How to Build Raised Garden Beds Using Fencing Material
Raised garden beds improve drainage and bring the garden up to a level that is easy for a gardener to work. Soil doesn’t become compacted by constantly being walked on and plant roots do not have to struggle to get through the compacted soil. Reusing fencing materials cuts down on the cost of materials and helps the environment by recycling.
Things You'll Need:
- 10 six-foot wood fence posts
- Tape measure
- 3 yards of chicken wire or mesh
- Hoe
- Wood saw
- Newspaper
- Staple gun
- Select a sunny spot where the garden bed will be placed. Most flowers and vegetables need a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day. Use the hoe, break up the dirt and remove all weeds and grass.
- Measure the perimeter of the preselected area for the raised garden bed you plan on building. Since raised beds can be shallow or deep, you will also need to know the depth of the garden bed. Double the perimeter measurement to determine the number of fence posts needed. A 30-foot perimeter would require 60 feet of posts. If your posts are six feet long, you would need 10 posts. Do not use metal poles as posts, as they conduct heat and can damage roots.
- Cut the fence posts to the desired height and hammer the posts into the ground evenly spaced apart. Dig a shallow trench along the perimeter between the posts. Attach mesh or chicken wire from post to post following the trench and bury the bottom of the wire with the trench dirt.
- Spread a three-inch layer of newspaper inside the fencing. The newspaper will kill any grass, keep weeds from growing and add organic material when they decompose; or staple landscape plastic sheeting to each fence post. The weight of the dirt will hold the liner in place when the bed is filled.
- Fill the raised garden bed with a mixture of soil, compost and fertilizer. Water the soil when the bed is half filled and again when it is completely filled. This will help settle the soil.
- Place plants and/or seeds into the soil and water at least once daily.