I did my raised beds just like you when I lived in Michigan. Just tossed the frames down, and leveled things out a bit. 15 years of weed and grass-free beds. No problems. Then, the job took me to West Tennessee, and I discovered Bermuda grass. It's the normal "lawn grass" here. Hearty and hard to kill off, even with tarps or chem warfare. Its runners and rhizomes drill through layers of the thickest landscape blanket, and its seeds get everywhere. So, I understand both sides. Not even ripping out the sod, digging down, and deep-setting the frames, and mulching deeply with 12" beds keeps out noxious Bermuda. Grass type matters, folks. Luke is right for a gardener who has never dealt with Bermuda. Luke's audience is Michigan gardeners in particular. If you're not a Michigan gardener, then your mileage may vary, and you'll need to adjust your approach.
Yes Bermuda grass infests everything. Pulling it actually propagates it!! I can’t believe the jungle that forms in TN monsoons of April- bare earth becomes a jungle in a month with vines reaching the tops of power lines. It’s amazing but dock Johnson grass vetch and bamboo and other weeds are ridiculously tough to kill. Don’t even think about kudzu! I don’t miss northern winters but I after 25 years in the south I still can’t get over how lush the weeds get in a few weeks with poison ivy leaves as big as serving platters and volunteer redbuds and sumac trees growing in the driveway already requires loppers and it’s only Memorial Day.
Thank you for explaining this! I’m trying to figure out how to set up garden boxes for the first time and we have Bermuda grass EVERYWHERE in our yard (south Alabama, Wiregrass region) and all around us is wiregrass (hence the name). So I’m really trying to find a solution specific to my area. Which hasn’t been easy for all the reasons stated above and in the video lol
it was pretty clear to me you had more than enough soil on top to suppress any grass. Now worms will eat the dying grass and turn it into a layer of worm castings.
Hurray!!! I was second guessing myself having just put in 2 raised beds on top of grass. I'm new to gardening and these are my firsts. I almost took them apart thinking I messed up. Saved me alot of unnecessary work. Thank you!
😂😂 Love your sarcasm when showing your first bed. I did my beds exactly like this with NO cardboard etc.. and I DO NOT have weeds either! Love your videos and expertise, your my RUclips go to for all my gardening questions/needs! Keep it up! Your doing an amazing job!
I stopped using weed barrier because it grew through ( as in poked holes in it) and made a monster mat. I use newspaper now. At least the bermuda doesn't bond with the cover.
Thank you so much for this video! I was just in the yard removing chunks of turf for my new bed and my husband said you don’t need to do that. I didn’t believe him. So he said.. go watch your guy see what he says.. and you say NO! I am so happy!! 😃
NO PROBLEMS HERE lol we placed them right on the grass .... not 1 blade made it up ...... wait till I show how we did back to eden with no cardboard =)
I put cardboard and newspaper in my compost pile, but never directly into the garden....hmmmmm I may have to look into this. PLEASE post a video on your gardening methods, Doug and Stacy. I'm very interested!!
Of course, it all depends where you live. In south Louisiana, we have bionic weeds and a very long weed season! I would put something under the bed and STILL expect to see grass growing in the beds. Our grass will puncture a swimming pool -- in the center under the pressure of water and with no direct sunlight!
You're so right in what you say and I love you saying age is just a number. I'm 64 and have been gardening for many years but am starting up a large bed after a long hiatus. I recently moved to a farm which is on solid bedrock hence the need for a raised bed. you only have to be concerned when dealing with invasive grass like kikuyu. Don't worry about the naysayers at all...you're doing a great job! After the long period away from veg gardening I feel like a greenie so have devoured all your tutorials and have learned so much from you. Thanks for your passion and commitment and for sharing your knowledge. Happy gardening !!
You are correct, I built my raised beds just like you on top of grass. I think I laid down newspaper first but it probably wasn't necessary. Good job. Love your enthusiasm!
I did all of mine following you, no weeds! I mulch when I plant, and during late fall after everything has been harvested. No weeds. It's great in spring to come into the garden with no weeds. Thank you.
We have quack grass here in northern Alberta and the runners can travel through cement (it seems). My raised beds lay fallow for two years. This year I could not even get a pitch fork through the soil to tear up the roots. It all had to be hand ripped out. Yes I did lay a few layers of cardboard under the wooden frames. So, Luke, you are very lucky to be able to do that and save a bunch of time!
I appreciate this video! I am in the process of moving a raised bed left here by the last renters to a new spot in the yard and I was prepared to put down cardboard and other recommendations. I'm glad I don't have to waste the time doing so!
Do not worry about those comments. You are great! Please keep uploading your videos, I love them. I am turning 45 this year and just started learning how to garden from RUclips. Age doesn't count, experience does. Cheers
I think it is so funny that people comment that you don't know what you are doing!! Look at your garden, it is amazing!!! I have been following you for a while and implement your techniques and I am so grateful for your knowledge! I am a little older than you are and you know so much more then me and I have never questioned it lol! Don't listen to the haters, they are probably jealous of your amazing gardening skills! Keep up the good work!
Luke I've been watching you since I started gardening (you were so young) I am easily twice your age and my husband and I wouldn't have had the success we have without your videos! Keep up the great job!!
😂 Love it! Unfortunately, I love in Texas and deal with both crabgrass and bermuda grass which did not get smothered. Even cardboard was no match for the bermuda. Bermuda just grew under the cardboard until it found a way up. Most of the normal grasses, especially further north will not pose a problem.
I put weed fabric on the bottoms of all of our beds and the Torpedo grass still came up through some of them and that's with nearly 12 inches of soil on top of the grass! Michigan grass is totally wimpy in comparison.
Not all grasses are the same. Crabgrass would turn those beds into raised lawns. I put raised beds in my back yard lawn as well, but I completely excavated the top 8 inches of grass roots and soil, put down 2 layers of cardboard and 4 layers of landscaping fabric then back-filled the beds with weed free soil and compost. Crabgrass had completely infiltrated the beds within a year. My beds require a full dig out reset twice a year to keep them functional. I’m currently planning a full yard remodel - scrap the beds, kill the lawn, use a sod cutter to remove the turf, lay down a heavy plastic barrier, top with pea gravel and then reinstall the beds. I’m sure this guy is annoyed with trolls but a little research on his part would reveal that this isn’t a useable technique for many (most?) would-be lawn gardeners.
I put my raised bed right on top of an oleander bush that i cut down, and not even that seems to be able to grow through, people are way too paranoid about weeds.
Because of you I'm putting in my first raised bed tomorrow. Bought everything tonight just gotta build it. I hope it is bountiful. I'm a complete newbie.
sooo glad to see this vid!!! ive stacked 3 blocks high topped with a 4" solid block to hold the layer of regular grass cloth intended to keep the dirt in the beds. daughter is agast that i built on top of grass with just the cloth. been tossing in cardboards, paper shreds, leaves now that gardening is over. planning to spread a tarp on top to kill off what seeds might be in the materials over the winter. thank you for sharing your experience.
You are correct with the raised beds and no weeds. I have 14 raised beds exactly like yours and no weeds. Best thing ever is raised beds. High 5 to you.
Great video, and YES I heard the exact same thing! I have 3, 4x8 raised beds that are 10.5 inches high. I placed them on grass, and have no weeds what so ever! Listen and learn ppl! Thx Luke👍☺️
Built my first ever raised bed (4'x8' using 2x10's) last year on a Bermuda grass lawn. Used no native soil to prevent grass or weed seeds. No problems last year, but this year the Bermuda started making its way up the inside of the bed walls somehow. I pull it out by the roots as best I can when I discover it running, but it's a super aggressive grass so I hope it doesn't spread in the bed too much to keep under control!
I, for one, am so glad you made this video! It was very informative and I am super excited to redo my raised beds for next year with the wealth of information you gave me. Thank you!!
This is good news for me. This has been driving me crazy. I am trying not to use cardboard,news print and weed fabric so as to keep my garden as organic as possible. I wish I had found your video long ago. Thank you soooooooooooo much. I will make sure to check out all your other videos.
We have St Augustine, which is one of the toughest grasses to overcome. Even if you cut it out, remove soil, and treat the soil, it will reseed itself and take over whatever you try to plant instead. But we do have success as you do with beds, we just have to do one more step. I cut down 3" on mine and flip the grass soil side up, then plant over it. The results is just sporadic shoots of grass coming up, which could just be re-seeding from the rest of the lawn. Love your Videos - Stay young as you can
I totally remember about three years ago when the whole Internet lost its mind over this. I even remember what I was doing when it happened, I was washing my car on a sunny June day, and then, BAM! It was a crazy time, kids. You should have seen the pandemonium. It was totally nuts!
Thank you so much. I've watched all the recent videos and am now going back in time to see the ones I've missed. I saw the one previous and thought, 'well look at that, he's planting straight on grass, wow, how does he do it?' and this video followed, lol
I started a raised bed 2 years ago but never bought dirt to fill it. All I've done is add the little bit of compost we've made and there is around 3-4 inches deep... No grass here either. Thanks for the video.
You looks so young in this video 😊 Thank you so much for your help You just saved me and my back from digging up grass I just placed 4 10 by 5 beds on grass and will fill them up Keep up the good work Love your videos and will soon order seeds from you One love
Aww, I know this video is old but it made me sad that you had to address the issue. It totally changed your energy. I'm glad I found you tho. Keep up the good work!
Wow, thanks! This is great and just what I needed to know. Even though I grew up in the country and gardened my entire life I still learn a lot from your videos! I take notes! It's exciting. Had been gardening in the same beds for 30 years but now I'm starting over again in a new place and 600 miles southwest of where I was. I only have 600 sq.ft of beds but I'm used to growing thousands. We have an open lawn area that would be perfect for massive expansion. We wondered about just putting the raised beds right on top of the grass. Now we know for sure. When we thought about it, made sense that the soil would smother the grass out. Thanks!!!
Excellent info 👍. I'm about to build 6 4'x16'x 11" beds and my research is exactly what you said so I'm not worried about the grass. I will cut the area as short as possible and spread it through out the beds along with sawdust and manure . The fill dirt is coming from a local place that mix's compost and topsoil. My wife pays he is just a tour with great success. We will also be composting and adding that to the beds later. Thank you 👍
So glad you posted this! I've just built and filled my first raised beds, then suddenly questioned whether I should have cleared the grass first.... was starting to worry I'd need to remove all the soil and start again, but I'm relieved to see such clear evidence that I shouldn't waste my time! Hoping to start planting in the next week or two :D
where do you live? I'm starting mine and I was told that I couldn't start them on my grass. After watching his video I feel a little relieved but I'm still worried. I do remember a kiddie pool being left in my yard for a few months and the grass died where the pull was. So, im thinking the same will happen with a raised bed??
Loved this video, loved the sarcasm. We are putting in deeper beds and the only problem we have is birds pooping out seeds that start to grow on the surface.
I totally get it, and agree, grass can be killed with enough cover. My problem is blackberries. Our house (and garden) was built on a clearing of a wild forest that had acres of wild blackberries growing. If the lawn isn't mowed, blackberry bushes start growing everywhere. My garden is over part of the lawn (like yours). So the lawn dies, but the blackberries never do. They seem to make it up to the surface no matter what. So, I put down thick layers of cardboard over the grass, under the raised beds, to stop or slow down the blackberries, and it seems to help, so far.
Rock on Luke! Everyone who “scolds” you is a self proclaimed authority figure. You need not be 65 years old to have value, knowledge and qualifications to share your videos! Love em and thank you! ✌🏻👍🏻🙌🏻 (ps loved the part where you zoomed in on all your invasive “grass”. Lololol)
I did exactly that. Mine have done great. To get started last year, I filled my beds half way up with free wood chips then topped them off with store bought soil. This fall I had some nice compost from grass clippings and topped them off with that after harvesting all my summer crops. I rarely see a weed in my beds. My soil is black and crumbly. My beds are filled with fall crops that are doing great. The only problem I have is squirrels digging in the beds. I could put some wire over the beds but it isn’t bad enough to worry about it.
We have raised beds and we don't have any grass in them either, so I know for a fact it can be done. I need to mulch around the blue berry bushes this year. By the way I love the light wood mulch you have between the beds. It makes it look so much cleaner and neater. I will be doing this.
LOL - I had watched many people put raised beds on grass before and never figured people would be so freaked out at seeing it on a video. I always wonder about people who preach but don't practice what they sell.. I plan on doing this in my back yard garden and was glad to see this video which confirmed what I had seen ;>)
Man o man, totally love it. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER FREIND. Great job, keep up the good work. We as a community appreciate you, FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO YOUR VIDEOS. THANK YOU SIR!
We made our 12-inch deep raised bed three years ago & put it right on top of grass too, because I was afraid to ask my husband to both build me a raised bed & dig up grass! I figured, no light, no growth. And we have had absolutely no issues with grass or weeds growing up thru the soil. It’s good to know that the same is true for 6-inch raised beds! #AnotherMichiganGardener.
Thank you! People/Neighbors/Friends thought I was crazy for leaving the grass in my newly built raised beds. And then they blew a gasket when they saw dead tree trunks on the bottom of the beds as I was waiting for the soil to be delivered. I've researched, I've taken Ag classes at UC Davis. I got this...
My first raised beds, I used cardboard. They were about 6” deep. My BF told me my neighbor’s weed bins would make it to my veggie beds. It did after about 3 years. The new beds I used weed cloth but are 11” deep. I wish I had seen this video first. I will follow your advice with the new raised beds. 57 years old. 🙋🏽
This is halarious! I have done beds with and without barrier and the barrier is a wastes if time. Listen people!!! Luke know his business!! Great job Luke. Keep it coming!
We have Bermuda grass here in Oklahoma and if you don’t stay on top of it, it will come up and take over the bed. Lots of cardboard down first. Love your videos; very informative.
I'm happy how clearly and simply this answered my question about grass under beds as a beginner. Like... load the video NOOOOOO ITS FINEEE!!! Never going to worry about it again haha
Thank you, Luke I was contemplating if I could do on ground raised beds this year being so late to the game… it’s hard to see you so snarky lol but I think it’s pretty justified 😅 don’t let the haters get you down ❤
I've put aised beds in for a long time,made out of 2X8's, 10's, and 12's, and I have to weed every couple weeks. The cover suppresses the grass growing where you put the bed, But in my neck of the woods we got plenty wind borne, avian borne grass seeds that sprout. Still, it's the best way to grow.
I appreciated the video. Your smug comeback to your raised bed construction is humorous. This is one reason I decided to start growing in planter box type containers instead of larger, raised beds. I need to use more vertical space because I don't have a big yard. I have raised beds also, but the soil in them is more native to this area and not solely container soil and it isn't very nutritionally advanced. I have added sphagnum and rock dusts and other items but it gets expensive. I have added worm castings and worm casings to get more nutrition. It will take more time. The thing is, when I started the raised beds, I put down landscape fabric and wetted cardboard, I also made one with neither of those and it is doing better than them... I still will get weeds. So... I thought your raised bed idea was fine. Really lucked out on the pro mix bed. WOW! @ you!!
lol "i will have to let this bed go fallow" lol too funny... i will say that i built raised beds at 12" i dug the edge down 2" to make it level and filled it with 10" of topsoil... I did get 2 points where a single dandelion leaf popped up i just pulled it... and i did see some grass i pulled it as well... i can not garentee that the soil was perfectly wed free.... since it was the cheapest around but i will totally agree with you on this one... most of my weeds are surface based. i liked this video because i also have seen grief on putting beds directly on the ground... good for you for fighting back on this.
Started gardening 2 years ago and did just that. My main issue is thin tree roots coming through and it's a reasonable distance from the tree. Didn't have any issues with grass coming up. Not sure why you bothered making this video though, people are going to comment as they please, there's always a one-upper.
I'm a newcomer to your channel and I did notice the placement directly on the grass, but I didn't invest the time into commenting or asking a question. That said, I do appreciate this explanation since it caught my attention. Great information. Thank you!! I'm guessing Bermuda grass is NOT something I could put a raised bed on top of, correct?
I took your advice & started a raised bed garden (12” deep) on top of the grass & weeds are growing in my garden already 2 months later. Now I have to tear out the bed.
Don’t listen to these people Luke, I love and appreciate your guidance in gardening!!! I do have a question, how long do your beds last, I’m concerned about how often I will need to replace the wood. Your oldest bed seems pretty good still.
I just finished a garden bed from scratch today. layer of hay and weed free top quality compost soil on top of Kikuyu, which is a creeping grass. It's nothing like city grass and will grow through and that three inches of dirt around your tree in less than two weeks. Let's see if my garden bed survives. If not, I will have to start all over.
Hi, Thank you for this great video. Can I put a 10 inch depth raised bed on grass and not experience drainage issues. I'm hoping to save some work, for my grandson, and put the raised bed on grass. I have clay soil. My plan was to remove the grass, amend 2 inches to help with drainage and then add a raised bed that is 10 inches deep. Will the grass help with drainage? Even with the clay soil, I have not seen pooling or other overt draining problems anywhere on the property. I have 2 flower beds with native and amended 1:1 soil that are doing well.
I'm late to the party here but in the south homeowners actually plant Bermuda grass on purpose! It is a nightmare and even with weed cloth, mulch, soil, it will still overtake your raised beds! How amazing that you don't have that problem. We're probably going to have to do completely above ground in tower gardens and waist high raised beds to get away from weeding. LOL
Luke....I'm good with your expertise ! What I need to know is when are you going to get it your trifecta? And be specific and telling me what kind of mulch do you have around your raised beds, is it treated and where can it be purchased?
Luke, I'm glad you made this video. I had questions too, but now you gave answered them. I am planning a backyard like the one you have next year. My wife and I enjoy all the informative videos you and Cindy put on video. Thanks!!
Here in California our tropical grasses (kikuya and bermuda) will grow through that much soil. Especially as you plant and bring up stolons. A fescue grass would be fine. Even so it in still not hard to manage after a couple seasons of weeding them out.
KYLE MEYER Yes to the comment about Bermuda grass! When I lived in zone 10, the neighbor's Bermuda grass would send runners 15 and 20 feet under black plastic covered by six inches of gravel in an unwatered xeriscape to come up where cactus had been planted. I had to pull up the plastic for some construction and found a thick mat of runners beneath it. Now that I live in zone 5a, the grass is much easier to kill with mulch. Trumpet vines are the Central Plains version of Bermuda grass. They will come up through just about anything.
The prairie grass here in Alberta came up through 8" of soil at our old house, installed by previous owners. I spent 13 years fighting the grass in those beds, so I cringe when I see people putting planters directly on the lawn.
You are growing, literally. more views. More trolling opinion. Think of it, you've come to a point where there are so many random people chiming in, that you feel you need to explain yourself. It will encourage more scrutiny the more your channel grows. Ignore it, address it quickly in an episode. But I strongly suggest you not film your frustration. It feeds the troll. Without a reaction, they cannot survive. Like a weed without sun. Don't feed the scrutinizers. They love it. Great channel...:)
Welcome to the internet. Good info on suppression. I have 1 weed thats a vine/invasive/something poking through but my backyard isn't close to as clean as yours. Don't feed the trolls
I have 4 10x4 raised beds. It is good to know why I really don't have any weeds in them. I do get the top of the surface weed that is common in the State of California. Just a pinch and its gone. Anyway, I do appreciate your response to this question. I always say that there is no stupid questions, even when there are those that feed on it as being stupid. Sometimes you have to repeat yourself for those that just came on board, like me, or those that had forgotten what you had said. Keep up the good work.
It really depends on what type of grass you have. Grass that spreads by underground runner will cause problems. Some grasses are not aggressive at all and can be easily covered.
I couldn't agree more. Some thing I would like to share is that weed cloth can actually cause problems with drainage. I found this out the hard way! Water pooled in the bottom of my 2 beds I used it in. After a hard rain you can dig in the soil just to find you have soup in the bottom of the bed! I tilled the soil under the rest of my beds before I built them. I did Not remove any grass or weeds. Just tilled the soil about 12" deep and built the beds on top. No weeds or grass came to the surface. This fall I will remove all the soil from my 2 weed cloth beds and remove it! Wish I had seen this video before I used weed cloth.
Wish that I had seen this a year ago. Spent a lot of time and money worrying about killing grass.... new beds this year, and I won't worry so much. Thanks!
I did my raised beds just like you when I lived in Michigan. Just tossed the frames down, and leveled things out a bit. 15 years of weed and grass-free beds. No problems. Then, the job took me to West Tennessee, and I discovered Bermuda grass. It's the normal "lawn grass" here. Hearty and hard to kill off, even with tarps or chem warfare. Its runners and rhizomes drill through layers of the thickest landscape blanket, and its seeds get everywhere. So, I understand both sides. Not even ripping out the sod, digging down, and deep-setting the frames, and mulching deeply with 12" beds keeps out noxious Bermuda. Grass type matters, folks. Luke is right for a gardener who has never dealt with Bermuda. Luke's audience is Michigan gardeners in particular. If you're not a Michigan gardener, then your mileage may vary, and you'll need to adjust your approach.
Thanks for saying this... I need the bermuda experienced gardeners lol
Yes Bermuda grass infests everything. Pulling it actually propagates it!!
I can’t believe the jungle that forms in TN monsoons of April- bare earth becomes a jungle in a month with vines reaching the tops of power lines. It’s amazing but dock Johnson grass vetch and bamboo and other weeds are ridiculously tough to kill. Don’t even think about kudzu! I don’t miss northern winters but I after 25 years in the south I still can’t get over how lush the weeds get in a few weeks with poison ivy leaves as big as serving platters and volunteer redbuds and sumac trees growing in the driveway already requires loppers and it’s only Memorial Day.
Yes! In Oklahoma and currently having to rip out and rebuild my beds because of bermuda. Hopefully I can get a good enough barrier this time.
Thank you for explaining this! I’m trying to figure out how to set up garden boxes for the first time and we have Bermuda grass EVERYWHERE in our yard (south Alabama, Wiregrass region) and all around us is wiregrass (hence the name). So I’m really trying to find a solution specific to my area. Which hasn’t been easy for all the reasons stated above and in the video lol
Yep, I put my raised beds right down on the grass, and there’s Bermuda up in the bed, and I’m here on YT looking for help!
it was pretty clear to me you had more than enough soil on top to suppress any grass. Now worms will eat the dying grass and turn it into a layer of worm castings.
Hurray!!! I was second guessing myself having just put in 2 raised beds on top of grass. I'm new to gardening and these are my firsts. I almost took them apart thinking I messed up. Saved me alot of unnecessary work.
Thank you!
I put my raised beds on the grass, 3 years now, no problems. You are young a very knowledgeable. Thank you!!!
😂😂 Love your sarcasm when showing your first bed. I did my beds exactly like this with NO cardboard etc.. and I DO NOT have weeds either! Love your videos and expertise, your my RUclips go to for all my gardening questions/needs! Keep it up! Your doing an amazing job!
Sandy Edgington same here, our raised bed has been going for two months now, and not a single blade of weed or grass.
I wish this were true for Bermuda grass. It's the bane of my existence! I am so envious of folks with just plain ol' grass.
I stopped using weed barrier because it grew through ( as in poked holes in it) and made a monster mat. I use newspaper now. At least the bermuda doesn't bond with the cover.
Yeah you're right the only thing that stops Bermuda is concrete
@@bencarey8988 It grows under concrete and comes out through the other side or grows through the cracks.
Thanks for the tip 🤪
I’m envious too. I’m up to my ears in Bermuda. It’s just grows over the mulch.
Lol. Of course, the internet goes crazy over any little thing. Loved your sarcasm! 😂😂
Kimberly Ann Jimenez he's over here crying 😢
Kimberly Ann Jimenez yeah, so many experts out there too lazy to make their own videos!
Thank you so much for this video! I was just in the yard removing chunks of turf for my new bed and my husband said you don’t need to do that. I didn’t believe him. So he said.. go watch your guy see what he says.. and you say NO! I am so happy!! 😃
NO PROBLEMS HERE lol we placed them right on the grass .... not 1 blade made it up ...... wait till I show how we did back to eden with no cardboard =)
We did the BTE as well, with cardboard or news paper in raised beds.
I put cardboard and newspaper in my compost pile, but never directly into the garden....hmmmmm I may have to look into this. PLEASE post a video on your gardening methods, Doug and Stacy. I'm very interested!!
Danelle W k
lol
Of course, it all depends where you live. In south Louisiana, we have bionic weeds and a very long weed season! I would put something under the bed and STILL expect to see grass growing in the beds. Our grass will puncture a swimming pool -- in the center under the pressure of water and with no direct sunlight!
You're so right in what you say and I love you saying age is just a number. I'm 64 and have been gardening for many years but am starting up a large bed after a long hiatus. I recently moved to a farm which is on solid bedrock hence the need for a raised bed. you only have to be concerned when dealing with invasive grass like kikuyu. Don't worry about the naysayers at all...you're doing a great job! After the long period away from veg gardening I feel like a greenie so have devoured all your tutorials and have learned so much from you. Thanks for your passion and commitment and for sharing your knowledge. Happy gardening !!
You are correct, I built my raised beds just like you on top of grass. I think I laid down newspaper first but it probably wasn't necessary. Good job. Love your enthusiasm!
I did all of mine following you, no weeds! I mulch when I plant, and during late fall after everything has been harvested. No weeds. It's great in spring to come into the garden with no weeds. Thank you.
This was really informative and is going to save me some time. I know it's been 5 years, but hey, I appreciate you!
We have quack grass here in northern Alberta and the runners can travel through cement (it seems). My raised beds lay fallow for two years. This year I could not even get a pitch fork through the soil to tear up the roots. It all had to be hand ripped out. Yes I did lay a few layers of cardboard under the wooden frames.
So, Luke, you are very lucky to be able to do that and save a bunch of time!
I appreciate this video! I am in the process of moving a raised bed left here by the last renters to a new spot in the yard and I was prepared to put down cardboard and other recommendations. I'm glad I don't have to waste the time doing so!
I'd listen to you in a heartbeat and I'm 57!
Do not worry about those comments. You are great! Please keep uploading your videos, I love them. I am turning 45 this year and just started learning how to garden from RUclips. Age doesn't count, experience does. Cheers
your turning 50 this year!! happy early birthday!!
I think it is so funny that people comment that you don't know what you are doing!! Look at your garden, it is amazing!!! I have been following you for a while and implement your techniques and I am so grateful for your knowledge! I am a little older than you are and you know so much more then me and I have never questioned it lol! Don't listen to the haters, they are probably jealous of your amazing gardening skills! Keep up the good work!
Luke I've been watching you since I started gardening (you were so young) I am easily twice your age and my husband and I wouldn't have had the success we have without your videos! Keep up the great job!!
Hey, Luke, you don't need to justify yourself to anyone. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
My wife and I really appreciate your videos. You are informative and helpful; always in a positive way. Thanks!
I have been gardening this way for years. People think I am weird. Just be patient and keep up the great work!
Not only are there hardly any weeds, but my goodness there's some healthy delicious looking veggies in there!
You got that right! :D
I had wondered about that. I really appreciated the explanation! Your method really eliminates unnecessary extra work!
Thank you for clarifying that. Although I did not comment about that before, I am grateful and thankful to understand it better now.
yes, you are qualified!!! I enjoy your videos very much, not a new gardener but I am new to growing in Michigan.
😂 Love it! Unfortunately, I love in Texas and deal with both crabgrass and bermuda grass which did not get smothered. Even cardboard was no match for the bermuda. Bermuda just grew under the cardboard until it found a way up. Most of the normal grasses, especially further north will not pose a problem.
I put weed fabric on the bottoms of all of our beds and the Torpedo grass still came up through some of them and that's with nearly 12 inches of soil on top of the grass! Michigan grass is totally wimpy in comparison.
Agreed...that technique is sound. I've ALWAYS started my raised beds by setting the wood frames directly on the grass...Never had a week problem.
Not all grasses are the same. Crabgrass would turn those beds into raised lawns. I put raised beds in my back yard lawn as well, but I completely excavated the top 8 inches of grass roots and soil, put down 2 layers of cardboard and 4 layers of landscaping fabric then back-filled the beds with weed free soil and compost. Crabgrass had completely infiltrated the beds within a year. My beds require a full dig out reset twice a year to keep them functional. I’m currently planning a full yard remodel - scrap the beds, kill the lawn, use a sod cutter to remove the turf, lay down a heavy plastic barrier, top with pea gravel and then reinstall the beds. I’m sure this guy is annoyed with trolls but a little research on his part would reveal that this isn’t a useable technique for many (most?) would-be lawn gardeners.
I put my raised bed right on top of an oleander bush that i cut down, and not even that seems to be able to grow through, people are way too paranoid about weeds.
Kerspaprog Balceram correct, in permaculture we embrace the weeds. most are even edible.
Thanks for the education on that... It may come in handy for someone! Don't let people annoy you... Your followers appreciate you!
Because of you I'm putting in my first raised bed tomorrow. Bought everything tonight just gotta build it. I hope it is bountiful. I'm a complete newbie.
sooo glad to see this vid!!! ive stacked 3 blocks high topped with a 4" solid block to hold the layer of regular grass cloth intended to keep the dirt in the beds. daughter is agast that i built on top of grass with just the cloth. been tossing in cardboards, paper shreds, leaves now that gardening is over. planning to spread a tarp on top to kill off what seeds might be in the materials over the winter. thank you for sharing your experience.
I also put my raised bed directly on grass: hardware cloth (anti gopher); 2" of stone (drainage); 12" of soil. Worked great.
You are correct with the raised beds and no weeds. I have 14 raised beds exactly like yours and no weeds. Best thing ever is raised beds. High 5 to you.
Great video, and YES I heard the exact same thing! I have 3, 4x8 raised beds that are 10.5 inches high. I placed them on grass, and have no weeds what so ever! Listen and learn ppl! Thx Luke👍☺️
Join the success club! :D
Built my first ever raised bed (4'x8' using 2x10's) last year on a Bermuda grass lawn. Used no native soil to prevent grass or weed seeds. No problems last year, but this year the Bermuda started making its way up the inside of the bed walls somehow. I pull it out by the roots as best I can when I discover it running, but it's a super aggressive grass so I hope it doesn't spread in the bed too much to keep under control!
I, for one, am so glad you made this video! It was very informative and I am super excited to redo my raised beds for next year with the wealth of information you gave me. Thank you!!
I shared your video with my husband and he’s been looking at quite a few of them. Young doesn’t matter. Experience matters. Keep on young man.
This is good news for me. This has been driving me crazy. I am trying not to use cardboard,news print and weed fabric so as to keep my garden as organic as possible. I wish I had found your video long ago. Thank you soooooooooooo much. I will make sure to check out all your other videos.
We have St Augustine, which is one of the toughest grasses to overcome. Even if you cut it out, remove soil, and treat the soil, it will reseed itself and take over whatever you try to plant instead. But we do have success as you do with beds, we just have to do one more step. I cut down 3" on mine and flip the grass soil side up, then plant over it. The results is just sporadic shoots of grass coming up, which could just be re-seeding from the rest of the lawn.
Love your Videos - Stay young as you can
I totally remember about three years ago when the whole Internet lost its mind over this. I even remember what I was doing when it happened, I was washing my car on a sunny June day, and then, BAM! It was a crazy time, kids. You should have seen the pandemonium. It was totally nuts!
Thank you so much. I've watched all the recent videos and am now going back in time to see the ones I've missed. I saw the one previous and thought, 'well look at that, he's planting straight on grass, wow, how does he do it?' and this video followed, lol
I started a raised bed 2 years ago but never bought dirt to fill it. All I've done is add the little bit of compost we've made and there is around 3-4 inches deep... No grass here either. Thanks for the video.
You looks so young in this video 😊
Thank you so much for your help
You just saved me and my back from digging up grass
I just placed 4 10 by 5 beds on grass and will fill them up
Keep up the good work
Love your videos and will soon order seeds from you
One love
I did the same thing and it works.
Excellent Video As Always. 💯👍👍😎☀️
Aww, I know this video is old but it made me sad that you had to address the issue. It totally changed your energy. I'm glad I found you tho. Keep up the good work!
Wow, thanks! This is great and just what I needed to know. Even though I grew up in the country and gardened my entire life I still learn a lot from your videos! I take notes! It's exciting. Had been gardening in the same beds for 30 years but now I'm starting over again in a new place and 600 miles southwest of where I was. I only have 600 sq.ft of beds but I'm used to growing thousands. We have an open lawn area that would be perfect for massive expansion. We wondered about just putting the raised beds right on top of the grass. Now we know for sure. When we thought about it, made sense that the soil would smother the grass out. Thanks!!!
Excellent info 👍. I'm about to build 6 4'x16'x 11" beds and my research is exactly what you said so I'm not worried about the grass. I will cut the area as short as possible and spread it through out the beds along with sawdust and manure . The fill dirt is coming from a local place that mix's compost and topsoil. My wife pays he is just a tour with great success. We will also be composting and adding that to the beds later. Thank you 👍
I hear ya! I put in raised beds this season and the my whole family lost their minds too. ¿ keep up the great videos, They are great! ♡
So glad you posted this! I've just built and filled my first raised beds, then suddenly questioned whether I should have cleared the grass first.... was starting to worry I'd need to remove all the soil and start again, but I'm relieved to see such clear evidence that I shouldn't waste my time! Hoping to start planting in the next week or two :D
where do you live? I'm starting mine and I was told that I couldn't start them on my grass. After watching his video I feel a little relieved but I'm still worried. I do remember a kiddie pool being left in my yard for a few months and the grass died where the pull was. So, im thinking the same will happen with a raised bed??
Loved this video, loved the sarcasm. We are putting in deeper beds and the only problem we have is birds pooping out seeds that start to grow on the surface.
I totally get it, and agree, grass can be killed with enough cover. My problem is blackberries. Our house (and garden) was built on a clearing of a wild forest that had acres of wild blackberries growing. If the lawn isn't mowed, blackberry bushes start growing everywhere. My garden is over part of the lawn (like yours). So the lawn dies, but the blackberries never do. They seem to make it up to the surface no matter what. So, I put down thick layers of cardboard over the grass, under the raised beds, to stop or slow down the blackberries, and it seems to help, so far.
Rock on Luke! Everyone who “scolds” you is a self proclaimed authority figure. You need not be 65 years old to have value, knowledge and qualifications to share your videos! Love em and thank you! ✌🏻👍🏻🙌🏻 (ps loved the part where you zoomed in on all your invasive “grass”. Lololol)
Even when people totally tick you off we still learn from you. 👍 Thanks for the good information.
I did exactly that. Mine have done great. To get started last year, I filled my beds half way up with free wood chips then topped them off with store bought soil. This fall I had some nice compost from grass clippings and topped them off with that after harvesting all my summer crops. I rarely see a weed in my beds. My soil is black and crumbly. My beds are filled with fall crops that are doing great. The only problem I have is squirrels digging in the beds. I could put some wire over the beds but it isn’t bad enough to worry about it.
We have raised beds and we don't have any grass in them either, so I know for a fact it can be done. I need to mulch around the blue berry bushes this year. By the way I love the light wood mulch you have between the beds. It makes it look so much cleaner and neater. I will be doing this.
I’m so grateful for your channel. You practice what you teach, so thhhhhhh to nay sayers.
LOL - I had watched many people put raised beds on grass before and never figured people would be so freaked out at seeing it on a video. I always wonder about people who preach but don't practice what they sell.. I plan on doing this in my back yard garden and was glad to see this video which confirmed what I had seen ;>)
Man o man, totally love it. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER FREIND. Great job, keep up the good work. We as a community appreciate you, FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO YOUR VIDEOS. THANK YOU SIR!
Just ignore the stupid negative comments! I think you are doing a great job and I find your videos very informative
You are a life saver I have lot of grass and I hate to remove it before preparing a bed
i have put my raised beds directly on the grass, just like you and never had any problem with weeds! 👩🌾
We made our 12-inch deep raised bed three years ago & put it right on top of grass too, because I was afraid to ask my husband to both build me a raised bed & dig up grass! I figured, no light, no growth. And we have had absolutely no issues with grass or weeds growing up thru the soil. It’s good to know that the same is true for 6-inch raised beds! #AnotherMichiganGardener.
I loved this! I'm glad you're standing up for yourself! Love your channel!
Thank you! People/Neighbors/Friends thought I was crazy for leaving the grass in my newly built raised beds. And then they blew a gasket when they saw dead tree trunks on the bottom of the beds as I was waiting for the soil to be delivered. I've researched, I've taken Ag classes at UC Davis. I got this...
Yes you do!!!!
Excellent video! Love it! It answers my question if I should put cardboard down before putting down my raised bed...
My first raised beds, I used cardboard. They were about 6” deep. My BF told me my neighbor’s weed bins would make it to my veggie beds. It did after about 3 years. The new beds I used weed cloth but are 11” deep. I wish I had seen this video first. I will follow your advice with the new raised beds. 57 years old. 🙋🏽
This is halarious! I have done beds with and without barrier and the barrier is a wastes if time. Listen people!!! Luke know his business!! Great job Luke. Keep it coming!
We have Bermuda grass here in Oklahoma and if you don’t stay on top of it, it will come up and take over the bed. Lots of cardboard down first. Love your videos; very informative.
We put our raised beds, made from 2"x12" and oldcastle blocks right on top of Bermuda grass, and it's 100% suppressed.
Not only does the Bermuda grow up but so does that darn vine!
I'm happy how clearly and simply this answered my question about grass under beds as a beginner. Like... load the video NOOOOOO ITS FINEEE!!! Never going to worry about it again haha
We have been doing raised beds for years. We live in the country and have never had grass grow in them.
Thank you, Luke I was contemplating if I could do on ground raised beds this year being so late to the game… it’s hard to see you so snarky lol but I think it’s pretty justified 😅 don’t let the haters get you down ❤
I've put aised beds in for a long time,made out of 2X8's, 10's, and 12's, and I have to weed every couple weeks. The cover suppresses the grass growing where you put the bed, But in my neck of the woods we got plenty wind borne, avian borne grass seeds that sprout. Still, it's the best way to grow.
I appreciated the video. Your smug comeback to your raised bed construction is humorous. This is one reason I decided to start growing in planter box type containers instead of larger, raised beds. I need to use more vertical space because I don't have a big yard. I have raised beds also, but the soil in them is more native to this area and not solely container soil and it isn't very nutritionally advanced. I have added sphagnum and rock dusts and other items but it gets expensive. I have added worm castings and worm casings to get more nutrition. It will take more time. The thing is, when I started the raised beds, I put down landscape fabric and wetted cardboard, I also made one with neither of those and it is doing better than them... I still will get weeds. So... I thought your raised bed idea was fine. Really lucked out on the pro mix bed. WOW! @ you!!
I think you r doing a great job , people like me are only learning from your experiences so don’t worry too much bout silly comments,
Luke, you are AWESOME! And you proved to my wife what I've been telling her.
She wanted to buy a ton of rolls of plastic, and collect cardboard.
🙄🙄
lol "i will have to let this bed go fallow" lol too funny... i will say that i built raised beds at 12" i dug the edge down 2" to make it level and filled it with 10" of topsoil... I did get 2 points where a single dandelion leaf popped up i just pulled it... and i did see some grass i pulled it as well... i can not garentee that the soil was perfectly wed free.... since it was the cheapest around but i will totally agree with you on this one... most of my weeds are surface based. i liked this video because i also have seen grief on putting beds directly on the ground... good for you for fighting back on this.
Started gardening 2 years ago and did just that. My main issue is thin tree roots coming through and it's a reasonable distance from the tree. Didn't have any issues with grass coming up.
Not sure why you bothered making this video though, people are going to comment as they please, there's always a one-upper.
I'm a newcomer to your channel and I did notice the placement directly on the grass, but I didn't invest the time into commenting or asking a question. That said, I do appreciate this explanation since it caught my attention. Great information. Thank you!!
I'm guessing Bermuda grass is NOT something I could put a raised bed on top of, correct?
I took your advice & started a raised bed garden (12” deep) on top of the grass & weeds are growing in my garden already 2 months later. Now I have to tear out the bed.
Don’t listen to these people Luke, I love and appreciate your guidance in gardening!!!
I do have a question, how long do your beds last, I’m concerned about how often I will need to replace the wood. Your oldest bed seems pretty good still.
Awesome! Thank you
I just finished a garden bed from scratch today. layer of hay and weed free top quality compost soil on top of Kikuyu, which is a creeping grass. It's nothing like city grass and will grow through and that three inches of dirt around your tree in less than two weeks. Let's see if my garden bed survives. If not, I will have to start all over.
Hi, Thank you for this great video. Can I put a 10 inch depth raised bed on grass and not experience drainage issues. I'm hoping to save some work, for my grandson, and put the raised bed on grass. I have clay soil. My plan was to remove the grass, amend 2 inches to help with drainage and then add a raised bed that is 10 inches deep. Will the grass help with drainage? Even with the clay soil, I have not seen pooling or other overt draining problems anywhere on the property. I have 2 flower beds with native and amended 1:1 soil that are doing well.
I'm late to the party here but in the south homeowners actually plant Bermuda grass on purpose! It is a nightmare and even with weed cloth, mulch, soil, it will still overtake your raised beds! How amazing that you don't have that problem. We're probably going to have to do completely above ground in tower gardens and waist high raised beds to get away from weeding. LOL
I'm glad you made this video because I'm lazy and was going to do it that way anyways.
Luke....I'm good with your expertise ! What I need to know is when are you going to get it your trifecta? And be specific and telling me what kind of mulch do you have around your raised beds, is it treated and where can it be purchased?
Luke, I'm glad you made this video. I had questions too, but now you gave answered them. I am planning a backyard like the one you have next year. My wife and I enjoy all the informative videos you and Cindy put on video. Thanks!!
Here in California our tropical grasses (kikuya and bermuda) will grow through that much soil. Especially as you plant and bring up stolons. A fescue grass would be fine. Even so it in still not hard to manage after a couple seasons of weeding them out.
Correct.
We have couch grass here and it grows one and a half feet up through my raised beds.
KYLE MEYER Yes to the comment about Bermuda grass! When I lived in zone 10, the neighbor's Bermuda grass would send runners 15 and 20 feet under black plastic covered by six inches of gravel in an unwatered xeriscape to come up where cactus had been planted. I had to pull up the plastic for some construction and found a thick mat of runners beneath it. Now that I live in zone 5a, the grass is much easier to kill with mulch. Trumpet vines are the Central Plains version of Bermuda grass. They will come up through just about anything.
Same here in AZ. Bermuda grass is my arch enemy.
The prairie grass here in Alberta came up through 8" of soil at our old house, installed by previous owners. I spent 13 years fighting the grass in those beds, so I cringe when I see people putting planters directly on the lawn.
Bermuda is the debil.👿
You are growing, literally. more views. More trolling opinion. Think of it, you've come to a point where there are so many random people chiming in, that you feel you need to explain yourself. It will encourage more scrutiny the more your channel grows. Ignore it, address it quickly in an episode. But I strongly suggest you not film your frustration. It feeds the troll. Without a reaction, they cannot survive. Like a weed without sun. Don't feed the scrutinizers. They love it. Great channel...:)
Well said!!!
Music Media Group / Directed by Davo well said! 100% true. Some people(sadly many) get off on seeing or hoping people fail one way or another.
Music Media Group / Directed by Davo I totally agree with you... Trolls feed on people's frustration...
Exactly, I definitely agree :-)
Welcome to the internet. Good info on suppression. I have 1 weed thats a vine/invasive/something poking through but my backyard isn't close to as clean as yours.
Don't feed the trolls
Tnx for that. I just bought raised and really didn't want to til! So taking your advice!!
Clover is also a really good cover crop. When the growing season is over I just let it grow. It makes good nitrogen.
I have 4 10x4 raised beds. It is good to know why I really don't have any weeds in them. I do get the top of the surface weed that is common in the State of California. Just a pinch and its gone. Anyway, I do appreciate your response to this question.
I always say that there is no stupid questions, even when there are those that feed on it as being stupid. Sometimes you have to repeat yourself for those that just came on board, like me, or those that had forgotten what you had said. Keep up the good work.
It really depends on what type of grass you have. Grass that spreads by underground runner will cause problems. Some grasses are not aggressive at all and can be easily covered.
exactly! don't do this over zoysia grass
I have zoysia grass and learned the hard way.
what about St Augustine grass? Can i use his method over this type of grass with no weed barrier?
I couldn't agree more. Some thing I would like to share is that weed cloth can actually cause problems with drainage. I found this out the hard way! Water pooled in the bottom of my 2 beds I used it in. After a hard rain you can dig in the soil just to find you have soup in the bottom of the bed! I tilled the soil under the rest of my beds before I built them. I did Not remove any grass or weeds. Just tilled the soil about 12" deep and built the beds on top. No weeds or grass came to the surface. This fall I will remove all the soil from my 2 weed cloth beds and remove it! Wish I had seen this video before I used weed cloth.
Wish that I had seen this a year ago. Spent a lot of time and money worrying about killing grass.... new beds this year, and I won't worry so much. Thanks!
Yessss! So happy to hear this! 💚
Thank you!!!! You saved me a ton of work :) :) :)