Are you planning on making a raised bed? There are a lot of options when it comes to the material used to build a raised bed border. Wood is a common choice. Bricks and stones are good options, too. But if you want something cheap and attractive that’s not going to go anywhere, you can’t do better than cinder blocks.
Keep reading to learn more about raised garden beds made from concrete blocks.
How to Make a Cinder Block Garden
Using cinder blocks for garden beds is especially nice because you can so easily pick your height. Do you want a bed close to the ground? Just do one layer. Want your plants higher and easier to reach? Go for two or three layers. If you use more than one layer, make sure to place it so that the joints between the blocks in the second layer sit over the middle of the blocks in the first layer, just like in a brick wall. This will make the bed much sturdier and less likely to fall.
Stack the blocks so the holes are facing up too. This way you can fill the holes with soil and expand your growing space.
To make the bed even stronger, push a length of rebar down through the holes on each corner. Using a sledgehammer, pound the rebar down into the ground until the top is level with the top of the cinderblocks. This should keep the bed from sliding around. One in each corner should be enough when using cinder blocks for garden beds, but you can always add more if you’re worried.
Dangers of Cinder Block Gardening
If you search online for cinder block gardening ideas, about half of the results are going to be warnings that you’ll contaminate your vegetables and poison yourself. Is there any truth in this? Just a little. The confusion stems from the name. Once upon a time cinder blocks were made of a material called “fly ash,” a byproduct of burning coal that can be harmful to your health. Cinder blocks haven’t been mass produced with fly ash in the U.S. for 50 years, though.
The cinder blocks that you buy in the store today are actually concrete blocks and totally safe. Unless you’re using antique cinder blocks, there should be no reason to worry, especially when cinder block gardening for vegetables.
-
7 Plants Wasps Hate But Bees Adore – For A Pollinator Garden That's Buzzing, Not BotheredCreate a bee-friendly, wasp-free garden with these smart planting choices that keep pests at bay while nurturing precious pollinators.
-
“My 5 Must-Have Perennials” – After 25 Years Of Gardening, These Perennials Have Become Essentials In My GardenThere are some plants you can't live without! As a long-time gardener and garden writer, these are my must-have perennials that deserve a spot in every garden.
-
Use Drip Irrigation For Raised Beds To Grow More With LessInstall a drip irrigation system directly into your raised bed to keep plants lush while saving on water.
-
Why You Should Try A Raised Garden Bed With A Trellis – Plus, Beautiful Design IdeasAdding a trellis to your raised garden bed expands your growing space by leaps and bounds. Raise your raised bed to new heights!
-
The Best Wood For Raised Garden Beds: Selecting The Right One For Your Gardening ProjectThe best wood for raised garden beds varies in terms of durability and availability, but most importantly, it needs to be untreated. Learn about the best ones to use.
-
Metal Raised Garden Beds: Benefits, Types & Top Picks For Your GardenMetal raised garden beds get fewer weeds, aren’t compacted by foot traffic, and can easily grow both in-bed and vertical crops, effectively doubling your yields.
-
Cedar Raised Garden Bed Benefits: Which Cedar To Use And Where To StartIf you’re thinking of making a raised bed, wood is a popular choice – and cedar has striking visual appeal. Here’s why a cedar raised garden bed could work for you
-
Small Raised Bed Design - How Small Can A Raised Bed BeIf you have a small garden space, you can still raise plenty of plants. You just need a plan. Read on to learn about tiny raised beds.
-
Raised Bed Gardening – Using Raised Beds For Hot RegionsDry, arid climates face a variety of growing challenges. This article will point out some benefits and deficits of raised bed gardening in arid regions.
-
Table Garden Design: How To Build Table Garden BoxesWhen gardening becomes difficult, either through growing older or due to a disability, it may be time for a table garden design in the landscape. This article can help with that. Click here to learn more.
