As of: March 15, 2024, 8:40 a.m
By: Julia Bencker
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In this guide we will show you how you can easily build a raised bed yourself with little effort.
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Planning and Designing
a Homemade Raised Bed - How to Prepare to Build Your Raised Bed.
List of materials and tools for building raised beds - With these tools and materials, building your own raised bed is easy.
Build your own raised bed: Construction instructions - How to build your own raised bed step by step.
Care and maintenance of your wooden raised bed - This is how your DIY raised bed lasts for a long time.
Frequently asked questions about building your own raised bed - In this FAQ we answer all questions about building your own raised bed.
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Planning and design
of a self-built raised bed
To make your DIY raised bed construction a complete success, think about the following points:
Choice of location:
A sunny location with at least six hours of direct sunlight is ideal for a raised bed.
Also consider wind conditions and proximity to a water connection.
Depending on which plants you want to fill your self-made raised bed with, these factors influence your choice of space.
Sizing and Shape:
Match the dimensions of your raised bed to the available space in your garden.
A common size is 120x80 cm with a height of 80 cm.
This not only corresponds to a comfortable working height, but also the standard size of Euro pallets, a popular building material for DIY raised beds.
Material selection:
Wood is very popular due to its naturalness and easy processing.
When choosing, pay attention to weather-resistant varieties such as larch or Douglas fir.
Euro pallets are usually made of softwoods such as fir, spruce or pine and are also relatively weather-resistant.
However, it is worth treating these cheaper types of wood with a glaze or a weather protection paint.
Plastic frames (such as WPC, known from privacy screens for gardens) are also suitable as a weather-resistant alternative.
Raised beds made of metal or even stone are also possible.
In this guide we limit ourselves to instructions on how to build a wooden raised bed yourself.
Are Euro pallets poisonous?
Since 2016, it has been forbidden within the EU to produce and use Euro pallets treated with MB (methyl bromide).
When buying used Euro pallets, look for the “HT” (Heat Treatment) mark burned into the wood, which indicates that the pallet has only been treated with heat and therefore does not release the toxic gas methybromide into your garden.
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Hardware stores and other suppliers of garden supplies have new Euro pallets in their range that comply with EU guidelines.
So you can access it here without hesitation.
List of materials and tools for building raised beds
With these tools and materials, building your own raised bed is easy:
Wooden boards, aluminum angles, posts / 4 Euro pallets
Appropriate screws depending on the thickness of the wood chosen
Vole grid
Bubble wrap or pond liner
spade
Cordless screwdriver
Battery staple gun
Build your own raised bed: construction instructions
Are all materials prepared?
Then let's get started: This is how you build your raised bed yourself step by step.
1. Ground preparation:
Level the ground with a spade and remove any turf and weeds if necessary.
Keep the lawn and weed residues and use them as fertilizer for your bed.
2. Assemble the frame:
Cut the wooden boards to the desired length.
Now screw the first two boards to a post from the outside so that they are flush.
Repeat this process with the remaining posts until the foundation of your frame is in place.
Then place the next boards over the first and screw everything to the posts until your frame is finished.
Optionally, attach aluminum brackets to the corners of your wooden raised bed to stabilize the frame.
If you have decided on pallets, first align two pallets lengthwise at a 90° angle and screw them together.
Then repeat this process with the other two palettes.
It is worth pre-drilling the holes for both materials.
Since you are drilling at the edge of the board or pallet, the wood can easily tear if you screw directly.
Now finally align the frame and tighten all screws completely.
Screw the raised bed wooden frame together with a cordless drill © zlikovec/PantherMedia
Bosch cordless screwdriver
3. Insert a vole screen:
To protect your plants from voles, it is worth using a vole screen at the bottom of the raised bed.
Cut it to the desired dimensions and staple it to the frame.
It makes sense to let the vole screen rest about ten centimeters upwards on the frame so that there are no loopholes.
4. Attach protective film:
To protect the wood from moisture, line the inside of the frame with a protective film.
Pond or bubble wrap is best suited here.
Staple the foil all around the frame.
A raised bed with a vole grid and bubble wrap © zlikovec/panthermedia
Bubble wrap at OBI
5. Fill the raised bed:
Now fill the raised bed with soil and garden waste.
You can then plant your self-made raised bed.
Fill the DIY raised bed with soil and garden waste © Heike Rau/PantherMedia
Care and maintenance of your wooden raised bed
To ensure that you can enjoy your self-made raised bed for a long time, carry out the following care and maintenance work regularly.
Regular inspections:
Regularly inspect your raised bed for signs of wear or damage, such as rotten wood, rusting metal parts or crumbling stones.
You should check your raised bed thoroughly, especially after the winter months.
Repairs:
Carry out necessary repairs promptly to avoid major damage.
Replace damaged boards and tighten loose screws.
Wood Preservation:
Treat wooden surfaces regularly with a garden-grade, environmentally friendly wood preservative to protect them from moisture and rot.
Rust prevention:
Treat metal parts with rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion.
Overwintering:
In regions with severe frost, covers or mulch in raised beds can help protect the soil from freezing.
Conclusion
A self-made raised bed is an enrichment for every garden and a wonderful opportunity to design your own plant cultivation creatively and individually.
With the right materials and a little handwork, you can create a long-lasting and easy-care raised bed.
Frequently asked questions about building your own raised bed
How deep should a raised bed be?
A depth of at least 30 centimeters is sufficient for most vegetables.
However, for deep-rooted plants such as tomatoes or carrots, at least 45-60 centimeters is recommended.
A total raised bed frame height of 80 centimeters is ideal so that you can work comfortably at table height.
Can I put a raised bed on a balcony?
Yes, but pay attention to the load-bearing capacity of the balcony.
Pallet raised beds usually do not fit on balconies.
In this case, use lighter materials such as plastic or special balcony raised bed boxes.
Which materials are best suited for a homemade raised bed?
Wood is popular because it is an easy-to-work natural material.
Choose weather-resistant, long-lasting types of wood.
Metal is a durable but more expensive alternative.
Stone or brick provides an aesthetically pleasing, permanent solution but requires more work to construct.
Plastic raised beds are easy to set up and weatherproof, but release microplastics into the ground when it rains and thus harm nature.
How do I protect my raised bed from pests?
A layer of close-meshed wire mesh at the bottom of the raised bed can keep voles and other pests away.
Plant natural pest repellents like marigolds or garlic around the edge of your raised bed to deter insects.
How often do I have to change the soil in my raised bed?
You usually renew the soil every 3-5 years to provide your plants with enough nutrients and improve the soil structure.
Between these times, adding compost and organic fertilizer can maintain soil quality.
Do I need to treat the wood of my raised bed?
Treat untreated wood with an environmentally friendly wood preservative suitable for growing vegetables.
Avoid chemical agents that could release pollutants into the soil.
If you prefer to opt for a prefabricated raised bed made of wood, we have a recommendation for you:
Douglas fir raised bed
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here