how to build a planter on a slope

Because of the large size, you had to physically get into the garden to do anything but water it. Place the level on the planter and lift the sides, ends or both to make it level. This can be expensive, time-consuming and not too much fun for the budget in some cases. Each bed was 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, which allows you to reach into the full depth of the garden from the sides. (Sorry for the bad photo – its a capture from a video). If there are only small gaps -- less than an inch -- between the ground and the bottom of the planter, gently tap the top of the sides with a small mallet so the wood comes in contact with the ground. Less than 10% incline is considered slight and is the easiest to build on, while 11-20% is considered moderate. 2. You will want your rock height to be around 6 inches to 1 foot off the ground. I’m so pleased with how the beds turned out. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Earth Easy: How to Build a Raised Garden Bed on Sloping, Uneven Ground, Purdue University Cooperative Extension: Container and Raised Bed Gardening, Clemson University Cooperative Extension: Raised Beds, University of Missouri Cooperative Extension: Raised-Bed Gardening, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Raised Bed Construction, University of Missouri Extension: Raised Bed Gardening. The ground is uneven, however, and slopes downhill in a southward direction. Even the slightest slope comes with problems when trying to create a garden. I used a square garden spade, my layout weapon of choice, to carefully cut out the bed outlines and remove the grass for about a shovel width. I’m grateful that these guys were still taking and delivering orders: which seemed to be the best way to do it under the current shelter in place order. We’ve now been in the house for a year and a half, and it finally felt like time to start our vegetable garden. More on Building on a Slope: Sloped Sites Vs. From there, we went out into the yard and discussed site selection. Good luck! Use a 2-foot board for the width and a 6-foot board for the length. Taming the Slope Build a retaining wall. You can get a rough idea of how challenging a particular site will be to build on by its gradient rating. Use the pencil marks as a guide and drill a starter hole through the 2-foot side boards with a 1/8" drill bit. Julie Richards is a freelance writer from Ohio. It is not an exact science, but a rudimentary inspection of the site will reveal that terrain in some areas is more smooth than others. This allowed for a second check of measurements and alignment. She is currently enrolled at Kent State University completing her bachelor's degree in English. If this sounds overboard, it gets better. An ideal design is comprised of beds sized to fit the hillside in ways that make them easy to plant and maintain. Apr 24, 2012 - Our garden is situated in a large, open south-facing area which provides ideal exposure and growing conditions. Every time I look out the window at the beds, I wanted to be proud of the work that I did. The trickiest part of this project is running a circular saw on the 45 degree cuts for the seat rail. However if you have a site with a slope and want to make these exactly like ours, here’s the list of supplies you’ll want. 1. Once the raised planter is in place, the soil and any amendments may be added to the box. Dry fit the planter box together and screw four-inch wood screws through the pilot holes, straight into the ends of the 6-foot boards to secure the wood pieces together. We also used some fine crushed limestone gravel from our driveway under the boards for better drainage. Set the planter box on the hillside in the desired location so there is a walk way on at least one of the long sides of the planter. Hi guys, If you’ve followed us long enough, you might note that this is the third iteration of raised beds. The beds are 2 boards high of 2 x 12, with the short side facing forward and having a full board width for the short side. Another option is to create a wall made from rock to keep plants from sliding down the slope. In this post, we’ll look at what those requirements are, what costs might be incurred to build on a steep slope, and even discuss if it’s worth the effort. Then, use a drill and galvanized screws to attach the ends of the planks so they form a long rectangular box. Measure the top of each 6-foot side, marking a line every two feet. You’ll be much happier and spend a lot less time digging. These cedar pieces go across the top of the planter box to keep the long sides from pushing out when the soil gets wet during the growing season. Heavy metal re-bar (the heavier the better) cut into 18 inch + stakes to hold up the 2Xs .... one every 3 feet or so... they can be secured to the wood with conduit clamps. I chose to make the beds dimensionally 1″ shorter than 4×6 because I knew with the irregularities of digging the footings, allowing for inaccurate digging would make the beds easier to place. 8. Sometimes I miss them, because they were beautiful and grew awesome plants. I did 2 boards high to accommodate the cross slope. A steep slope is an opportunity to create a dramatic, sheer curtain of water. Naturally the real fun begins when we get to plant them and eat the fruits of our labor. All Rights Reserved. Using the outside of the box as a straight edge, draw a line along the exposed inside cedar board. Just Add Water. Homemade Fudge with Dairy-free Sweetened Condensed Milk, Our favorite Gingerbread recipes (Plus a new one!). Attach the marked board to the bottom of the planter with wood screws so the planter sits level on the soil. A garden hoe makes an excellent mixing utensil to incorporate all the components of the soil mixture. Hold the next block beside the first and drop it in place to avoid dragging the sand between blocks. I would make an effort to at least partially terrace the slope. Site your house to avoid winter shade and summer sun as much as possible. Overall, its pretty standard construction. But don’t let this steer you away! In many ways, progress is a good thing, but when it comes to that steep slope in your backyard progress is not a good thing when all the soil starts washing away. It’s a gently sloping grassy area, getting about 5-7 hours of sun per day, that can easily accommodate expanding plans should the need arise. This is my rough construction drawing with key dimensions in inches. Lay the 2-foot side boards flat so that the 6-inch side is facing up. Plot your raised garden beds, figuring each one to be 4 feet from front to back. Truth be told, the current pandemic also played a big role in getting us off our butts to start this project. If you want to build up the height of your rockery by much, or if you need to improve the drainage of the area, you’ll need a quantity of hardcore or rubble. The sloping ground provides good drainage for the orchard, but presented some problems for the vegetable beds. Bulldoze a flat base in to the slope. I’ll update this post with photos of them planted when we are rolling with produce later this spring. Screw the ends of the cedar pieces into place at the 2-foot marks that are on the top of the sides, using 4-inch screws. 2. Prop the planter in place with bricks or small sections of 2-by-4 lumber. Mark the perimeter of the raised bed on the ground. Land parcels that are designated as Steep Slope in the Buncombe County Zoning Overlay are subject to additional requirements that must be met in order to get a building permit. Lay a single row of blocks around the perimeter of the bed. In this video I show you how to build a raised garden bed on a slope. These V2 beds were vastly improved in that they were appropriately sized. Cut along the line with a saw. Most building materials, such as bricks, concrete blocks and wood, work for constructing a raised planter bed. Allowing these plants to take over will help reduce the amount of runoff, and gives a sloped garden a more finished look. I built two raised garden beds and installed them on a gentle slope. 3. Avoid wood or building materials that contain harmful chemicals, such as railroad ties, when building planters for food production. Once the raised planter is in place, the soil and any amendments may be added to the box. You can create this terrace by: Cutting into the hillside. Slowing Progress Down. Total materials cost was about $225 per raised bed, delivered. It wasn’t until we found this photo on Pinterest that our design aesthetic came into focus. Raised planters built on a hillside should run perpendicular to the slope for stability and better access. Generally, a traditional raised bed is a 4-foot-by-8-foot planter box. Create a flat area or small terrace in your slope, about three times the diameter of the root ball of your tree or shrub. – but I am happy to help answer your gardening and raised bed building questions. Use the pencil marks as a guide and drill a starter hole through the 2-foot side boards with a 1/8" drill bit. Once filled, the planters are ready for seeds and plants. If I can get a digger onto the slope. Leave extra height on these pieces if you intend to build higher sides to the bed. Plus I ordered deer fencing at that time, as well as fresh saw blades which didn’t actually come in time. The last two vegetable gardens we had were not in a sight line from the house, so building these well was particularly important to me. How long will it take to level a slope. Again great job! Dig into the slope to create a trench around the area where the flower bed will be located. I did a ton of researching and I feel that it will work best for me. Locate large gaps where the planter rises above the terrain, and soil removal is not an option. Planning a Terraced Vegetable Garden Because water always runs downhill, it is always best to stabilize a slope with reinforced beds that run across the slope. It’s okay if you measure a lot more than twice. Even the slightest slope comes with problems when trying to create a garden. I wish I could have seen more photos of you digging and know how much to dig out….that part makes me nervous because I’m on a slope. The slope is the inverse tangent (tan-1) of the height divided by the length. 8008 by Hiroyuki Arima, Fukuoka, Japan. Between uneven walkways, soil erosion during heavy rains, and the possibility of wind damage, the uneven terrain can make the most avid gardener walk away. Make the dug out area the same width as the paver stones you … If you have a flat yard, I would suggest framing out a 4×6 bed with 2×10 or 2×12 and calling it a day. Adjust the dimensions as necessary to make the blocks fit. Dig out enough soil so the blocks will be an inch below the surrounding soil. You know the saying measure twice, cut once? Place the level on the planter and lift the sides, ends or both to make it level. We decided on a 2″ overhang for the seat rail (made with 2×8’s), which gave us the outside dimensions of the miter cut boards. Site and layout had been decided, so the next day I went out to the spot and started laying out the garden using a string line. 2×4’s help attach the top and bottom courses at the corners. Cut corner stakes from 2” x 4” stock and tap them into the soil, and ensuring they fit flush against the corner pieces. Position and Level the Planter. Divide the length of the slope (from the lowest point to the highest) by four; this is now many raised beds you can build, each stretching from one side of the slope to the other. A smaller box, measuring 2 feet by 6 feet, should work well in the confines of rough terrain. You did such a great job on this! The biggest hurdles boil down to two main factors: the gradient of the slope and whether the lot is upslope or downslope. If you want to make raised beds similar to these, you can pick a flat site and get away with doing them one board high instead of 2. When we moved into our new home, we had a huge array of projects that required our attention inside. There are various ways of dealing with a slope: 1. So in our first year in the house, we did a lot of indoor renovations and also cleaned up the gardens around the house itself. You'll need electricity nearby to bring life to the water pump but a good electrician should be able to help provide the power. More sun would be better, but we live in a heavily wooded area, and this was one of the best spots in our yard. When building a flower bed on a steep slope, a few extra steps will decrease future problems. Attach the long boards to the 2×4’s at the corners, top course first, then bottom. Unlike other homes that sit on the land and can be viewed from all sides, part of this guest house is cut into the land, and the natural surrounds are allowed to grow over the top. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! How To Build A Raised Planter Box On A Slope, Top Tutorial, How To Build A Raised Planter Box On A Slope Drill a hole with the 1/8" drill bit into the side of two 2-inch-by-2-inch pieces of cedar that are 2 feet long. Use a string line to make the sides straight. Most groundcovers are built to sprawl and cover exposed soil, which helps these plants stay put on a slope. Because of the […] My yard is full of lovely rocky Georgia red clay…not exactly conducive to great gardening material. On a steep slope in Fukuoka, Japan, the 8008 house is composed of two main volumes with skewed angles projecting out of the hillside. Follow these steps when planting trees and shrubs on a slope. The bottom drawing shows the cap / seat rail. Plan your rockery on paper, making a sketch of the garden and experimenting with the size, shape and location until you’re happy with it. Calculate the total number of blocks you need by dividing the perimeter by 16 inches, then multiply by 2. Use the slope to shelter the house and narrow the view’s focus. I found this helpful, as I wanted to align the beds in a specific orientation to our house and the street (basically aligned to the same grid). Build to conform to the land’s contours, and blend rather than clash with the topography. Taking advantage of the slope to build a double storey home with a great view. Make the house part of the view. Cut upper course boards, Cut 2×4’s to 22.5″ for framing the corners. Align the cedar boards on flat ground to form a 2-foot by 6-foot box. I want to start with my decision to build raised beds versus sowing straight into the ground. Translate this image into your plant design by crafting a blend of plants high and low in size, loud and subtle in color and texture, plants that move at the slightest breeze and those that don’t. A backyard waterfall is the ultimate way to take advantage of planting on a slope. Seems like a long list, but luckily these are fairly common tools in a well equipped DIY arsenal. While I didn’t get to hand pick the lumber (resulting in some creative layout choices), I’m so glad to have been able to place the order online and have it delivered a few days later. The task of filling the planter is less daunting if you build the soil mixture in layers -- soil on compost on sand, for example. Place the first block on the foundation at the highest point of ground level. Duplicate this process on the right sides. This guest house, designed and built by Coburn Development, seeks to treat the slope of the land as a way to hide part of the building’s form, in order to have a lesser impact on the landscape. With a little extra time on our hands and an added incentive to have a degree of control over our food supply, we started planning. I’m inspired! Steep slope lots present some additional challenges for your builder. Building raised garden beds on a slope is simple with a bit of digging. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. It can be as simple as a long 2x6, or2x 8-2x12 depending on how deep you want or need your terraces to be. My yard is basically one big slope, making erosion a problem. (READ MORE about our V1 Garden), At our previous house, my dad helped us make beautiful raised beds with a combination of wood and corrugated steel paneling. Last summer we embarked on a big landscaping project for our hillside and we continued this spring by adding more plantings and expanding the bed. Plant up bare soil areas Never leave bare soil unplanted – plant up the slope immediately, even with something temporary like annual bedding. How to build a raised bed garden on a slope Part 1 - YouTube These marks are the guide for the wood screws that will hold the box together. In fact, a large number of volume builders prefer to remove the slope from the block, rather than change the floor plan to suit the sloping land, a strategy which often proves costly. The solution is one or more raised planters that provide a safe, stable gardening environment. *With lumber selection, I ordered an extra board for each size so that I had the ability to select if one turned out to be really bad, which was a good thing. Alternatively, you can use a garden shovel to remove small sections of soil so the planter rests on the soil. Once filled, the planters are ready for seeds and plants. Properly site your home. Danny Lipford: If you have a slope in your yard like this, you’ll probably realize how hard it is to get anything to grow on the However, cedar, a wood that is naturally rot- and water-resistant will withstand several years of use before it needs to be replaced. To build a wooden planter box, start by cutting some wooden planks so you have 2 that are 2 feet long and 2 that are 4 feet long. Click here for ideas on choosing plants for sloping areas and how to maximize this difficult planting terrain. The juxtaposition will add another layer of interest to your garden. This photo shows some of the box construction, before adding the soil and the cap). There were a couple spots we identified as possibilities, but ultimately a sunny spot in our lower yard won. Starting at the top of the left side of the board, use a tape measure and pencil to make a mark every two inches down the side of the boards. The unusual name “8008” is taken from the number of plants on site, … Measure your slope and draw it, to scale, on graph paper. We decided to create four beds in a symmetrical layout, each being 4′ x 6′ – which I knew from past experience was a good size. Along with the speed square, this gave a quick way to lay out and cut the seat rail boards. She has been writing poetry and short stories for over 30 years, and published a variety of e-books and articles on gardening, small business and farming. Start by making a side view drawing of your slope as shown below. Place a cedar board inside the planter so the wide area is flush with the existing board and the narrow edge touches the ground.
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