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A job always sounds daunting before you start. When I began mulling over the idea to convert my vegetable garden into raised beds, I assumed it would be difficult and very time-consuming. I was wrong! Putting a raised bed together takes a couple of hours at most and the benefits are endless. Raised beds offer great drainage, decreased weeds, and easier gardening. But you don’t need to hear me preach the benefits; I want you to see just how easy it is!
Watch how to make these raised garden beds:
My bed is 4 feet by 24 feet. This is large for most and I don’t expect anyone to actually want that. Attached is the layout for a standard 8-foot by 4-foot bed with all the materials needed. Download the PDF here.
Prepare your area by clearing the grass or anything that may be setting roots into the ground. I like to make the bed above ground then set it in place.
Here’s the general process for raised garden beds:
- Put the bed together starting with one post and continue until the bed is completed.
- Dig your footing holes for the posts and turn the raised bed over to set in place.
- Backfill holes with dirt. I use a mixture of ½ topsoil and ½ compost mixed with 1-2 cubic feet of perlite (or vermiculite). Add the soil, compost and perlite alternately and mix together.
- I finished my bed with post caps and finials because, well, it’s me and I always have to go a little over the top.
Once complete, you’re ready to let the bed set over the winter. If you don’t have access to good quality compost, place as many leaves in the bed as possible and let them compost over winter.
I’m not an expert but I do love gardening. While I may be young, I’ve been gardening for years and have found a raised bed to be super beneficial. I hope you’re inspired to try your own!
Thank You for the raised bed video!!!!
All you videos are so helpful!
❤️ Love
Love the idea of raised beds, Thank You.
I have a question about your grass. Do you leave it long (as pictured) over the winter, or trim it shorter?
I also enjoyed your raised bed garden video. Not only great instructions but entertaining as well. After a long not so great day, I found myself smiling through the entire video. Thanks
Love it! We found that the compost from our landfill has ground up everything in it, including poison ivy, so after one time, no longer get it from that source. This has me yearning to get back into the garden come Spring. Thanks!
Love your videos. So helpful!
Hi Kaleb,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am new to gardening and want to prep a used bed for this coming year. I worry about potential blight that affected my tomato plants last year. How would you proceed in preparing the bed so that I don’t reinfect my plants.
Thanks so much!
You should rotate garden beds yearly for sure, even in the absence of blight. It will help reduce the likelihood of fungus and pests finding the same food source each season. 🙂 For any blighted material, you should bag it and stick it in your garbage, or burn it. Avoid composting it, which will spread the blight.
Love your videos! Cedar planks are not available near me in Florida. Is there something different I could use?
Kaleb you are such a wonderful, fun person. I absolutely love watching you work in your garden. I used to have a nice vegetable garden and flower gardens everywhere. I unfortunately can’t physically do garden work anymore. I’m a nurse and I injured my back really bad back in 2007. I was divorced and had to continue working. Finally in 2015 my body said enough. Long story short, I sold my big two story house with my big yard. I moved into a small single story house. And I have no flower beds and no vegetable garden. So I thoroughly enjoy watching you garden and then can and preserve. I too grew up doing these things. I just turned 55 and I can still cook and bake. I feel like we’re neighbors. So thank you for inviting me to your place for visits.
I’ve always had a garden, traditional, but considering the raised beds…. I know fall is better to initiate this for the breakdown of the topsoil and compost but could I do early spring !? I could potentially do it now., I guess … This far weather has been mild here, actually 70 degrees yesterday 😳.
Gardening is my therapy!!!!! Happy New Year
I am excited to use your instructions for an above ground planter! Dumb question…is it too late for me to build one and start the soil combination now! January in Greer, SC…
LOVE your videos and ideas!!
Thank you, Teresa
Love Love your show, I’m a new gardener in Tennessee always did in California relocated now I’m ready to start my garden do want raised beds but I like idea of sitting you made remark on your Moms beds. How May 4×4 high and this current home needed a lot of Love, was not taken care of yards are full of weeds we have sprayed so much can we put weed barrier below the bed?
Thank you for this very helpful information and video. Since I’m unable to kneel and care for a garden as I once was able to do, this video about raised gardens is great. Now, I just need to find someone who can make one for me! Wanna come up the road about an hour (I have a farm in Iowa), make a new video about raised beds to post on your site? LOL
Thank you so much, we have a 1/2 acre that I have wanted to move our garden area to and do this but being new to gardening wasn’t sure how to do it. But finding you on F/B has inspired me so greatly. And I am learning all kinds of new things, in everything that I so enjoy!! I love your videos and look forward to seeing you everyday!! Your actually my highlight of the day, and it makes me happy to see you!!! Keep up your fabulous shares! Thank you again for this web site you share!!!
Love watching your videos and following you…making one of your soups this weekend!
I truly love your gardening setup! I use to have one similar to yours but after the kids were grown, we resorted to large pots and a smaller yard. I even grow blueberries in my pots and have peaches also!
Its beautiful! Thanks for the guidance 😉
Thank you for the video! I am so inspired to do this, however it is January and of course Spring is just 2 short months away. For a successful raised garden is it necessary to startbin the fall and let it sit during the winter months?
I have never planted a vegetable garden before. I can’t wait to get started. I would like to do raised beds like yours, but I can’t start until late April. I want to plant this Spring, any help tips. I love all your recipes and canning info. Thank you
Thank you for the raised bed video!! I wondered how or rather, what type of wood to use, as it would decay eventually, but the idea of CEDAR is just great! Thank you and keep posting!!!
Hey! Would putting down plastic under the dirt be a bad idea? I’m trying to figure out what to put underneath and around my raised beds to keep the weeds from getting through.
Living on a farm in Kansas we have loads of rabbits that love to devour our tasty gardens. How do you keep these rascals out of your beds?
Hi love allll your videos and Instagram
Lots of good questions in your comments
But no reply???
Would love some answers:)
Those finials are a BRILLIANT idea to help keep the hose from plowing down your plants when you are walking around watering!! Thank you so much for this idea!!!!!
Love this video! You’re such a hard worker!
Hello Kaleb, I’ve been following you for about 3 years now on Instagram and I just love your enthusiasm and your willingness to help a person that have no gardening experience how to set up a garden bed I have a large yard which my fiance had inherited and I was looking to make a raised flower bed and now I have an idea of how to do it since I watched your video thank you for being such a sweet person and I love all your videos and I also send you some of my recipes and see how you like them I’m a self-taught chef and I love to cook too especially with the having grandparents from Poland and Ireland I get to try all their different recipes I’ll send you some love always Helen
Sending positive thoughts for Kip and hugs to you and your family. Thank you for being so strong and maintaining your social presence. 💟
Well Hello Kaleb… thank you for making us all feel like we can do anything. Make it look easy and fun… Thank you for sharing all your tips in the garden and cooking… And your home with us…Love your how to do videos. Always learning something new. Blessed day and thank you
Kaleb,
Your enthusiasm is infectious. Thanks so much for sharing all the wonderful recipes from your grandmother and family. The gardening ideas and methods are exceptional. Keep it up! I love your work! You’re giving us all motivation. Prayers to you and yours. God Bless.
I love everything you do gardening, cooking, I love flower gardens. I so wished I lived on a farm. Love that way of living. I live in California the weather is getting pretty toasty. I am new at gardening and normally everything I plant dies. Is it to late to plant my garden. I just purchased raised beds and got a late start in the season. It’s going to get in the 90’s can I still plant my garden when it’s this hot. I still see Vegetable plants in the stores, nursery.
You’re truly an inspiration to all, thank you for sharing so much of yourself. I love all your recipes and have tried several so far. You’re gardening tips are so helpful, I learn something new from you every time you share. Well wishes and prayers for you, Kip and your family.❤️
How do you know when to harvest garlic?
Love, love, love watching you!!!!
FYI, I love you!!! You make me feel like I can do things that I love and be successful at it, especially since you live relatively close to me and are probably in the same zone and similar weather in real time.
I appreciate all you do and hope you continue—just wish I was younger! All the information you give I will use as much as I can, as I am in the winter of my life, but your personality is what encourages me to enjoy life. Thank you 🙏🏻 😘
I love all your videos and your sense of humor Kaleb! You are so pleasant and entertaining to watch…very positive. I love your tips, grandma & mother references and your why would you or would not comments! I am starting my first garden boxes soon! Thank you!
love love love all you do so inspiring Greetings from mississippi
If I am putting a raised bed on top of grass, do I need to dig up the grass b4 I put soil, compost and nutrients down?
Love watching your videos. Love your energy.
Thank you! I asked for this but it was already here!
Hi there!
I started watching your presentations about a week ago and have been so impressed by your gardening and vegetarian cooking techniques.
I checked your website & found instructions on how to build a raised bed. I’m in Florida and I want to know where I could make/buy one for my covered/screened patio to plant herbs and a few veggies. Any tips on this.
I just love your lively presentations! May the force be with you!!
I absolutely love your recipes!! Can’t stop watching..with your fresh new ideas!! Thank you for a breath of fresh air of ideas for recipes…made me want to cook again!!
Your smile is contagious!!!
I’m sure you have written some books particularly about growing vegetables and planting in the fall. do you have something you can recommend to me. I am retired and would like to start a hobby on my patio .thank you so very much🌞
Lorraine
I like the way your raised bed are built, but I want to ask how do you keep the grass from taking over on the summer? From Texas
I currently have a raised bed 28″H x 95″L x 50″W(12″D) that is too old & I need to replace. My next one will be longer & closed underneath for storage. That way I won’t have to worry about grass/weeds growing underneath but, will have space for pots, etc.. I mostly grow herbs, strawberries & blueberries that I trade for other things they grow-win win. I keep wire fence around the sides to keep critters out. I might need to put something along the top for birds & squirrels. Any suggestions on the structure and/or plantings would be appreciated.
I have never been able to plant a vegetable garden as my land is mostly ledge… This Spring we will try a small raised garden bed to get some vegetables… Thank you for the great video to make a 4 x 6 raised bed..fingers crossed it gets us a few Salads ❣️
Love your variety of video’s. Can you make a video of how you compost?
Thank you.
Hi Caleb! I just rented a raised bed from my community garden in Gardnerville, Nevada. My question is should I replace the old soil or just mix in some amend. What are the layers of soil in your raised beds. Thank you!
Our new HOA just broke ground on a garden area, waiting on fencing to be installed this week. I’d like to put in a raised bed but in your video you were preparing one for the fall and for it to compost all winter. Is there a problem with planting in it this spring or would there be more of a chance of weeds to establish themselves since the soil was disturbed? Would a barrier at the bottom be recommended?
Thanks!!!
Denise
I will be making at least 3 raised beds at my new home. Do you use pressure treated wood or not? I’ve read about the copper leaching from it, but do I want to remake the beds every 3 years if I don’t?
Great video, finally putting in raised beds this year, your video helped me decide on size and depth. Cannot wait to get started.
Kaleb, thank you for posting, how to make raised beds. My question is, do I need to bury a cedar plank into the ground to keep the dirt from coming out the bottom?
How deep are your raised beds?
Thank you.
Bobbie
Hi !! Can I make my raised bed in the fall and fill it with all you mentioned if I live in NY where we get a lot of snow ?
Omgoodness Kaleb, I enjoy your videos/show so much.
I live in Iowa. Grew up on a farm in Northern Iowa.
I love your Kitchen/garden/cooking/decorating and your mom !!
Keep telling what products you use. You are sunshine !!
Do you make your own compost?
You are amazing. I enjoy watching everything that you do and I love love love your home!!!!!!!!
You make my day!!!
Thank you I’ve enjoyed all your videos an it’s been a lot of help an your so amazing keep it going.
I have been watching you for a while now. You just keep getting better and better. You feel like a good neighbor that comes over for coffee and chats. I am from Saraland, Alabama, just 15 minutes north of Mobile. Some of the things you say and do remind me of the way I grew up. We didn’t have a farm but my Aunts and Uncles did so I learned alot. But you have taught this old woman some new information. Thank you so much for being you!
Hi Kaleb, I love your videos. I have a question about raised beds. If I put them in the spring, should I do anything differently with respect to the amount of topsoil, compost and perlite to put into the beds and start planting right away. When in the spring would you advise that I put the raised beds in? I live in central Vermont which I believe is in zone 4b. Thanks.
I’m loving your raised bed video & demonstrating how to fill one. I’m closing on my house on the 24th and will be making raised beds along the outer rim of my craft cottage. So excited! Thank you!
Caleb, I am building beds according to your plans and loving them. We have three made so far. I am looking to start filling them for this fall growing season and would like you to tell me the best combination to ensure a healthy soil for some fantastic growth. I am in southeast Texas. I believe it’s zone 9
How fo you keep rabbits out of your raised beds?
Hi Kaleb I really enjoyed your video on making a raised bed.I followed your directions and it turned out great. I posted a picture of it on my instagram, I’m private so not sure you will see it but I did dm you. Thank you 😊