A "How To" for Building Raised Beds

[ScottinAtlanta]

My new beds are 3 feet wide by 25 feet long x 12 inches high. Made of pressure treated 2 x 12s. It took enormous effort, various additives, about 50 bags of mulched leaves, and a dumptruck load of sifted top soil to fill them. The volume of a big raised bed might surprise you.

[Too Tall Toms]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

My new beds are 3 feet wide by 25 feet long x 12 inches high. Made of pressure treated 2 x 12s. It took enormous effort, various additives, about 50 bags of mulched leaves, and a dumptruck load of sifted top soil to fill them. The volume of a big raised bed might surprise you.

LOL....I would love to have 25 foot beds but I don't have the space. I'll have to settle for 8 footers.

How many tomato plants do you put in each one?

[ScottinAtlanta]

At 3 feet apart on the diagonal, I am guessing about 14.

[dice]

Someone asked about the safety of treated wood for raised beds.
I came across this recent (2010) analysis of the issue:
http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sf...ssurizedLumber
(Summary: pH between 6 and 7 and lots of organic matter minimizes
the risks, and using AQM treated lumber instead of the older CCA
treated lumber probably eliminates them altogether.)

[Too Tall Toms]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

At 3 feet apart on the diagonal, I am guessing about 14.

How do you support them?

[ScottinAtlanta]

I have an overhead wire roof to guard against Spawn of the Devil (squirrels). I tie off wood supports and branches to the wire roof.