Raised Garden Beds Question

I've built 4 raised garden beds, 4'x8''x16". I used 4x4s for the legs, then ran 2x2" support beams across the 8' sides and in the center, all resting on another 4' support beam width ways. I've been using different methods of galvanized metal brackets to keep the support beams in place. Finally I used ten 4' deck boards width ways that will support wire mesh and soil fabric for the 14-16 inches of soil on top. I used pressure treated wood entirely, and galvanized metal brackets, and deck screws that maximized length without going through the other side of the wood. Once built, I cleaned the beds with wood prep liquid, allowed it to dry for 24 hours, then sealed it with food grade wood sealer twice, an hour apart, and let cure for 24 hours. Based off my calculations, I'm looking at about 1.5 yards of soil inside these beds, which, when wet will weigh 4-5.5 thousand pounds. You'll notice some slight differences amongths the beds as I changed a few things along the way due to material availability, concerns about required soil depth, and lessons learned along the way. Do you think my beds will be able to support the weight? Looking for a general informed opinion/ educated guess! I will answer all follow up questions, thank you all for your time! submitted by /u/Vegetable_Fail_6470 [link] [comments]

Jun 12, 2025 - 05:50

I've built 4 raised garden beds, 4'x8''x16". I used 4x4s for the legs, then ran 2x2" support beams across the 8' sides and in the center, all resting on another 4' support beam width ways. I've been using different methods of galvanized metal brackets to keep the support beams in place. Finally I used ten 4' deck boards width ways that will support wire mesh and soil fabric for the 14-16 inches of soil on top. I used pressure treated wood entirely, and galvanized metal brackets, and deck screws that maximized length without going through the other side of the wood.

Once built, I cleaned the beds with wood prep liquid, allowed it to dry for 24 hours, then sealed it with food grade wood sealer twice, an hour apart, and let cure for 24 hours.

Based off my calculations, I'm looking at about 1.5 yards of soil inside these beds, which, when wet will weigh 4-5.5 thousand pounds.

You'll notice some slight differences amongths the beds as I changed a few things along the way due to material availability, concerns about required soil depth, and lessons learned along the way.

Do you think my beds will be able to support the weight? Looking for a general informed opinion/ educated guess!

I will answer all follow up questions, thank you all for your time!

submitted by /u/Vegetable_Fail_6470
[link] [comments]