DIY: How to Build A Raised Garden Bed Using Old Decking (2024)

FAQs

DIY: How to Build A Raised Garden Bed Using Old Decking? ›

In this DIY tutorial, we're upcycling old decking joists, boards, and rail posts to create a durable and attractive raised garden bed that's perfect for growing your favorite flowers, herbs, and veggies. Not only is this project eco-friendly, but it also adds a charming touch to any backyard space.

Hardwoods are best for raised beds because they are naturally weather resistant. However, you can also use other untreated woods, decking or railway sleepers. Avoid pressure-treated wood as it contains chemicals that will kill plants. You can line a raised bed with landscaping fabric to increase durability.

A cost-saving alternative to Cedar, treated-wood products work very well when constructing raised bed gardens. Raised beds offer many benefits and advantages for gardeners: Improved drainage. Easier to improve soil quality.

Avoid using older types of wood treatments such as CCA, creosote, and Penta-treated lumber. Research from Oregon State University showed that pressure-treated lumber does increase soil copper concentrations by a minor amount, but only within 1 inch of the raised-bed edge.

Deck tiles are a low-cost way to transform your deck into a safer, more attractive space while helping to protect the actual deck from wear and tear. Installing interlocking outdoor tiles over a wood deck can help to protect you from splinters, while offering the deck protection from sun and wear and tear.

Plastic raised bed kits are another cheap option for low-level planting areas but these are usual not very durable. WoodBlocX offers a wide range of raised beds kits that look great and are easy to build. As an ideal railway sleeper alternative, WoodBlocX is an affordable raised bed solution.

Raised garden beds are containers made from wood, metal, or even Trex deck boards that hold soil above ground level. They offer several benefits over traditional in-ground gardening.

You have to replace any rotten decking you identify to maintain a safe and attractive deck. You can replace individual boards if only a few are affected. Extensive decking rot may warrant replacing the entire deck surface.

What to do with old trex decking? ›

Composite decking boards for raised beds have grown increasingly popular in recent years. Many homeowners now choose them as a stylish option for their gardens. Making raised beds with decking boards is an innovative approach to creating a garden that will add both functionality and beauty to your outdoor space.

The Type of Wood Used

Cedar, redwood, cypress, and hemlock are all types of wood that don't decay or rot quickly, and they can be expected to last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Check which of these durable boards you can find locally sourced. My preference is always untreated cedar.

To start, lay down sheets of cardboard or newspaper for weed suppression and then fill the raised bed structure halfway up with alternating layers of nitrogen-rich materials (like kitchen scraps and grass clippings) and carbon-rich materials (like wood chips and dried autumn leaves).

Wood Raised Beds

My favorite wood to use is cedar, which is an incredibly durable timber that will perform well for years to come. Whichever wood you're using, make sure to avoid boards treated with chemicals that could then leach into your soil (and therefore into the food you're going to eat).

Standard wood stains might contain chemicals intended to preserve wood that could contaminate your garden soil and plants. Look for a water-based wood stain, something that's low-VOC, solvent-free, and eco-friendly.

Water, insects, humidity, and dryness have different effects on the wood, but all of them are damaging. To reuse an old deck framing for your upcoming outdoor space means sabotaging yourself. In this guide we uncover everything that's wrong with old decking frames.

So, youʼve used the drawers of that old dresser to make a vertical veggie garden (part 1), but what do you do with those old dresser bodies? Use them as raised beds (part 2)! These are very simple to make, plus they are naturally deep, perfect for those root crops like carrots and beets.