Cinder Block Raised Beds: Myths, How Tos & Tips
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Looking to start your own raised bed garden? Look no further than cinder blocks (aka concrete blocks)! In this video, we'll show you how to create durable and long-lasting raised beds using nothing but cinder blocks & soil.
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Wonderful tutorial! I grew my very first garden this year at age 62! Being disabled with back and knee problems from being an RN for 37 years made me realize that a raised bed is exactly what will make gardening much less painful for me in the future. I think your style of using concrete blocks is the way to go and appreciated your video being so detailed. I'm a new sub having just found your channel today by chance seeing one of your shorts. I also just started canning this year, so love your canning videos and recipes also! You have so much valuable knowledge and a real common sense approach to your teaching that I really appreciate. Thanks for sharing all you've learned!
Thank you for your years of service as an RN. ❤️ Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening and canning! Fair warning: it’s addictive!! Welcome to the channel. 🤗
Concrete finisher and mason here: Concrete Blocks or CMU's (Concrete Masonry Units) are made from sand, fine to small aggregate, Portland cement and water. The industry used to use fly ash in most Concrete products as there was a huge amount of fly ash from coal fired power plants; a by product of said power production. Coal fired plants are a relic now, and disposal of waste products is usually handled without cement production being a recipient. Try to find high density Blocks they will be most likely the concrete recipe gardeners desire. Low density block would most likely have blended materials and byproducts. Lime, and raised alkalinity can affect plants, so find plants that need calcium. Great content by the way!!
Thank you for your detailed response!
@foodprepguide of course!
We have a combination of low and high concrete and brick raised beds. The extra heat is a great advantage when growing on the edge seasons ( even through winter for greens). We were able to get many loads of free woodchips and that is what we filled the beds with up until the top 12". It sinks over time as the woodchips decompose, but boy do the earthworm love those beds. The need for extra water is the only drawback (other than filling the beds), but that also means I have well draining soil. When we had weeks of rain during early spring and lots of gardeners were complaining it didnt bother my crops at all.
I wondered about wood chips in the bottom! I have lots of them,so I decided to experiment this year by putting just about 3 inches in the bottom of one of my concrete beds. I only did one because I was concerned about the chips pulling nitrogen from the soil. Have you noticed any effects like that?
@@foodprepguide We still had 8-12 inches of compost above the chips so it didn't make a difference. But I waited until year 2 to plant potatoes in those beds. The chips break down pretty fast under warm, dark, wet conditions.
@@Boringcountrylife Great idea! Thanks for sharing that. I plan on building these raised beds next spring, so that will help defray some cost by adding those to the bottom and possibly have another row of blocks to make them taller without the need for that much more soil.
I am switching to concrete beds this year. You have given me very helpful information. Thank you
Always glad to help a fellow gardener. ❤️
I also have concrete beds and I went with this because I like the modern look. Fortunately, I did this twelve years ago when free delivery was available for the pallets of blocks I had to purchase. I believe at that time I paid $.99 for each block and $1.09 for each cap. My husband did this (poorly) and the whole system buckled and look awful within the first three years. Soon after, I hired a contractor to sink the bricks six inches in a gravel base and then stack bricks to a height of 30 inches. The bottom 14 inches are rough gravel topped with hardware cloth to keep critters from digging underneath to the bed. The remaining 16 inches are top soil and compost. My bricks are all mortared together as frost heave will cause the beds to buckle when the earth pushes against the bricks. Each bed is lined with pond liner simply because in 2013, I was not sure what exactly was in these bricks. I had top soil delivered and my contractor filled each bed (I have four beds that are 4 x 13.5 feet). Every year, I top off the beds with 600 pounds of top soil and 240 pounds of earthworm castings. I placed caps over the holes so that I would have somewhere to sit and because I didn't like the look or required maintenance of open holes. I amend the beds as needed every year based on soil test results which we can get free in Connecticut. In each bed, I sunk in two two-gallon food-grade buckets where I add my kitchen scraps and make my own compost. Red wiggler worms live in these beds and will travel from one bucket to another in search of food leaving castings throughout the bed. The worm population is large. I've never noticed issues with concrete heating the soil, but because my beds are so much deeper, I imagine the biomass of all that soil and the roots I leave behind create an ecosystem rich in water. Once my cover crops have been winter-killed, I throw a large tap over the beds to keep snow/rain out which minimizes frost heave issues. On the bed where the garlic is planted, the tarp is clear to allow sunlight. The tarps are removed mid-March once the soil has begun to thaw. If you were to ask my opinion, I would advise you to go bigger to at least a depth of four feet; and go taller to a height of at least two feet (three bricks high). That will allow you to ditch the landscape fabric altogether. Since I don't know where you live I can't speak to what you may experience with frost heave. Mortaring the bricks does not contaminate soil (soil tests show no chelates or chemicals). The weeds I see popping up come from wind movement and birds and nature in general. Plant cover crops in the fall to suppress the weeds; plant intensively so no soil is exposed; and mulch with straw. I like your style, and applaud you for foregoing the naysayers who believe blocks are bad. Well done! Subscribed.
Sounds like you have an amazing garden bed setup! Thanks for the tips, and welcome to the channel! 👋
I have three beds made of “cinder” blocks and I used a safe rubber sealant on the interior since I didn’t know if they were a 100% concrete.
Great idea! 🙂
Actually that prevents moisture loss, people use pool liners too
I enjoyed your video. I have been gardening for 6 yrs with concrete raised beds. I never thought about putting weed fabric down 1st, then poking holes. That is a Great idea! Thanks for that. My only constructive criticism is a cinder/concrete block is only 8" tall.(not 12") And you only have it half way filled. So you're really only giving the plants 4-5" of soil? I'm impressed/surprised! That will save me some $$$. Thanks again for the video. Happy Gardening!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😊 These beds are usually fuller than what’s shown in this video. But I also wouldn’t plant something like tomatoes or peppers in them (at least as they are in this video). But this shallow soil grew fantastic kale, lettuce, tatsoi, and mustard greens. I definitely think we can save big on soil for “greens” beds!
Thank you for so prompt a reply to my comment on your block bed!!🤗
You're welcome!
Another fantastic video! You briefly touched on insect control with other plants/herbs... Can you please do a video on insect and animal control on yard gardens? Also, would creating a mulch boarder around the cinderblocks help insulate from the heat and therefore reduce watering needs? My wife came running upstairs when she heard your video start... She's become a big fan as well! See ya next time!
That’s a great idea! I’ll add it to the list. I actually just filmed a “Top 10 Companion Planting” video, which discussed insect control, but I think an “all things insect & what to do about them” video would prove useful.
The companion video should post next week. 🙂
As for the mulch border, that’s a great idea. I do think that would help reduce watering needs!
Is there a specific ratio of each ingredient for raised bed soil? Half of each one or what? Love you videos have learned so much.
There are lots of different “recipes” out there. The one I’ve used is equal parts potting mix, peat moss, and manure. The potting mix has the perlite or vermiculite in it already, so the potting mix component takes care of that aspect.
This 3-part (all equal parts) ratio seems the simplest to me, but it’s just one option among dozens. 🙂
Very helpful and informative!! Thank You!
Glad it was helpful! ❤️
Hi, I had purchased cinder blocks from Homedepot two years ago. I used the garden sheets on the bottom and framed the bed with the blocks. On the out side of the block I used plastic garden fencing since I have deer problem. I put in raised bed soil and mun. I had no luck sadly in producing vegetables from starters or seed. I live in the Pacific Norhthwest, WA. Any suggestions?
When I have struggled with growth, it has almost always come down to a soil quality issue. FoxFarm soil is top-notch. Also, raised beds will always require more nutrients and therefore more fertilizers (and fertilizing more frequently) than in-ground beds. Did you fertilize?
When you say "garden sheets," are they permeable? Like not solid plastic, right?
I am looking to build raised bed in my greenhouse. I live in the desert and so heat is an issue- as you mentioned these blocks will get hot... also we have issues with rodents and bunnies that love to get in the greenhouse. what do you suggest. thanks.
Probably wood-built raised beds with rabbit wire on the bottom to keep the critters from digging under. The concrete beds would probably dry out too quickly and metal beds would get so hot in a greenhouse.
Wooden beds don't last forever, which is the downside, but it'll be somewhat sheltered inside a greenhouse, so that should help extend its life.
So I was wondering if painting the center blocks with a white paint would help with the heat issue? I have not done a garden and I don’t think I’ll be able to this year but this is something that I want to look into for next year.
Great question. Since I haven’t done it, I can’t say for sure. But since it’s the material - not the color - that causes the heat absorption, I don’t now if painting would change that. Although I guess it does coat it in a different material so maybe?? 🤷♀️ Wish I could be of more help here!
What is the ratio of top soil to manure to peat moss to perlite? Also consider rabbit manure.
There are lots of different “recipes” out there. The one I’ve used is equal parts potting mix, peat moss, and manure. The potting mix has the perlite or vermiculite in it already, so the potting mix component takes care of that aspect.
This 3-part (all equal parts) ratio seems the simplest to me, but it’s just one option among dozens. :)
When we get back into raising rabbits, we'll definitely be taking advantage of their free manure. It's great!
Thanks
❤
Many thanks!
Thanks!
If the blocks aren't attached to the ground or each other, what happens when a wild animal or a child comes in the garden and starts tipping over or moving the blocks? All your veggies and soil fall out?
They’re pretty heavy. The type of critters that make their way into the garden can’t move them, and a little training stops little hands from moving them. We’ve never had issues with these blocks getting displaced. 🙂
I bought my cinder blocks from Lowe’s does anyone know if they are real concrete.
From what I understand, most Lowe's stores source concrete blocks from one or more local suppliers, so it will likely vary by region. If you call, they may be able to give you the supplier's contact info, and they'll be able to tell you with certainty.
Do a quick search online "Cinder Block vs Concrete Block" and you will have your answer.
I get all my blocks from the construction site I don’t buy woods, blocks or dirt.
That’s a blessing! ❤️
put cardboard, or plastic sheets in the bottom of your grow beds...
What about encouraging earthworms?
That’s definitely important in gardening, but I have plenty of in-ground beds where that takes place. For these block beds, I’m wanting/needing as absolutely low maintenance as possible, so weed fabric underneath it is.
I wonder if buying/adding earthworms would work well? I guess it would depend on the size of the bed? Might be a fun experiment!
As a side note, I caught a worm crawling out of the bed the other day - like slithering across the concrete. I wondered how it got there. I wouldn’t think they would want to climb up that rough surface. 🤔
Ummm. That doesn’t look like cinder block raised beds. Looks to me like an in-ground bed with a cinder block border 🤷🏻♀️
You can certainly have deep cinder block raised beds, but many plants grow beautifully with just one level. :)