How to Build 4 Ft x 100 Ft Raised Beds

Raised bed gardens have been a common gardening practice since before colonial times and continue to have popularity among both professional and novice gardeners. Building a raised garden bed is nowhere near as intimidating as many beginning gardeners may believe. With four retaining walls made from landscaping or recycled materials, you can create a raised bed garden of any size in a matter of hours and start planting immediately.

Wooden stakes
Rubber mallet
Tape measure
String
Pitchfork
Cinder blocks
Compost
Topsoil

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a close-to-level site on which to build your raised bed. Avoid sloping areas to prevent soil from eroding as water seeks lower areas before seeping into the soil below the raised garden bed.
- 2
  Mark off the perimeter of the raised garden bed by driving wooden stakes into the four corners of the bed with a rubber mallet. Use a steel measuring tape to measure both the 4-foot width as well as the 100-foot length of the raised beds. Tie strings between the stakes to create a rectangle shape and outline the bed.
- 3
  Till the soil inside the staked-off area using a pitchfork. Insert the tines of the pitchfork and turn the tool to loosen the soil and introduce oxygen.
- 4
  Lay a single row of cinder blocks into place around the perimeter of the raised garden site, directly outside the staked-off area. Set the blocks end-to-end and only build the height with another layer if you want taller raised beds, which are easier for the elderly and handicapped to access.
- 5
  Add topsoil and compost to fill the raised bed and heap soil and compost with a central peak to promote better water drainage. Remove the wooden stakes and start planting.

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