Raised Beds From Reclaimed Recycled Plastic Lumber

There are many advantages to planting vegetables in a raised bed. One of them is that it allows you to more carefully control the content of the soil and soil amendments that you place in the box.

To make these boxes, I used recycled plastic lumber that was reclaimed from another project. I constructed the boxes to be eight feet by three feet. To prevent them from bowing out in the middle, I installed a cross bar.

The metal pieces I used to assemble the boxes were corner braces and flat braces that I found in the deck building section of the hardware store. I used galvanized screws to hold them together so the screws won't rust. The plastic lumber has a long life so I expect the boxes to last for many years. They have already been out in sunlight and all weather in another yard for eight years with no obvious wear.

You can make the boxes one, two, or three boards high depending on what you are going to plant and how far down you want to bend while weeding.

Fill the box with soil, compost, sand, or other amendments as needed for the plants you are growing.

Plant your seeds or plants and enjoy some fresh vegetables!