Topic: HEIGHT OF RAISED BEDS?

[betula]

I am about to make some raised beds.

I know what length I want but how wide should the planks of wood be.Thanks.

[markfield rover]

Ours are 8 inches 'cos that was the size of the (free) planks I would say that was the max they need to be  unless bending was a problem.At 8 inches I can also sit on them.

[bluehousehill]

Hi I am no expert but Ive just finished mine and I used two lengths of pallett on top of each other. I screwed them together using the noggings from the pallet I was using. They seem ok.

The hardest bit for me was digging out the bricks and rubbish I went down two shovels and sieved it through and used rubble to make a path... hope that helps its the first time Ive given advice rather than ask for it so it might not be the best.
 
I also put down newspaper to stop the weeds coming through but you prob know all that anyway lol

[Weed-Digga]

We are making our (1st) plot into raised beds, 3 rows of 6. The 1st and last bed in each row are deep ones - 50cm and the ones in between are about 20cm deep.

Weed-Digga

[Mr Smith]

I built our raised beds out of gravel boards which you can get fron a fencing supplier, they come about 9'' or 10'' inches wide, personally I went for the 10'' because you don't need to put 10'' of muck or compost in, I have left a 2'' gap between the top of the compost and stretched  netting over to keep predators off :)

[Barnowl]

I've used some scaffolding boards - I think they're about 9 inches

[NickNikki]

Hi all,
          its depend what you want to grow in them, my main one is about 2.5 foot, which i use for carrots. I have built a new one this year at about a foot tall,this is for lettuce. I am going to build one more at the front for raddish and spring onions, this will also be a foot tall.
cheers Nick  ;)

[cambourne7]

mine are 6" and i have 1ft pegs to lift the lefts.

A lot has to do with what your growing, yout ability to get enough soil to back fill, the wood and your health.

They need to be at the right height for you to be able to get to them.

[mrf94]

Mine are allso made of pallet wood ,Ive gone 2 boards high 8 ins but left the uprights long enough to put another board in as they fill up, That will make them 12 ins.


mrf

[manicscousers]

ours are now about 12 to 16" high now..our ground was a waterlogged mess, the only way we could grow was to go up..we use pallet wood..as I now have problems bending, I can sit on the sides and weed etc  ;D

[betula]

Thank you everyone :)

[Uncle Joshua]

Not sure what you're going to grow in them but if you intend having carrots in them wouldn't they want to be over 21 inches?

[betula]

That's a lot of infill Mick.

Not sure I can get that much. :)

Do you mean to protect against the carrot fly or to take long root?

[Gazfoz]

Would you fill the raised bed with topsoil or multipurpose? and why not just plant in the ground. I understand the height issue for some people but surely 8" to 1' wouldn't make much difference. If I had mobility issues I'd have them about 3 feet high but obviously not filled with soil all the way to the ground.

[jellied]

Mine started at 15cm but if built correctly you can add extra height as you add more soil.

15cm is about the minium I think in order to create a border.

I've seen much bigger ones around our way. Perfect if you have back problems.

[NickNikki]

To add to my post earlier i have also lined my raised beds as they will only last for about 2-3 years if made from pallets (have just had to repair  my first one). If you are growing carrots you will need to sieve the soil but its worth it my carrot were great last year.
Cheers Nick

[Barnowl]

Some people just raise the beds by heaping the soil rather than using wooden edging.

I sometimes wish I'd done this before going for my wooden beds because it would then have been easier to try out different layouts.

[Uncle Joshua]

That's a lot of infill Mick.

Not sure I can get that much. :)

Do you mean to protect against the carrot fly or to take long root?

Yes I was thinking of the carrot fly, as far as I know they can't fly above that height.