Does anybody have any good videos or personal experience with raised beds?

Here is one building with concrete blocks.

If you live where I live in my location you simply must put down a concrete bottom to keep the tree roots out.
Don't lie to yourself on this, you will be sorry.
I did and I am sorry.

I love that video, it's such good instructions. Has anyone built both the wood and the concrete, and might share their experiences with both types? Pros and cons? Worth's tip about a concrete bottom to keep out roots is a good one.

[mention]worth1[/mention] did you feel like you should put mortar between the blocks? I had a local friend mention that she thought it should.

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:02 pm I love that video, it's such good instructions. Has anyone built both the wood and the concrete, and mihht share their experiences with both types? Pros and cons? Worth's tip about a concrete bottom to keep out roots is a good one.

@worth1 did you feel like you should put mortar between the blocks? I had a local friend mention that she thought it should.

Not I didn't look at the video no need to I have seen so many.
Not trying to me insulting but it is what it is.
My problem is from beneath and lord knows where.
I simply can't have a raised bed sitting on soil, the tree roots from cedar elm will invade like no tomorrow.
I wish when I had moved here I had cut every one of them down and planted fruit and nut trees.
Better yet a bulldozer.

worth1 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:09 pm

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:02 pm I love that video, it's such good instructions. Has anyone built both the wood and the concrete, and mihht share their experiences with both types? Pros and cons? Worth's tip about a concrete bottom to keep out roots is a good one.

@worth1 did you feel like you should put mortar between the blocks? I had a local friend mention that she thought it should.

Not I didn't look at the video no need to I have seen so many.
Not trying to me insulting but it is what it is.
My problem is from beneath and lord knows where.
I simply can't have a raised bed sitting on soil, the tree roots from cedar elm will invade like no tomorrow.
I wish when I had moved here I had cut every one of them down and planted fruit and nut trees.
Better yet a bulldozer.

Of course you didn't watch, Worth. I wasn't suggesting that you watch the video. I know you know way more than most about construction. Did I say something to make you think I wanted you to?

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:43 pm

worth1 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:09 pm

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:02 pm I love that video, it's such good instructions. Has anyone built both the wood and the concrete, and mihht share their experiences with both types? Pros and cons? Worth's tip about a concrete bottom to keep out roots is a good one.

@worth1 did you feel like you should put mortar between the blocks? I had a local friend mention that she thought it should.

Not I didn't look at the video no need to I have seen so many.
Not trying to me insulting but it is what it is.
My problem is from beneath and lord knows where.
I simply can't have a raised bed sitting on soil, the tree roots from cedar elm will invade like no tomorrow.
I wish when I had moved here I had cut every one of them down and planted fruit and nut trees.
Better yet a bulldozer.

Of course you didn't watch, Worth. I wasn't suggesting that you watch the video. I know you know way more than most about construction. Did I say something to make you think I wanted you to?

No not at all I was just explaining why my raised beds are a disaster.
I cheaped out which is against every thing I live by.
I should have known better but my late wife loved the trees so much.
These cedar elms are a worthless weed tree fit for nothing but stopping up sewer lines and sucking up water.

I used concrete blocks like you buy for retaining walls at Home Stores, and they used to even be available at Walmart in the Spring, which is where I got most of mine. I really like the look, it will last forever and works quite well. I have also had wooden raised beds. The wood was cheaper, faster and easier, but after 2-3 years didn't look tremendous. The investment in time and money and a good deal more muscle for the concrete gave a better looking and much longer lasting result. When I was putting my Concrete one in, it was along the property near the road and I wanted it to look nice. Either one will work of course, depends on what you want and how much you want to put into it.

I’ve been pleased with my raised beds. I done three now with 2” rough cedar. I thought they were a breeze to build. 2”x 8” boards on the bottom, 2”x 6” on top of the 2x8s. The metal corners I got were a decorative type. Only tool I needed was a Lithium Ion battery drill and a drill bit, plus the philips head bit. Did them all without needing any help. One bed I used my lithium ion electric chainsaw to cut the boards to size.

I didn’t do any of the hooey about adding additional barriers or cloths between the soil and such. Most of the videos on raised beds I’ve seen go way overboard about adding barriers, cloths, plastic, weedguard, concrete, etc. and for what really? Two of mine I plopped right on the grass, the other I dug up the grass. Not a blade of grass every grew up from below or a weed for that matter. A foot of soil covering it all sees to that. Barriers generally don’t stop tree roots anyway, trees can bust up concrete pipes or roadways if they like. Take a drive down Lake Road in Lake Jackson, that road in town is all but destroyed by live oaks, don’t you think they had moisture barriers and steel rebar? The city had to spend millions fixing Oyster Creek Drive for the same reason. Let’s plant Live Oaks in a 12 foot median, you know those trees that get 6 feet in diameter or better! The city did and the trees just laughed at it, destroying the sidewalks and roadways with impunity. Stupid city.

So far, no tree roots have found their way in my beds. Two beds are just at the edge of a live oak drip line, the other free and clear. I’ll move them if roots get to be an issue. Earthworms have certainly found a home in the beds.

Lots to consider, Location, Climate, pests and as worth pointed out invasive roots. Here are my builds for Zone 7A Philly.
These are mostly Hugelkultur beds and lasagna style layering.

Raised Beds Construction

That Is a beautiful bed. Are those draw pulls on it? If yes, please tell why.

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:21 am That Is a beautiful bed. Are those draw pulls on it? If yes, please tell why.

No, they are not drawer pulls but thanks for the chuckle, they are actually landscape lights.
Hard to see but you can make out the light they throw on the path into the yard. If you look close at about 7:00 you can see one that is on that raised bed

SQWIB wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:26 am

Ginger2778 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:21 am That Is a beautiful bed. Are those draw pulls on it? If yes, please tell why.

No, they are not drawer pulls but thanks for the chuckle, they are actually landscape lights.
Hard to see but you can make out the light they throw on the path into the yard. If you look close at about 7:00 you can see one that is on that raised bed

Haha! OK, that makes sense! Your garden is lovely, and more so at night.

I use cardboard to line the bottom of my raised beds for vegetables, just to be sure none of our more invasive deep rooted things comes up through. The cardboard is pretty much gone by the time I'm digging the beds a year later. I have had a few tree root issues in beds a bit too close to the edge. I have to dig them deeply periodically to cut the roots back.
So far I've managed to make my raised vegetable beds out of old scrap lumber - previously enjoyed. Bits of the old greenhouse, steps, deck, or other thing that had to be replaced. Hammer and nails, it gets a second life in the garden, and I'm not too worried about how it looks. I just want moose or rabbits to notice that it's different from the rest of the terrain, and leave it alone....
Winter crushed a couple of my beds pretty badly this year, so I'm looking at rebuilding those.. when I get my steps repaired.

This is pretty but expensive.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mutual-Mate ... /313690937


You could do cheap concrete block and cap them off like they did in this very expensive kit.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Natural-Con ... /203110017


Marsha, I know you know this but usually vegetable gardens are supposed to be away from trees. But whether or not you will have a big issue with roots in your particular spot would depend
I guess on how close you are to the trees and the aggressiveness of the roots. I would test out the site without pouring concrete-
you could always address this later if it was a problem. Now if you have a ficus nearby I am not even sure concrete would help.

(Sqwib, that is a beautiful wood raised bed. Looks like a piece of furniture.)

This is what I used, and it looks similar but is significantly less expensive. It doesn't look as high end, but has a lot of colors to choose from and I think still looks nice. Wish they had all those colors when I did mine.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-11-7 ... /100333178

Sue CT

Those look very nice. Much prettier than concrete block. Did you have to mortar or concrete glue them together?

I think I have them pretty well down pat for making them here in PA. Pull up the sod, fork it deep, add fertilizer, replace the sod upside down, build a wood box around it, fill it with compost/horse manure/perlite/fertilizer/some dirt. Expect to water a lot if it is dry, or add drip tape. Black mulch a plus to keep water in and weeds out. Mine would be hopeless this year without drip tape and black plastic mulch...we had the first good rain tonight in a long time. Had about 3/4" or less over the last 5 weeks before the 1" or so today.

I don't know that it would work well in GA or Fl though. My first thought would be to check the neighborhood and see what works down there. I thought Florida was container country.

MsCowpea wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:57 pm This is pretty but expensive.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mutual-Mate ... /313690937


You could do cheap concrete block and cap them off like they did in this very expensive kit.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Natural-Con ... /203110017


Marsha, I know you know this but usually vegetable gardens are supposed to be away from trees. But whether or not you will have a big issue with roots in your particular spot would depend
I guess on how close you are to the trees and the aggressiveness of the roots. I would test out the site without pouring concrete-
you could always address this later if it was a problem. Now if you have a ficus nearby I am not even sure concrete would help.

(Sqwib, that is a beautiful wood raised bed. Looks like a piece of furniture.)

Good advice Elaine. And thank goodness no ficus. I will not be pouring concrete ever. I just want a long lasting structure, but one that I can take down easily too. I will choose my site much more carefully since you mentioned that about trees, since Ive never had a raised bed, I did not know. I wish I had an acre or even2/3 of an acre, but I will just have to be very choosy with my back yard size. It does have some land so its not too bad. Thank you for this important guidance, very appreciated.

Sue_CT wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:35 pm This is what I used, and it looks similar but is significantly less expensive. It doesn't look as high end, but has a lot of colors to choose from and I think still looks nice. Wish they had all those colors when I did mine.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-11-7 ... /100333178

I was thinking about using those to build mine. Thanks for the reminder.

JRinPA wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:01 am I think I have them pretty well down pat for making them here in PA. Pull up the sod, fork it deep, add fertilizer, replace the sod upside down, build a wood box around it, fill it with compost/horse manure/perlite/fertilizer/some dirt. Expect to water a lot if it is dry, or add drip tape. Black mulch a plus to keep water in and weeds out. Mine would be hopeless this year without drip tape and black plastic mulch...we had the first good rain tonight in a long time. Had about 3/4" or less over the last 5 weeks before the 1" or so today.

I don't know that it would work well in GA or Fl though. My first thought would be to check the neighborhood and see what works down there. I thought Florida was container country.

Great descriptions. I enjoyed reading that. Florida is definitely container country for me, for my tomatoes, but Elaine plants some of hers in raised beds some in containers. I want my raised beds for carrots, onions, broccoli, sweet potatoes, things that nematodes don't matter much with.