirt or some other shit ???? Thnks in advance !

Click to expand...

a piece of landscape cloth (weed block) will keep it in there till it gets set.staple it to the inside above the gap and let it hang down to block it