@@GardenerScott I agree. Thank you for getting to the points quickly, and not spending a ton of time on describing the obvious. I'm ready to start an asparagus bed and am considering brick.
@@GardenerScott Hey one question I know that this video is old and commenting on it seems rather odd but I do have a question I have built my structure for my raised bed and it seems to follow all the tips that you specified. BUT I built the bed in an area with an existing community of weeds and i mean a lot of weeds and the bed is built over weeds and I don't want the weeds growing through the soil and taking the life of my plants. so what should I do to amend this Should I put gravel on the bottom of my bed to stop them from growing or should I be fine. Please let me know! ( i still haven't put dirt in the bed its pretty new)
@@hudsonhill6925 If you look at some other videos on this topic some recommend putting cardboard down before the soil. It prevents the weeds from coming up, and decompose over time. I'll defer to "The Bob Ross of Gardening" as the expert though in case he disagrees.
+ 1, I'm lazy, so use a trailer behind the mower instead of a barrow. Mowing between the beds can be a bit of a 2 edged sword though. If the mower discharges out the side, then it can blow weed seeds up the walls and into the beds and give you more work down the track. Mulch is good as it keeps the weeds down, stops it turning into a quagmire between the beds in the wet and line trimmer/whipper snipper/weed wacker is all you need to around the sides of bed walls.
I did this between my beds and they ended up about a metre apart as suggested anyway. Worked well! Used tongue and groove retaining wall timber for mine and lined inside with old polypropylene tarpaulins. This keeps treatment chemicals away from the plants.
@@dracolusus Agreed. Either woodchip paths that you can shovel onto the bed once they've done their initial N-hungry breakdown, or plant with deep rooted stuff like comfrey that will catch the leached nutrients in the water overflowing from the beds so you can bring it back as mulch - or various other options. Lawn is dead space unless you're using it for a specific purpose.
Exactly the information I was looking for!!! I couldn’t seem to search for it properly. And whenever I look for raised bed layouts, it only gives how to arrange the plants but not the dimensions of the entire garden bed and the area around it. I’m SO glad I found this!
0:49 - Mistake #1 - Making your bed the wrong size 2:22 - Mistake #2 - Putting the bed in the wrong spot 3:00 - Mistake #3 - Wrong spacing between beds 4:04 - Mistake #4 - Filling your bed with the wrong soil 5:00 - Mistake #5 - Using the wrong material to construct your bed 6:04 - Mistake #6 - Not using mulch 6:51 - Mistake #7 - Not amending the soil 7:22 - Mistake #8 - Not having an irrigation plan 8:28 - Mistake #9 - Ignoring your pathway 9:20 - Mistake #10 - Not using hoops
@joan-lisa-smith only commenting since it boosts creators algorithm. This does potentially take away the total view time if someone just wants to watch one part of the video. but the view count is still there.
Old bookshelves make great raised beds. I've been able to find them in thrift stores and even at the side of the road. They provide a very cheap or free option. I grow my lettuce varieties and green onions in these beds. These are very old bookshelves and are made out of solid wood, not plastic or particle board. Look around, they work very well.
I have two raised beds, one wood, the other corrugated metal. I'd also like to add that the soil dries out faster because the sun shines on the walls. I have to frequently water them. Mine are 2 1/2 feet tall. I love them.
Great video, Scott. It’s important to remember this when filling your newly-built raised beds: the soil will settle. By up to 50% or more. So fill the beds, tamp it all down, and fill them again. I filled one 4x12 bed, got hasty with the planting, and forgot to consider soil settlement. Now my carrots don’t have enough room to grow. As long as I’m learning from my mistakes, I don’t mind making as much. Thanks!
thanks for this idea. I've been getting these free from an internet giveaway site to use for mini front wall out the front of my house but hadnt thought about using these for a garden bed.
You want airy soil in your raised beds, not compacted. This is a garden, not a lawn. Let it settle as it needs to on its own. This is why you should build your beds at least one tier higher than you think you'll need.
Thank you Scott, I started my raised bed garden 5 years ago and made almost all 10 of the mistakes you pointed out. I had to slowly amend the mistakes over the last few years. Thank you for sharing 🙏
I remember my old house and the 14 raised beds I built. It cost a lot of money and was a ton of work to fill them with good soil and compost. Worth the work though. My friends own that house now and years later still use the beds. Happy to see they are getting used.
Great video! I just finished prepping my 7th and 8th raised bed (Adding and tilling vitamins and organics into the soil and checking PH and moisture levels). A couple things I'd add though are to put chicken wire at the bottom of your raised bed and cardboard on top of that. The wire keeps the gophers out and the cardboard makes sure that any weeds still lingering in the ground soil die and don't invade your garden. They sell weedblockers... but cardboard works just the same. I spent half a day setting up a drip system and scrapped the whole thing. I wasn't happy with the lack of freedom and realized that one of the things I love about gardening is taking a quiet 20 minutes in the morning to check each plant and hand water them, trimming and pampering every section. I was spending time to rob myself of that.
I agree 100% about the chicken wire, and cardboard! Things people don’t think of! I save all my cardboard and use it everywhere. Reuse, recycle, win win. And it’s great stuff! 👍
I added the cardboard, but we have rabbits and voles, not gophers here in florida. At least that I know of...but if you want an Armadillo stop by and pick up a few dozen. Theyre everywhere.
The first tip was brilliant! I learned this the hard way when I planned a 4 foot bed against of my wall house for partial shade and it killed my back an entire season trying to sort that out. Pro tips right here!
Beauty pronunciation. Very clear and easy to understand. I am a foreigner, some of the RUclipsr's English is just very difficult for me to understand, but yours is perfect.
As a beginner I totally appreciate this man's knowledge. I feel a boost of confidence by listening and jotting a few things down in my new gardeners notebook. As a carpenter with 40 yrs experience I would strongly suggest that the one material that should never be used for raised bed frames is pressure treated lumber. I see that folks are using it quite often. Plain and simple, it is like adding poison to your beautiful garden bounty.
We have 3x8 and 4x8 beds. We like the 3x8 better because most beds have a vertical element one side. It’s hard to reach across the wider beds if there is a trellis or arch on one side. Great information in your videos!
I am so excited, yet nerves to start my new garden. I have one raised bed now and will be creating four more with cement blocks. Here to learn. Thank you!
I’m in Florida. We have Sandy soil. Good sun . High water tables. I hope I can have success in a bed. I can’t get on my knees so I’ll have to make a taller bed. Not sure how but I’ll learn on RUclips. Ty for your help. Im not sure about what soil, but I’ll learn. I love to always have projects.
This guy is spot on! I’ve gardened all my life. Had a greenhouse, huge gardens. This is how I’ve always garden. It’s all about the soil!! And mulch! Now I’m in Florida. And a whole different zone. We have huge slash pines in the area. I go harvest the pine needles in areas where there is no housing. If you have leaves use them. And start a compost pile too!! Happy gardening everyone!
Just relocating back to Florida after nine years ... Never tried raised gardens ... So you may be my "go to" as for hits and misses ... I was wondering in the metal watering troughs he showed , would you have to drill holes for drainage ??
@@rjhall5712 yes you always need drainage holes! Or you’ll have a swamp garden with our summer rains. I have just built raised beds myself here in FL. i have them hooped and shade clothed. I think the best time for us to grow most things here. Is late aug- may. It’s already 92 today 5/6/21. And the sun is strong. Right now I am having luck (so far) with peppers, potatoes, and cantalope. I’ll start planting the cooler crops later in the year. Zone 9b here. I was a zone 5 in Michigan. And wow, we have sand in FL. Definately need to build soil big time here! Good luck!
@@rjhall5712 I did tweek my beds alittle from the video (the link I sent). In that. In the center-both bottom and top. I added a board width wise. To be sure it doesn’t bow. Mine are 8’,4’. AND I added mesh cloth to the bottom before I started filling. In winter voles get busy here in FL. And this would prevent anything vermin coming through the bottom. (People in gopher areas do the same). Anyhow. Happy gardening! 👍
A good post Scott. I am going into the third year of my two foot high raised beds. On one hand I wouldn't mind them being a foot taller for even less bending. However, then the beds would be too tall to install my cattle panel arches for vertical growing. In between my beds, which is wide enough for a mower pass, I set in place wonderful sod. Because my entire yard is organic this pristine grass allows me to go barefoot while caring for the vegetables. Gardening is therapy. Going barefoot is grounding and helps the body energetically, and reduces physical pain. Versus a mulch your followers might want to consider sod in between. I have no regrets.
Just wanted to say how helpful this was! Recently setting up our beds outside in a more urban space, but what you've shown here is an immense help in avoiding pitfalls! Thank you for your hard work!!
I've switched to rain gutter gardening and grow bags. The watering is so much easier. The garden is mobile so I can easily move plants. The results are phenomenal.
@@patentexperts1675 check out the Larry Hall videos. He has everything there. I have lots of pictures. Just started resetting it up today. Hoping to put out broccoli next week.
I use cinder blocks for my raised beds. They don't deteriorate and I can plant some additional plants in the cinder block holes. Cucumbers grow well in the holes.
@@queerdor the blocks are about $2.00 a piece. I removed the grass underneath with a shovel and placed plastic on the ground before building the bed with the blocks. I stacked the blocks two high so that the soil was deep enough to root. The biggest expense is the soil.
Thanks found your jelly video awhile back now I’ve got three 4x4 gardens n my neighbors are beginning…now to can cuks tomatoes and beans ….oh my…I did dehydrate sweet potato leaves & it’s really increased nutrition in hidden ways :)
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences with raised beds . I've been a traditional gardner for over 4 decades and have always toyed with changing over to raised beds for about half dozen years after watching and subscribing to your informational videos I'm taking the plunge this season in 2022 , thanks again looking forward to seeing and gathering more of your knowledge.
For my raised beds in 9b Sacramento, I don't need plastic covers. I use old cloth bedsheets to shield the plants from excessive afternoon sun. We grow in different areas and we have to protect as needed.
I have torched all my wood raised beds based on centuries old Japanese practice known as shou sugi ban. Properly charred wood will resist well against rot, bugs and I think helps with soil-borne diseases. I expect my wood beds should last at least twenty years and probably much longer.
@@scray00- regular pine is fine, I’m doing this process myself with regular 2x6 from Lowe’s. I used Rustoleum from a quart can mixed with Acetone. Let it dry overnight and I top coated with two light coats of Cabot Australian Timber something. It’s absolutely stunning.
@@scray00 - yes, I hit the outside pieces with 80 grit on a random orbital sander to knock down the rough spots because I’m building a storage bench with two end planters for my mother. Then a light burn. As far as food safe 🤷♂️ I reckon it’s pretty safe. I can’t see any top coat leaching into the soil to cause any issues, but I’m not a chemist. I watched a video recently and the guy explained that even using current pressure treated has no impact on the plant because the formula is much safer and it’s such a chain to go from the wood to soil to seed to plant 🪴. Either way whatever you grow is safer than the chemicals added to packaged food in a store.
Great guidance here. I used bulk premixed garden soil available at my local landscape supply and also bought 2000 red worms to distribute between my 5 beds. Blend in a little manure now and then with some compost. The worms and the organics keep the soil well conditioned. As for watering, I set up a drip system connected to a simple inexpensive timer. Works great to put the water at the base of the plants at the right times of the day.
I have one 30 ft. Cement raise bed. It's the size of my wheelchair. This gift is awesome. I have it since around 10 years. I also have high containers also. Great video. Keep up the great job.
How do I get one of those rebar arches that you have ? What are they called? YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION HOOPS GOING TO WATCH THAT NEXT THANKS! (Using it for Wysteria training a carport :)
Almost time to replace the sides of our raised beds again. I've always used 2x12's that need replacing every 5 or 6 years in the past. This gets old fast and I'm not getting any younger. This time we are thinking of making a form and pouring short connectable cement walls to make our next rebuild last, so I won't need to rebuild it again. Those were all good things that Gardener Scott mentions to consider when you build your raised beds. One more tip: In deep raised beds like his, you can save $ and fill the bottom half hugelkultur style, with old rotting logs and leave the top 12" for your well amended soil and compost. The rotting wood will add to the organics as it decomposes and provide a mycorrhizae inoculant for the soil microbes to thrive.
When we redid our beds we opted for home depot garden blocks that are made for using 2 x 12 x what ever length you need. You can get creative with the length and width that you need.
I used galv roofing for my sides with flashing in the corners and exterior was treated lumber. The wood has almost no contact with the beds and is CHEAP to make compared to other methods imo. Im 4 beds in and 3 more to replace to this style. Last thing i loved was the dimensions of the roofing sheets.. 4x8 and 28 inches high.. perfect imo. Just be careful, stuff can be sharp.
I am so happy to have found you Gardener Scott! For years, I’ve struggled with not knowing the DETAILS or procedure to have gardening success. I’m very encouraged to keep trying….ESPECIALLY in these times. Soil composition and your help is keeping me going!!!
A great tip for mulch: $49 leaf vacuum @ Walmart that grinds the leaves up. I spread them on my beds in the fall and just move some aside each spring to plant my plants/seeds. Great mulch layer plus the worms eat the leaves throughout the year giving you and endlessness supply of work castings! You have to rake the leaves each fall anyway, so its not extra work.
@@MauiGecko The US is divided into grow zones that let you know which plants will work best in your area based on last and first frosts. I am in Zone 9b. Look up "USDA plant hardiness zones."
Wish that I had seen this video before 3 years ago when I started using raised beds! Thank you for the great information! My biggest mistake was not lining my beds with rat/mouse proof wire. Last year our giant Texas rodents ate EVERYTHING!
I learned a great deal about raised bed gardening from watching your videos. I built a 4’ X 8’ as my first and made it with two layers of 10” stock so it is the perfect height for me. I like it so much I decided to add two more and fence the area in. I laid out a design of three feet apart at the sides and added three more smaller beds 4’ X 4’ at the ends of each of the larger ones 2’ away. I realized as I built my second large one that the ground i put it on is slightly uneven and overall it slopes about an inch or two in one direction. Will this make a difference at all? I put the beds on what was a lawn area and the drainage is good on the whole area. Thank you Joe Adrignola
Good tip about overhead watering hastening the decomposition. Pallets make an ok if somewhat labor intensive to build raised bed. You can paint them with latex exterior paint to make them last a little longer. You can also line your beds with polyethylene to keep the soil off the wood (of course you’re now using plastics so this is up for debate ecologically)
Thank you for this expertise! We are Americans living in Portugal and building elevated beds for our apartment patio. We used to live in New Jersey where you could grow anything with no skill whatsoever! We have to learn an entire new method here in this warmer climate and your channel is super helpful for those skills! New subscribers here!
A lot of great tips. You mentioned that in time the wood will begin to decompose and rot and will need replacing,something we all dread.One thing I do to slow that is to oil the boards several times a year with Linseed and Beeswax mix.I do the same with handles for axes,rakes and even knives.By keeping the wood oiled it will almost triple its life span.
Super helpful! I just subscribed! I love your calm energy & appreciate how you get straight to the point. I'm new to garden beds. The previous owners of my home placed garden beds behind a shed so it's shady. I'm going to remove them completely since the old ones are rotting & make sure they're in a better spot.
Awesome.information,. I have a small.patio area at my apartment growing kale,swiss chard, lettuce blends,jalapeños, dill, mint and assorted herbs 🌿 utilizing portable greenhouse and hoop house type method on potted plants using g recycled plastic bags..This has given me a more firm understanding. Thank.you
Great video! I like that when you give an instruction you also give the explanation for it. Which direction should your rows of vegetables be running? East to west or north to south?
Thanks! I prefer north to south beds for more even sun exposure. The rows within the beds are east to west, with taller plants on the north end so they don't shade smaller plants..
Very well explained info, thank you for passing your knowledge forward . Just starting digging a long narrow raised bed for my fence line yesterday and feeling confident to keep going on it now !
Gardener Scott I did it . Went a little crazy and used 4x8x16 cedar and it all came together nicely . Wife is very happy . Subscribed for more helpful hints .
I have an area out back that just will not stop giving me weeds....so I am going for this treatment next year, so excited to put in my veggies and herbs without backbreaking weeding......you are very chill and clear in your communication thankyou*
Great vid. Living in the tropics. Weeds, poor soil, wild chickens, very heavy wet season with fungal disease. the minute you create good soil in a raised bed native tree roots will stretch to enjoy your labor.
I had to laugh about the water hose route. That is so true and one of those things that really tends to be an afterthought after you've plowed down a row of tender young plants with that heavy hose your dragging about. Haha!
Good reminder on advantages of raised beds . Lockdown uk we have plenty of time in the sun . Weeds (or virus,) is always the problem . Thx for advice . Cheers HS
In 50 sec...my first mistake. Born with short arms😊 I put the garden bed again at the fence. Now I have to put a small step-way in the middle to reach in the back. Hopefully, this will work it out.
My big mistake was not shade from being close to a tree but after a few years the tree roots going through the whole raised bed sapping all of the nutrients from the soil and giving vegetables no chance of getting through their cycle. The peach tree loved the nutrients in that raised bed and I've had two of the best crops of peaches ever!
I just had a maple tree that really grew well - but a real pain to deal with the very fine roots each spring t when I turned over the soil with my pitchfork.
You do not need to walk all the way around if you have a long bed. I put a board across, making a bridge across, problem solved. I also use a bridge board to reach the other side of the bed.
I had one on the ground. ALL sorts of roots invaded... OMG. NOW I have mine on cinder blocks and they work very well. Also a better height for us older folk.
100% this man is the bob ross of gardening. what a great dude.
Yea, this is a GREAT video. This guy is an amazing teacher.
What a perfect description - yess!!!!
Fr😂
I wish gardener Scott was my gpa
Dude, he even sounds really close to Bob Ross's accent. Just an octave higher.
It took me five seconds to say "oh I love this guy, I'm all the way in." Great voice, great info.
I like your style of presentation. Very calm, full of useful advice based on personal experience, and straight to the point.
Thank you!
@@GardenerScott I agree. Thank you for getting to the points quickly, and not spending a ton of time on describing the obvious. I'm ready to start an asparagus bed and am considering brick.
Yes I like his video on Peet Moss vs Coco coir
@@GardenerScott Hey one question I know that this video is old and commenting on it seems rather odd but I do have a question I have built my structure for my raised bed and it seems to follow all the tips that you specified. BUT I built the bed in an area with an existing community of weeds and i mean a lot of weeds and the bed is built over weeds and I don't want the weeds growing through the soil and taking the life of my plants. so what should I do to amend this Should I put gravel on the bottom of my bed to stop them from growing or should I be fine. Please let me know! ( i still haven't put dirt in the bed its pretty new)
@@hudsonhill6925 If you look at some other videos on this topic some recommend putting cardboard down before the soil. It prevents the weeds from coming up, and decompose over time. I'll defer to "The Bob Ross of Gardening" as the expert though in case he disagrees.
Lawn mower width is something to consider in spacing between beds.
Good suggestion. Thanks.
My mission is to replace lawn, it's functionally useless for an urban food forest
+ 1, I'm lazy, so use a trailer behind the mower instead of a barrow.
Mowing between the beds can be a bit of a 2 edged sword though. If the mower discharges out the side, then it can blow weed seeds up the walls and into the beds and give you more work down the track.
Mulch is good as it keeps the weeds down, stops it turning into a quagmire between the beds in the wet and line trimmer/whipper snipper/weed wacker is all you need to around the sides of bed walls.
I did this between my beds and they ended up about a metre apart as suggested anyway. Worked well! Used tongue and groove retaining wall timber for mine and lined inside with old polypropylene tarpaulins. This keeps treatment chemicals away from the plants.
@@dracolusus Agreed. Either woodchip paths that you can shovel onto the bed once they've done their initial N-hungry breakdown, or plant with deep rooted stuff like comfrey that will catch the leached nutrients in the water overflowing from the beds so you can bring it back as mulch - or various other options. Lawn is dead space unless you're using it for a specific purpose.
Exactly the information I was looking for!!! I couldn’t seem to search for it properly. And whenever I look for raised bed layouts, it only gives how to arrange the plants but not the dimensions of the entire garden bed and the area around it. I’m SO glad I found this!
OK, this one got my third thumbs up for 2022. Great production, no BS, no irritating background "music", and very informative. Thanks for all of it.
I put sand bags along the bottom so that when you kneel its nice and soft on your knees, warm as well.
That’s a great idea!
That's such an awesome idea! Not to mention it should keep any pesky growth from encroaching towards the box.
What a great idea
Do you make them? Great idea I would love to do.
0:49 - Mistake #1 - Making your bed the wrong size
2:22 - Mistake #2 - Putting the bed in the wrong spot
3:00 - Mistake #3 - Wrong spacing between beds
4:04 - Mistake #4 - Filling your bed with the wrong soil
5:00 - Mistake #5 - Using the wrong material to construct your bed
6:04 - Mistake #6 - Not using mulch
6:51 - Mistake #7 - Not amending the soil
7:22 - Mistake #8 - Not having an irrigation plan
8:28 - Mistake #9 - Ignoring your pathway
9:20 - Mistake #10 - Not using hoops
Thank you
Thank you!!!!
@Joan damn that. Short cuts are gold for viewers
@Joan you dont lose views with these
@joan-lisa-smith only commenting since it boosts creators algorithm. This does potentially take away the total view time if someone just wants to watch one part of the video. but the view count is still there.
I get a strong This Old House vibes from gardener Scott. I like that
True. I am kinda getting an Al Borland aura.
This guy is the Bob Ross of gardening. I love the laid back personality and great info.
Old bookshelves make great raised beds. I've been able to find them in thrift stores and even at the side of the road. They provide a very cheap or free option. I grow my lettuce varieties and green onions in these beds. These are very old bookshelves and are made out of solid wood, not plastic or particle board. Look around, they work very well.
That's very innovative!! I'll keep and eye out, thanks!
this is an awesome idea. thanks 4 the tip!!😊
Does the finish leech into the soil, though? Or do you completely sand the shelves down?
Won't those bookshelves break down after a while tho?
@@TheCottonCandy707 probably but it's an inexpensive start to your raised bed
thanks for adding the metric measurements - thoughtful and aware of all of us outside the U.S!!
Yep! The entire world! LOL :-)
I have two raised beds, one wood, the other corrugated metal. I'd also like to add that the soil dries out faster because the sun shines on the walls. I have to frequently water them. Mine are 2 1/2 feet tall.
I love them.
Great video, Scott. It’s important to remember this when filling your newly-built raised beds: the soil will settle. By up to 50% or more. So fill the beds, tamp it all down, and fill them again. I filled one 4x12 bed, got hasty with the planting, and forgot to consider soil settlement. Now my carrots don’t have enough room to grow. As long as I’m learning from my mistakes, I don’t mind making as much. Thanks!
thanks for this idea. I've been getting these free from an internet giveaway site to use for mini front wall out the front of my house but hadnt thought about using these for a garden bed.
Aren't you supposed to allow the soil to settle naturally via watering it so that you don't create soil compaction?
Good idea? to fill in some space at the bottom with cheaper material like straw, then soil n compost - for less expense?
- a newbie
@@loganburke8378 Yes.
You want airy soil in your raised beds, not compacted. This is a garden, not a lawn. Let it settle as it needs to on its own. This is why you should build your beds at least one tier higher than you think you'll need.
Thank you Scott, I started my raised bed garden 5 years ago and made almost all 10 of the mistakes you pointed out. I had to slowly amend the mistakes over the last few years. Thank you for sharing 🙏
Glad to help!
I'm catching some smooth, soft, empathetic Bob Ross styles here. I could listen to you all day 🌱
I remember my old house and the 14 raised beds I built. It cost a lot of money and was a ton of work to fill them with good soil and compost. Worth the work though. My friends own that house now and years later still use the beds. Happy to see they are getting used.
Thanks for putting meter measurements on screen for us from the old world 👍
Great video! I just finished prepping my 7th and 8th raised bed (Adding and tilling vitamins and organics into the soil and checking PH and moisture levels). A couple things I'd add though are to put chicken wire at the bottom of your raised bed and cardboard on top of that. The wire keeps the gophers out and the cardboard makes sure that any weeds still lingering in the ground soil die and don't invade your garden. They sell weedblockers... but cardboard works just the same. I spent half a day setting up a drip system and scrapped the whole thing. I wasn't happy with the lack of freedom and realized that one of the things I love about gardening is taking a quiet 20 minutes in the morning to check each plant and hand water them, trimming and pampering every section. I was spending time to rob myself of that.
Thanks! I do have chicken wire at the bottom of all of my beds for the gophers. I agree on watering. I stopped using a drip system years ago.
I agree 100% about the chicken wire, and cardboard! Things people don’t think of! I save all my cardboard and use it everywhere. Reuse, recycle, win win. And it’s great stuff! 👍
I added the cardboard, but we have rabbits and voles, not gophers here in florida. At least that I know of...but if you want an Armadillo stop by and pick up a few dozen. Theyre everywhere.
1.8 million views! I'm not surprised. This is the comprehensive, yet concise, discussion of the topic out there.
The first tip was brilliant! I learned this the hard way when I planned a 4 foot bed against of my wall house for partial shade and it killed my back an entire season trying to sort that out. Pro tips right here!
Beauty pronunciation. Very clear and easy to understand. I am a foreigner, some of the RUclipsr's English is just very difficult for me to understand, but yours is perfect.
As a beginner I totally appreciate this man's knowledge. I feel a boost of confidence by listening and jotting a few things down in my new gardeners notebook.
As a carpenter with 40 yrs experience I would strongly suggest that the one material that should never be used for raised bed frames is pressure treated lumber. I see that folks are using it quite often. Plain and simple, it is like adding poison to your beautiful garden bounty.
100% right Ted. Landscape ties, railroad ties....ughhh...I see people using old tires as well! Ughh.....not good. :(
As a fellow Coloradan, I'm so stoked I stumbled upon your channel!
We have 3x8 and 4x8 beds. We like the 3x8 better because most beds have a vertical element one side. It’s hard to reach across the wider beds if there is a trellis or arch on one side. Great information in your videos!
Thanks, Paul.
Thanks for indicating measures in meters too!
I am so excited, yet nerves to start my new garden. I have one raised bed now and will be creating four more with cement blocks. Here to learn. Thank you!
I’m in Florida. We have Sandy soil. Good sun . High water tables. I hope I can have success in a bed. I can’t get on my knees so I’ll have to make a taller bed. Not sure how but I’ll learn on RUclips. Ty for your help. Im not sure about what soil, but I’ll learn. I love to always have projects.
This guy is spot on! I’ve gardened all my life. Had a greenhouse, huge gardens. This is how I’ve always garden. It’s all about the soil!! And mulch! Now I’m in Florida. And a whole different zone. We have huge slash pines in the area. I go harvest the pine needles in areas where there is no housing. If you have leaves use them. And start a compost pile too!! Happy gardening everyone!
Just relocating back to Florida after nine years ... Never tried raised gardens ... So you may be my "go to" as for hits and misses ... I was wondering in the metal watering troughs he showed , would you have to drill holes for drainage ??
@@rjhall5712 yes you always need drainage holes! Or you’ll have a swamp garden with our summer rains. I have just built raised beds myself here in FL. i have them hooped and shade clothed. I think the best time for us to grow most things here. Is late aug- may. It’s already 92 today 5/6/21. And the sun is strong. Right now I am having luck (so far) with peppers, potatoes, and cantalope. I’ll start planting the cooler crops later in the year. Zone 9b here. I was a zone 5 in Michigan. And wow, we have sand in FL. Definately need to build soil big time here! Good luck!
The pine needles , great suggestion !
@@rjhall5712 I did tweek my beds alittle from the video (the link I sent). In that. In the center-both bottom and top. I added a board width wise. To be sure it doesn’t bow. Mine are 8’,4’. AND I added mesh cloth to the bottom before I started filling. In winter voles get busy here in FL. And this would prevent anything vermin coming through the bottom. (People in gopher areas do the same). Anyhow. Happy gardening! 👍
😍
A good post Scott. I am going into the third year of my two foot high raised beds. On one hand I wouldn't mind them being a foot taller for even less bending. However, then the beds would be too tall to install my cattle panel arches for vertical growing. In between my beds, which is wide enough for a mower pass, I set in place wonderful sod. Because my entire yard is organic this pristine grass allows me to go barefoot while caring for the vegetables. Gardening is therapy. Going barefoot is grounding and helps the body energetically, and reduces physical pain. Versus a mulch your followers might want to consider sod in between. I have no regrets.
Your videos have taken so much anxiety away for me. Thank you for explaining in a calm, clear manner! I’m definitely subscribing!
This man was born for this well done much respect 😊
Bob Ross of gardening 🙌🏻🙌🏽🙌🏿
Seriously, I enjoyed this video. Thanks a lot. It was very to the point. I look forward to watching more.
....a few happy little plants.....
I am growing my first garden with my 8 year old great nephew. So watching your videos will be so helpful. Thank you!
We have gophers in our area so we stapled 1/4" wire to the bottom of the beds in our community garden and it works very well.
I have wire at the bottom of all of my beds for gophers too.
@@GardenerScott what would you say is the minimum size of wire? I have some 2"x4" wire, do you think that is too big? chicken wire best?
@@Lewisusa11 1/2 or 1/4, otherwise theres enough gap for gophers and moles to work at the wire
This is the BEST VIDEO AND INFORMATION people need to just get started!
Just wanted to say how helpful this was! Recently setting up our beds outside in a more urban space, but what you've shown here is an immense help in avoiding pitfalls!
Thank you for your hard work!!
Scott, you make me think of Boss Ross. You are are so relaxing to watch. Thank you! Great video.
I've switched to rain gutter gardening and grow bags. The watering is so much easier. The garden is mobile so I can easily move plants. The results are phenomenal.
Did you do a RUclips Video?
@@patentexperts1675 check out the Larry Hall videos. He has everything there. I have lots of pictures. Just started resetting it up today. Hoping to put out broccoli next week.
I use cinder blocks for my raised beds. They don't deteriorate and I can plant some additional plants in the cinder block holes. Cucumbers grow well in the holes.
How expensive was that to build
@@queerdor the blocks are about $2.00 a piece. I removed the grass underneath with a shovel and placed plastic on the ground before building the bed with the blocks. I stacked the blocks two high so that the soil was deep enough to root. The biggest expense is the soil.
@@robertshatcher thank you for this. I'll use cinder blocks.
I've had drainage and heating issues with concrete blocks. I'm currently using them for herbs.
Rob Hatcher wow I did not know that
Sooooo glad I found you brother! Newly married just graduated, made garden bed and my plants aren't doing well. Can't wait to learn!
Welcome aboard! Enjoy the journey!
Thanks found your jelly video awhile back now I’ve got three 4x4 gardens n my neighbors are beginning…now to can cuks tomatoes and beans ….oh my…I did dehydrate sweet potato leaves & it’s really increased nutrition in hidden ways :)
I built my raised beds out out composite decking. With treated 4x4 posts. I love them and they do not fall apart like my previous wooden beds.
Good idea. I'll be using that on some of my new beds.
Good idea. I'll be using that on some of my new beds.
Very wise man! Calm voice, explains things slowly, a lot of common sense. All 1st time veggie gardeners, pls watch this prior to ✌️
So nice of you
Thanks for adding the measures in meters as well! Not many people do so. Really appreciate the effort.
Glad I can help.
This is one of the most amazing videos on raised bed gardening learned a lot enjoyed watching and thank uu for sharing
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences with raised beds . I've been a traditional gardner for over 4 decades and have always toyed with changing over to raised beds for about half dozen years after watching and subscribing to your informational videos I'm taking the plunge this season in 2022 , thanks again looking forward to seeing and gathering more of your knowledge.
Jack Reed 👋
For my raised beds in 9b Sacramento, I don't need plastic covers. I use old cloth bedsheets to shield the plants from excessive afternoon sun. We grow in different areas and we have to protect as needed.
I have torched all my wood raised beds based on centuries old Japanese practice known as shou sugi ban. Properly charred wood will resist well against rot, bugs and I think helps with soil-borne diseases. I expect my wood beds should last at least twenty years and probably much longer.
I’ve heard about this. Can you do that to just reg ole 1x6 or does it have to be a special kind of wood??
@@scray00- regular pine is fine, I’m doing this process myself with regular 2x6 from Lowe’s. I used Rustoleum from a quart can mixed with Acetone. Let it dry overnight and I top coated with two light coats of Cabot Australian Timber something. It’s absolutely stunning.
@@RustyZipper you did all that after torching the wood? And is that ok as far as growing food in?
@@scray00 - yes, I hit the outside pieces with 80 grit on a random orbital sander to knock down the rough spots because I’m building a storage bench with two end planters for my mother. Then a light burn. As far as food safe 🤷♂️ I reckon it’s pretty safe. I can’t see any top coat leaching into the soil to cause any issues, but I’m not a chemist. I watched a video recently and the guy explained that even using current pressure treated has no impact on the plant because the formula is much safer and it’s such a chain to go from the wood to soil to seed to plant 🪴. Either way whatever you grow is safer than the chemicals added to packaged food in a store.
Thanks for the comment about not using wood. I have lots of pavers on hand. Ephinany!
Great guidance here. I used bulk premixed garden soil available at my local landscape supply and also bought 2000 red worms to distribute between my 5 beds. Blend in a little manure now and then with some compost. The worms and the organics keep the soil well conditioned. As for watering, I set up a drip system connected to a simple inexpensive timer. Works great to put the water at the base of the plants at the right times of the day.
Good stuff! Thanks.
Thanks for this. I was certainly heading towards at least three of these rookie mistakes!
I have one 30 ft. Cement raise bed. It's the size of my wheelchair. This gift is awesome. I have it since around 10 years. I also have high containers also. Great video. Keep up the great job.
That is awesome! Thanks!
That’s a big wheel chair
How do I get one of those rebar arches that you have ? What are they called? YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION HOOPS GOING TO WATCH THAT NEXT THANKS! (Using it for Wysteria training a carport :)
Almost time to replace the sides of our raised beds again. I've always used 2x12's that need replacing every 5 or 6 years in the past. This gets old fast and I'm not getting any younger. This time we are thinking of making a form and pouring short connectable cement walls to make our next rebuild last, so I won't need to rebuild it again. Those were all good things that Gardener Scott mentions to consider when you build your raised beds. One more tip: In deep raised beds like his, you can save $ and fill the bottom half hugelkultur style, with old rotting logs and leave the top 12" for your well amended soil and compost. The rotting wood will add to the organics as it decomposes and provide a mycorrhizae inoculant for the soil microbes to thrive.
Yes ! Exactly what my husband and I are doing this Spring !
When we redid our beds we opted for home depot garden blocks that are made for using 2 x 12 x what ever length you need. You can get creative with the length and width that you need.
Mark Nadams check ours out we just made and let me know what u think
I used galv roofing for my sides with flashing in the corners and exterior was treated lumber. The wood has almost no contact with the beds and is CHEAP to make compared to other methods imo. Im 4 beds in and 3 more to replace to this style. Last thing i loved was the dimensions of the roofing sheets.. 4x8 and 28 inches high.. perfect imo. Just be careful, stuff can be sharp.
@@TheLissabee Sounds like a great idea. I wish you luck. Happy Gardening!
I am so happy to have found you Gardener Scott! For years, I’ve struggled with not knowing the DETAILS or procedure to have gardening success. I’m very encouraged to keep trying….ESPECIALLY in these times. Soil composition and your help is keeping me going!!!
A great tip for mulch: $49 leaf vacuum @ Walmart that grinds the leaves up. I spread them on my beds in the fall and just move some aside each spring to plant my plants/seeds. Great mulch layer plus the worms eat the leaves throughout the year giving you and endlessness supply of work castings! You have to rake the leaves each fall anyway, so its not extra work.
Great suggestion. I do that too.
Just in time. I'm planning my first raised beds in my daughter's new house in zone 5b, thank you sir!
You're very welcome. Enjoy your new beds.
Wtf is zone 5b...?
@@MauiGecko The US is divided into grow zones that let you know which plants will work best in your area based on last and first frosts. I am in Zone 9b. Look up "USDA plant hardiness zones."
@@jennifermartin2886 we don't ever have snow. In all my 27 years of life. Never have there been snow where I live lol.. get maybe lowest 58°F
Thank you for your brilliant advice, it's very helpful. Your delivery is excellent as well, I appreciate your calm voice and demeanor, very soothing
Wish that I had seen this video before 3 years ago when I started using raised beds! Thank you for the great information! My biggest mistake was not lining my beds with rat/mouse proof wire. Last year our giant Texas rodents ate EVERYTHING!
Thanks!
I learned a great deal about raised bed gardening from watching your videos. I built a 4’ X 8’ as my first and made it with two layers of 10” stock so it is the perfect height for me. I like it so much I decided to add two more and fence the area in. I laid out a design of three feet apart at the sides and added three more smaller beds 4’ X 4’ at the ends of each of the larger ones 2’ away. I realized as I built my second large one that the ground i put it on is slightly uneven and overall it slopes about an inch or two in one direction. Will this make a difference at all? I put the beds on what was a lawn area and the drainage is good on the whole area.
Thank you
Joe Adrignola
I'm glad I watched this before trying to build a raised bed
I used cedar for my beds. My wife has cedar beds that are 8 years old and still in perfect shape 👍
Cedar is a great option and often worth the extra cost.
Expensive in some parts of the country.
Gardener Scott I used cedar too but why is mine rotting, it’s been 6 yrs now
Superb choice of timber but can poison the soil when still loaded with terpines & phenols.
Never use cedar...are you people stupid?
Great boss sir 👏 👍 🙌 we as people have forgotten growing as a culture
Good tip about overhead watering hastening the decomposition. Pallets make an ok if somewhat labor intensive to build raised bed. You can paint them with latex exterior paint to make them last a little longer. You can also line your beds with polyethylene to keep the soil off the wood (of course you’re now using plastics so this is up for debate ecologically)
Thank you for this expertise! We are Americans living in Portugal and building elevated beds for our apartment patio. We used to live in New Jersey where you could grow anything with no skill whatsoever! We have to learn an entire new method here in this warmer climate and your channel is super helpful for those skills! New subscribers here!
Thanks, Natali. Welcome to the channel.
A lot of great tips. You mentioned that in time the wood will begin to decompose and rot and will need replacing,something we all dread.One thing I do to slow that is to oil the boards several times a year with Linseed and Beeswax mix.I do the same with handles for axes,rakes and even knives.By keeping the wood oiled it will almost triple its life span.
Great tip! Thanks!
Gardener Scott is a good name.
this dude is like the bob ross of gardening i love it
Yep...a cross between Bob Ross and the teacher from Beavis & Butthead. Very chill.
stoopp that's SPOT ON
Haha. I was just thinking that right before I read your comment.
Thank you!!!
All the way from a family trying to start their first garden in Portugal ❤
Gardener Scott is my new favorite RUclipsr. 👌🏼
Wow, thanks!
I didn’t consider blocks like cinder or brick, good idea.
Super helpful! I just subscribed! I love your calm energy & appreciate how you get straight to the point. I'm new to garden beds. The previous owners of my home placed garden beds behind a shed so it's shady. I'm going to remove them completely since the old ones are rotting & make sure they're in a better spot.
Thanks! Welcome to the channel.
Raised beds is where it’s at!! Direct ground gardening is a struggle. Especially if you have herbivores around that love what you’re planting 😖😖.
Smart to think about pathways weeds!!!
Awesome.information,. I have a small.patio area at my apartment growing kale,swiss chard, lettuce blends,jalapeños, dill, mint and assorted herbs 🌿 utilizing portable greenhouse and hoop house type method on potted plants using g recycled plastic bags..This has given me a more firm understanding. Thank.you
very informative. but also: thank you for the conversion into the metric system. much appreciated
Glad it was helpful!
Gardening means a lot to me and planning flowers bonsai trees and more
That's great! 👍
Great video! I like that when you give an instruction you also give the explanation for it. Which direction should your rows of vegetables be running? East to west or north to south?
Thanks! I prefer north to south beds for more even sun exposure. The rows within the beds are east to west, with taller plants on the north end so they don't shade smaller plants..
Some very good advice. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
Very well explained info, thank you for passing your knowledge forward . Just starting digging a long narrow raised bed for my fence line yesterday and feeling confident to keep going on it now !
You can do it!
Gardener Scott I did it . Went a little crazy and used 4x8x16 cedar and it all came together nicely . Wife is very happy . Subscribed for more helpful hints .
I have an area out back that just will not stop giving me weeds....so I am going for this treatment next year, so excited to put in my veggies and herbs without backbreaking weeding......you are very chill and clear in your communication thankyou*
I think I will also raise them on cinder blocks to keep away the rot.
Some of my beds are about 7 years old I think I'm going to switch over to those thin cinder blocks. but for white pine, they lasted pretty long
That’s really good for white pine.
Great vid. Living in the tropics. Weeds, poor soil, wild chickens, very heavy wet season with fungal disease. the minute you create good soil in a raised bed native tree roots will stretch to enjoy your labor.
Thanks. That's a good reason to have a bottom to the bed.
I had to laugh about the water hose route. That is so true and one of those things that really tends to be an afterthought after you've plowed down a row of tender young plants with that heavy hose your dragging about. Haha!
Loved this video, it’s super simple to understand for beginners. Plus, he has very calm and relaxed voice!
He touched on every point with this one so thorough.
Thanks for a great vedio... really appreaciate your efforts in producing these good materials
Good reminder on advantages of raised beds . Lockdown uk we have plenty of time in the sun . Weeds (or virus,) is always the problem . Thx for advice . Cheers HS
Thanks. Cheers!
Your program is another one I love watching on youtube on my tv!!!
I love how your backyard has no grass to mow :-)
I have to do raised beds. Our soil is awful. Thanks Gardener Scott!
Thanks for the tips! First time gardener, so wish me luck!
You can do it! Good luck!
In 50 sec...my first mistake. Born with short arms😊 I put the garden bed again at the fence. Now I have to put a small step-way in the middle to reach in the back. Hopefully, this will work it out.
My big mistake was not shade from being close to a tree but after a few years the tree roots going through the whole raised bed sapping all of the nutrients from the soil and giving vegetables no chance of getting through their cycle. The peach tree loved the nutrients in that raised bed and I've had two of the best crops of peaches ever!
I just had a maple tree that really grew well - but a real pain to deal with the very fine roots each spring t when I turned over the soil with my pitchfork.
Thanks Gardener Scott! Terrific tips!!!
Another great video Scott really enjoy them , i have all raised beds the older i got the higher off the ground i made them, i wonder why?
👍😉
Love watching you Gardener Scott your an amazing teacher and we appreciate you have a beautiful day
You do not need to walk all the way around if you have a long bed. I put a board across, making a bridge across, problem solved. I also use a bridge board to reach the other side of the bed.
I had one on the ground. ALL sorts of roots invaded... OMG. NOW I have mine on cinder blocks and they work very well. Also a better height for us older folk.
Good suggestion. Thanks.
Same here... actually poured a concrete pad then cinder blocks then raised bed on top. Perfect... yes, us older folk.. 😁😁😁