Garden

Garden Bed Fence | Family Food Garden

A garden bed fence is an easy-to-build structure that makes planting easier and protects plants from pests like rabbits and large insects. Garden fences can be used for beds of flowers, herbs, or fruits and vegetables.

A well-designed raised garden bed fence helps gardeners plant more efficiently by providing dedicated space for gardening, visually organizing the garden space, and elevating the beds, so there’s no need to bend down to the ground to take care of the plants.

Raised garden beds also help soils drain better and keep plants warm in the early spring before the earth warms.

Garden Bed Fence Materials & Tools

garden bed fence materials

Materials needed to build a garden bed fence:

  • (2) 2-by-6-inch, 8-foot-long treated wooden boards (cedar or pine), cut in half
  • (24) #8 wood screws
  • (8) #6 wood screws
  • (4) 2-by-4-inch short pieces of wood
  • (8) 1-by-2-inch, 3-foot-long wooden stakes
  • Metal fencing roll

Tools needed to build a garden bed fence:

  • Electric drill
  • Handsaw or jigsaw
  • Measuring tape
  • String
  • Staple gun and staples
  • Pieces of cardboard
  • Hammer or mallet

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed Fence

Building a raised garden bed fence requires only basic construction skills. The garden bed fence described here can be moved away from (and back to) the garden whenever necessary.

The garden bed fence will be 4 feet in width, 4 feet in length, and run 6 inches deep. However, boards of different lengths can be used to alter the dimensions of the bed.

A 4-by-4-foot garden bed works well for herbs and flowers. However, if the garden bed will be used for growing deep-rooted vegetables, like carrots, the width of the boards should be at least 12 inches wide so that the fence runs deep enough underground.

1. Preparation

Before assembling the garden bed fence, gather the materials from the list and make a plan. Check the available space in the garden and use the measuring tape to measure out the exact width and length of the garden bed fence.

Then use string to mark the space where the bed will be. If the marked space is covered with grass, mow the grass down and remove any large weeds.

Loosen the soil in the marked space and check that it’s smooth enough for planting. Remove any large rocks that might interfere with plant growth.

2. Cutting the Boards

Decide on your garden bed dimensions. The instructions listed here create a square garden bed fence 4 feet in width, 4 feet in length, and 6 inches tall (or deep). To alter the dimensions, cut the boards accordingly.

To make a 4×4 garden bed fence, use the handsaw or jigsaw to cut the two 8-foot-long boards in half to make four 4-foot-long boards. (To make a longer bed that is 4 feet by 8 feet, use three boards, and cut only one of them in half.)

Use the drill to drill two pilot holes at one end of each piece of wood, evenly placed at the top and at the bottom of the board. The holes will be used to secure the boards together with long #8 screws.

3. Assembling the Garden Bed

Move the boards closer to the space marked out for the garden bed. Use the screwdriver to screw the boards together to make a square or rectangle, depending on your chosen dimensions.

Use two #8 screws on the outer side of each corner: one screw at the top of the board and one at the bottom of the board, through the pilot holes.

Make sure the boards are screwed close together and no space remains between them.

Take four 2-by-4-inch short pieces of wood and place them in the four corners of the garden bed fence.

Use #6 wood screws to secure the 2×4 wood pieces to the two inner faces of the fence corners. These wood pieces reinforce the garden bed fence and create stability.

4. Making a Fence

Carefully place the four adjoined boards on top of the marked space. Place the wooden stakes in the inner corners of the garden bed fence frame and tap them approximately 4 inches deep in the ground.

Screw the stakes to the wooden frame using two long screws for each stake, one at the top, the other at the bottom of the board.

5. Filling the Bed

Lay down pieces of cardboard to completely cover the space inside the garden bed. The cardboard will prevent any removed weeds from growing back again.

In time, the cardboard will disintegrate in the soil, allowing the plants to continue developing deeper in the soil.

Fill the garden bed with enriched soil mix up to the top of the frame. The garden bed is now ready for planting. Plant before installing the metal fence.

6. Securing the Metal Fence

Once planting is completed, measure the perimeter of the garden bed for metal fencing. For the 4-by-4-foot square bed, use a little over 16 feet of metal fencing. Use a stapler to secure the metal fencing to the wooden stakes inside the bed.

Raised Bed Fence Tips and Care

building garden bed fence

A garden bed fence helps gardeners take care of their plants more effectively. Maintaining a garden bed fence correctly ensures that it works to protect the plants.

Size of the Garden Bed

Avoid making a raised garden bed that is too wide. The bed should not be wider than 4 feet. A wider bed will limit the gardener’s access to the plants or even require stepping on the soil to reach them.

Stepping on the soil inside the garden bed should be avoided at all costs since doing so can damage the plants and ruin the integrity of the bed.

Placement of the Bed

Place the bed in a level area to avoid surface runoff. Depending on the needs of your plants, also place the bed in a sunny area that receives at least 8 hours of sunlight a day.

If you’ve constructed a rectangular garden bed fence, place the bed so that the longer side runs from east to west to ensure plants get the most sunlight.

Hydrating Garden Beds

Raised garden beds need sufficient hydration to keep the levels of moisture consistent for the new plants.

One of the best hydration options is a drip tape or a drip line, which ensures stable irrigation of the beds.

Adding a Gate

Consider building a gate to simplify access to the garden bed. With a gate, there will be no need to remove the fencing every time one is planting or gardening inside the bed.

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