How to Build a 4' x 4' Raised Bed Garden Kit from Start to Finish

John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ goes on a field trip to his friends house to install a 4'x4' Square Foot Raised Bed Garden. In this video you will learn more about Raised Bed Gardening and see the entire process on how you can easily set up a raised bed kit so you can start growing food, all in just a few hours.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• build
• raised
• bed
• garden
• gardening
• kit
• sfg
• square
• foot

[porterknudsen]

How often should you replace the soil in your raised bed and can you reuse the old soil .

[growingyourgreens]

I do not replace the soil in my beds. I only continually improve and build the soil by adding more compost and other organic nutrients including rock dust. I usually add compost once or twice a year after each growing season. You can also build soil by planting cover crops that fix nitrogen such as beans and legumes.

[mrgreenskeeper1]

Hi John another great vid and i watch them all. I dont ever recall seeing one on water quality. Im having trouble with chlorine in the water and dont have much space for rain barrels. Have any suggestions?

[growingyourgreens]

Yes, I have them. See

watch?v=YcDxjQszXPw

watch?v=bnZqPCf6mVs

watch?v=EqumnbQIXGQ

I will have a more specific video on water filtering in the garden soon, as I was just published in magazine talking about this subject.

[growingyourgreens]

Glad you enjoy my videos. If you look at the "sheer" numbers, it might be less expensive to let industrialized (or hopefully local) organic farmers GROW your food. But in my opinion, you are missing the point I strive to make... To empower people, to get connected with nature, and have a higher quality of food than you can purchase. Here are two good videos that will share my views on this subject, if you havent already seen them:

watch?v=rxLV3vM-t_w

watch?v=boTaClgXTIE

[FreidasGarden]

@AnitaGofradump2008 Hi Anita I watched a documentary a couple weeks ago about food grown in Mexico. They use water from an open waterway that had dead bodies from dogs and people in it plus waste from the local hospital. After it was over I went to make a sandwich with a tomato I got from the store because mine aren't ready yet. It was labeled Mexico. I took a bite of it anyway and it tasted like, well NOT a tomato. You can't beat the taste of a home grown vegetable right off the vine!

[zekehooper]

@luvintherawlife The one problem I have is with cats. It's a big litter box to them. I have learned if I plant lavender that the cats don't like that and will stay away.  Next summer I will have to try it.

[zekehooper]

@luvintherawlife so far ,so good. I built 3 at about 4 bordes high, that's about 20 inches. they are 4' x 6' and are doing fine. I was able to use cheaper baords that have some knot holes in them but they are doing great. I did have to put a board in the middle so it wouldn't bowout from all the dirt. the other ones i build are only 2 baords high so that is not a problem.

[growingyourgreens]

Root vegetables MAY need a deeper bed.. up to 12".. You can stack two of these kits together. Although root veggies will grow into the soil we added, and then into the ground below it (since we didnt put hardware cloth). I would have double-dug the ground if I knew root vegetables were going to be primarly grown. Kit costs vary. I see raised bed kits (normal price) start at $30 and go up to about $80. Go to to greenlandgardener*com to buy a kit for $30 including shipping.

[thrhymes]

looking at how the wood is cut with a 45°-angle, i guess the metal hinge-like part schould be on the outer side oft the corner... i am the type to read the manual only if it does not work out of the box, but in this case i am pretty sure without looking at the manual :)

[zekehooper]

I built my raised beds from cedar fence boards. I like the idea of door hinges.

[growingyourgreens]

Yes, the trellis uses 1x1's it was probably purchased, but could be made easily. the overall height is 6 ft tall. about 1 foot gets pounded into the ground.

[scherrah]

Thanks for your videos John. You have inspired me to grow food for my family this year!

[FreidasGarden]

I would rather watch your video than TV John! You have inspired me to build even more raised beds. I have a lot of wine drinking friends and they all save me their used wine bottles. I use them to border my beds. A time goes on I'll add more compost and soil. The wine bottles keep in the heat. For some reason you can't recycle them at the recycle center anyway. Oh and then I use the corks to make big labels that I can see with my one good eye! lol Dang Cataracts!