How to build a raised vegetable bed; video and instructions

Building a raised vegetable bed for your garden is the best way for a beginning gardener to start out.  Whether you plan on growing sweet cherry tomatoes, or fragrant bunches of basil, a raised vegetable garden bed makes growing any vegetable easier.  Follow these instructions, print them out, and watch the video now to begin your vegetable garden this year.

Building a raised vegetable bed   watch the video!  

Building a raised vegetable bed for your yard is a simple project that anyone with the right tools and enthusiasm can do.  Follow these simple instructions for building a 4' X 4' bed for all of your growing needs.

MATERIALS:

• 2 2"X10"X8' CEDAR PLANK BOARDS- UNTREATED
• 12  3" EXTERIOR SCREWS
• DRILL
• TAPE MEASURE
• PENCIL
• LEVEL
• CARPENTERS SQUARE OR A STRAIGHT EDGE
• SHOVEL

1. CUTTING YOUR WOOD

• Lay your first piece of wood down on a level surface
• make sure that the outer edge of your first piece is square with your carpenter's square
• measure 4' from the edge of the wood to the middle of the board and mark it with your pencil
• draw a straight line with your carpenter's square
• using a skill saw, brace the wood and make a clean cut all the way through
• measure the second half of the plank and be certan that it is 4'.  If it is not, measure it, mark it and cut off the excess off the end.
• REPEAT ON SECOND PLANK

*TIP: if you do not have the tools necessary to do this step, ask the lumber yard that you buy your wood from if they would cut the boards in half for you.  Just make sure that the boards are excatly 8'.

2. PUTTING YOUR BOX TOGETHER

• lay out all four pieces of wood flat in a square on a level surface.
• measure 3/4" from the edge of your first piece of wood and mark with a pencil at the top, middle and bottom part of the wood- this is where your screws will go.  Repeat this on all four planks.
• Pre-drill your holes
• Put the edges of the wood together and use three screws to each corner.  It is easier if you have someone to help hold the wood together while you place the screws in.  Do this for all four corners.

* Insider Tip: If there is a gap between your boards unscrew the middle screw and the screw where the gap is, then rescrew the middle one, and rescrew the screw on the edge.  This will bring the gap together.

3. FINDING YOU SPOT

• Try and choose a fairly level part of your yard, as this will make it easier to make the bed level.
• Choose a very sunny part of your yard for maximum growth of your vegetables.
• Lay the box down in this spot and using a sharp tool trace the ground on the inside of the box.

4. START DIGGING!

• Using a shovel, dig about 1' foot down, making sure to break up the soil as you go.
• If you have a pick ax you can use this to break up the soil
• Pick extra weeds and roots out of the area
• Get your kids to help and make it a family project!

5. LEVEL THE BOX

• Lay the box back down on top of the hole
• Place soil in the corners of the box to make it level with the ground. 
• Place more soil around the edges and tamp it down with your foot.

Follow these steps and you are well on your way to having mouth bursting flavor all season long!

Tags

Building a raised vegetable bed, vegetable beds, seeds, vegetable gardening, video