I’m the kind of person who would be ideal for a family of woodchucks

Introduction

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What are raised beds and why would you want one?

Raised beds are a great addition to your homesteading tool chest. They allow you to grow a wider variety of crops, while keeping them organized and easy to access. A well-made raised bed can last for years and will pay for itself in saved time, work and money.

If you have not already done so, we recommend that you read the book “Raised-Bed Gardening: The New Way to Garden” by Ron Lagerquist (available on Amazon). He describes how he came up with the idea of using old tires as planters for his garden and how this has worked really well for him over many years now.

The next step is making sure your soil is healthy enough before planting anything into it!

How to build a raised bed.

With a raised bed, you can have a garden almost anywhere. It’s easy to make and it only takes about an hour of your time. To start, you will need:

A 20-inch by 30-inch piece of wood for the frame
Something to use as your stakes (I used bamboo rods because they are cheap and come in packs)

Next, lay out your boards side-by-side in a rectangle with equal lengths on each side (20 inches). Make sure that you have them all lined up perfectly so that the corners line up exactly with each other. Once this is done use screws or nails to secure each end together tightly enough so that there isn’t any movement when you push against one corner of the box but not too tight that it splits outwards when doing so either.

Once assembled properly then place your stakes on top at predetermined intervals (I chose six feet apart). You want these protruding through both sides evenly spaced apart so that they overlap slightly on top when viewed from above while still having room enough between them such that soil can be placed inside between each stake without causing any problems later down the road!

Use stakes and string to mark out the perimeter.

To begin, you’ll need to mark out the perimeter of your bed with stakes and string. Stakes should be placed every 3 feet along one side of the bed. The first stake should be placed at either end at ground level; subsequent stakes should be placed at 6-foot intervals (3 feet apart).

Use string to mark out the sides of your beds; this allows you to make sure they’re straight and allows for easy reference later on when filling in soil around them. If you want to get fancy, use a tape measure with an attached carpenter’s square to ensure that all sides are exactly equal in length.

Clear the area of all vegetation and loosen the soil in the marked off area with a shovel or rake.

This is the fun part! You get to use your hands and body to clear the area of all vegetation and loosen the soil in the marked off area with a shovel or rake. I would recommend using a shovel, as it’s faster than raking, but if you have an injury that prevents you from doing this, try raking instead.

After removing all vegetation from within your designated perimeter, begin loosening up the soil at least 6 inches deep by digging into it with your hands or using a shovel or rake.

Dig a hole in each of your four corners, deep enough to set a corner post in. It’s best to make these holes 4″ deep by 4″ wide and 4″ long. (We make ours from 2×6 lumber.)

Set the corner post in your hole so that it sticks out about 2 inches from the ground. This will allow you to attach the end of a 2×4 or 2×6 to secure it later on when you put down your woodchuck family’s new house.

Measure the distance between each corner post. Cut two boards for each side of your raised bed frame using this measurement. (We use 1×4 for our frames.)

Drill pilot holes for screws at the joints where your frame pieces come together before securing them into place.

Make sure that your frame is square (that is, that all angles are 90 degrees)

Use a square to make sure all the frame’s corners are 90 degrees.
A carpenter’s square is one of the best tools for this task, but it can be hard to find these days.
A framing square has two sides that are 90 degrees and two sides that are 45 degrees, so you can use it in place of a carpenter’s square when you want to cut a board at an angle other than 90 degrees. The 45-degree lines aren’t as long as they would be on a carpenter’s square, but they’re still useful.
You can also use a combination square, which has one edge marked with 1″ increments and another with 2″ increments (and then smaller divisions). If you need even smaller measurements than those provided by your combination or framing squares, look no further than our handy speed squares! They have both inches and centimeters imprinted in them for all your measuring needs (and more!). But please keep in mind: no matter how much fun these tools may seem at first glance—don’t let them distract from your real goal: building an awesome raised bed garden!

Drill pilot holes for screws at the joints where your frame pieces come together before securing them into place. (We use deck screws.) Don’t use nails; they will eventually work their way out under the pressure of expanding soil.

“”Drill pilot holes for screws at the joints where your frame pieces come together before securing them into place. (We use deck screws.) Don’t use nails; they will eventually work their way out under the pressure of expanding soil.

We recommend using 1-inch galvanized wood screws long enough to go through the wood and into the ground.””

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this blog! Whether you’re looking to build a raised bed for yourself or your family, we wish you all the best.