AlanHarmon.net

I was at a gathering last night and we started talking about on of my passions - Gardening. Here is how I made my raised garden bed back in 2021.

Layout Your Cinder Blocks to Make Sure Your Placement is Correct

Before you start construction, it is a good idea to layout your cinder blocks and make sure your size and placement is what you want. Now is the time to make any changes. You will probably have this for a long time, so don't be in a hurry - take your time and get it right. Your dogs can also provide some nice entertainment as you work!

Clear The Area You Will Be Using

Make sure the dirt contains enough sand that it wil be flat. You want a nice base to build your structure on. If needed, buy bags of sand and mix with your native soil to accomplish this.

Place the Concrete Blocks in a Simple Form

To get a nice foundation, place all the concrete blocks around the edges of your raised garden box.

Add Concrete to the Center of the Concrete Blocks

With my hands I dig a little dirt out of the holes in the concrete blocks, and add concrete to the top for a nice flat surface. You can add rebar to this but I didn't, and after two and a half years my structure hasn't shifted a bit.

Cut the 4 x 4 Supports

I tie my bed together using treated 4 x 4 posts.

Add the Side Boards and the Posts

Add the Top Section

My Soil Mix

Garden Soil
Peat Moss
Vermiculite

Run Your Irrigation Line

After my base was set, I ran the irrigation line.

Run Hard Pipe

I prefer hard pipe with half-inch pvc and 1/16" holes. I will post on this another day. I don't set the flow so high as shown here, but it make for a pretty picture. In the heat of summer I water with this system about 1 inch high per emitter for 5 minutes, twice a day. In fall I shift this to once a day, and in winter I water as needed depending on the rain.

My Finished Raised Garden Bed