“The Green Box” Raised Garden Bed Kits | Precast Concrete Post & Wall System for Raised Gardens
Made in Washington State
Unique Advantages:
- Gain 33% or more growing space by building precast concrete raised gardens beds with “The Green Box” versus using blocks. Example: In a 16′ x 32′ area that calculates to two 3′ x 16′ raised beds….six raised beds versus only four…WOW!
Constructing The “The Green Box” Raised Garden Bed Kits
Let’s begin with a material checklist:
- Measure your area
- Figure the panels and post you need
- Don’t forget the capstones
- Establish which color you like, Green, Grey, or Red
- You need one 60 lbs bag of concrete per post
- Drain gravel for lower layer
- Filter fabric over the well-draining gravel layer
- Good garden soil to fill your raised gardens
Tools Needed:
- Post-Hole Digger or shovel
- Tape measure
- Stakes or sticks to outline the perimeter
- String or Yarn
- Bucket for water to activate the cement
- Wheelbarrow
Building Your Own Concrete “Green Box” Garden!
Begin by picking a location where there is a good exposure to the sun to warm the beds, which allows more plant diversity and extends the growing season. Plants can be spaced closely together, so yields go up, water-use efficiency is maximized, and weeds are crowded out. After finding the perfect location begin laying out the area you want the raised gardens.
To prepare the site, get rid of turf and weeds. Outline the bed dimensions on the ground with a line or string and then dig along the outline. Dig deep enough to bury panels about an inch or two. Raised beds are designed so water trickles down, eliminating most of the problem of poor drainage.
Consider Drainage
Adding a layer of coarse stone or pea gravel in the excavation or you can also install perforated drainage pipes in trenches under or around the bed, or just drill weep holes at the base of the sides. Likewise, if there is no turf between your beds, put down some landscape fabric and cover it with pavers or a layer of gravel to improve drainage after running out in the rain for fresh bell pepper, you’ll appreciate the mud-free shoes. Doing this will add much-needed oxygen to the roots.
Next, level the earth or gravel layer at the bottom of the bed, then put down a layer of weed-suppressing landscape fabric that extends to the outer edge of The Green Box precast concrete walls. Now is also the time to think about pest control. The rich soil in a raised bed has worms and other delicacies that attract moles and gophers and moles to relish young vegetable roots. To keep out burrowing pests I always recommend a bottom layer of hardware cloth of steel or galvanized metal.
Build each wall and post separately paying attention to their alignment. The precast concrete posts help hold the bed into place but can also reduce the outward pressure that a full bed exerts on the frame, which can dislodge the panel sections after a single season. Placing them into the concrete will hold them stable for many years. Place caps on with concrete epoxy caulking. Post caps add a finishing touch and it provides a handy place to set down gardening tools while working or a seat to admire the fruits of your labor.
After the concrete is set up, approximately two days, place the wall panels in the grooves to form the perimeter. Now you can glue on the post caps. You should search now for a good drain rock to fill the bottom if placing the bed on clayish soils or hard-pan soil.
Filling The Beds
If the native soils are of good draining, then fill the beds with planting mix from a local nursery. With this good soil to fill the raised bed. A customized soil-and-compost blend is the best soil that can be found at your local nursery supplier. Finally, raising the soil level by 15 ½” as The Green Box does, reduces the back-bending effort needed for jobs such as planting, weeding, and harvesting.
A raised bed built with “The Green Box” is more productive and attractive. The sides are durable and made of reinforced concrete panels by a company you can trust. Watering troughs or claw-foot tubs can work but are not as useful or as beautiful.
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