Easy Raised Vegetable Beds


(the black tubes are drip irrigation)

Materials needed
Two 8' 2x6 Redwood boards
Four 10" galvanized spikes

Cut the two boards in half, and notch each end. Drill a vertical hole in each notch, assemble the bed, insert the spikes, and you're done.



You can use different sizes of lumber, different types of lumber, and pieces of rebar or aluminum rod in place of the galvanized spikes. You could use two tiers of lumber for more height. Using the spikes or rods is nice because you can easily disassemble and reassemble the structure.

As optional moisture and UV protection for the wood, I applied a thin coat of Cabot's Oil Stain. Another option would be to use longer rebar pieces or rods, and use them as attachment points for a short bunny or cat barrier. Cats often mistake these raised beds for litter boxes, which is why I like coyotes so much.

The only tricky part (isn't there always a tricky part?) is drilling the spike-holes so they line up precisely enough to be enable insertion of the galvanized spike.
My DH* used a "combination square"** and a "drill guide"**.

The "combination square"** marks the exact vertical center of the notch, and the "drill guide"** helps enable a perfectly vertical drill. If you happen to have a friend with a "drill press"** they can drill the perfectly centered, perfectly vertical holes for you in about two minutes, not including the time required to drink the "thank you" beer you bring them.

* DH = Dear Husband. You didn't think I did this sawing and drilling business myself, did you?

** Guy Terms. Guys either know what these terms mean, or nod, grunt, and find out what they mean when you are not paying attention.

Comments

  1. Hi EGH, That's a whole different proposition, either with larger lumber, or on a stand. I must leave that to better craftspeople than myself!

    ReplyDelete

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