How to Build a Raised Planter Bed for Vegetables

The satisfaction of growing your own vegetables is hard to beat.  The only way to make it more satisfying is to build a raised planter that allows you to garden at waist level.  You do not have to bend over to enjoy the fruits of your labor anymore.  As well as benefitting you, the plants will thrive in the fresh, loose soil which is full of nutrients.  Let's get started.

First, you will need to select a sunny location for the planter to be located.  Vegetables prefer at least six hours of sunlight.  It is also nice to have the vegetable planter located near the kitchen so you can easily bring the veggies in to cook.  

Next you will need the materials.  In our example, the planter will be 10 feet long, four feet wide, and three feet high.  We are using 12 inch wide boards for easy stacking. 

For this planter, you will need (6) 2" x 12" x 10' boards, (6) 2" x 12" x 4' boards, and (6) 4" x 4" x 42" posts.

Assemble the beds on a hard, even surface.  Use at least two screws on each side where joining boards together.  Make sure the shorter beams are on the inside of the longer beams on each set of planters.  This will keep the dimensions the same, keeping each level of the planter square.

Build as many planters as you need to attain the height you are looking for.  Move them into the location you have selected for your planter and stack the frames.  The area should be level.  If you are going to irrigate the planter with drip irrigation, run the tubing under the bottom of the box now. 

Next, You will need to secure the boxes with the 4" x 4" posts.  One post will go in each corner and one halfway down each side for planters longer than 10 feet.  Each post should be at least six inches taller than the height of the bed and be buried into the native soil the extra six inches.  Attach at least one screw on each 12" board where it is contacting the 4" x 4" post.  For this planter, we used six screws in each corner post and three screws per side.   

Now the hard part.  Filling the planter with soil will be the most labor intensive part of the project.  This planter will use four and a half yards of soil.  If you have strong friends, you can load wheelbarrows and dump the entire wheelbarrow in, as shown in the picture below, or you can shovel the soil in. 

To determine how much soil you will need, use this formula and measure in feet: Length x width x height divided by 27.  Our planter is 10 feet x 4 feet x 3 feet = 120 cubic feet.  There are 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard.  127 divided by 27 = 4.7 or about 4.5 cubic yards.

After you have recovered from moving the soil in, it is time to irrigate the planter bed.  We use Netafim brand irrigation for all of our plants and planters.  It has an in-line emitter built in every 12 inches.  We lay the tubing out in a grid pattern helping to make sure that the entire surface area is irrigated.  When using the Netafim, make your runs no longer than 20 feet.  If they are longer than that you will lose pressure in the tubing and water flow will drop considerably.  Use drip tubing staples or landscape fabric pins to help hold down the Netafim.  



Now that the irrigation is in, it is time to add the plants.  Place each plant under one of the emitters.  Add approximately two to three inches of mulch.  The mulch will help keep the soil cool and retain moisture. 

                                      

This planter is just starting with a few cold season crops such as broccoli, rhubarb, and lettuce.

Finally, watch the garden grow and enjoy the fruits of your labor.