Raised Garden Bed Panels

Raised Garden Bed Panels Timber raised beds rot from the inside. Wet soil against untreated wood gives you three to six seasons before the boards go soft; treated lumber lasts longer and most gardeners would rather not use it around food. Corrugated steel solves both problems at once. Why steel beds work It does not rot. Galvanized steel sits in wet soil indefinitely. It is food-safe. The zinc coating is inert. Zinc is a plant micronutrient, and the amount that migrates into bed soil is negligible. It warms early. Steel picks up spring sun and lifts soil temperature, which buys a week or two at the start of the season. The walls are thin. A corrugated wall takes up almost no width, so more of the footprint is growing space than with a 2-inch timber board. How deep Most vegetables are happy at 12 inches. Root crops and anything long-season want 18. If you are building on a hard surface rather than soil, go to 18 inches minimum so the bed holds enough moisture between waterings. A note on edges Cut corrugated sheet has a sharp edge. Beds should be built with the cut edge captured in a frame or folded, never left exposed at hand height on a bed you will be reaching into all summer.