Build Your Own Raised Planters

Building your own raised planters is a simple weekend project anyone can tackle! These are great for creating lots of gardening space and are the perfect option if you have bad soil and/or want to minimize weeding. I’ll be showing you how to build a 4′ x 8′ planter but feel free to customize to whatever size you need. One side needs to be 4′ or less to make it easy to reach the crops, but the other side can be as long as you’d like.

Materials

To build your own 4′ x 8′ raised planter, you’ll need the following materials:

• 6 pieces 2″ x 8″ x 8′ lumber
• 1 piece 2″ x 2″ x 8′ lumber
• 1 piece 1″ x 2″ x 8′ lumber
• 4 pieces 1/2″ x 10′ schedule 40 PVC Pipe
• 3″ decking screws
• 2 1/2″ Kreg screws
• clear zip ties
• pipe straps

Note: I used fir for our planters. Some of ours have been outside for four years now and are still in great shape. If you live in a non-desert climate, it’d be much better to use a wood that does better with moisture, such as cedar. Cedar is hard to source here in 2″ thickness so we took a chance using fir and it’s been just fine.

Building the Raised Planter

1. Start by cutting two of the 2″ x 8″ x 8′ pieces of lumber in half to give you four 4′ long pieces. Pre-drill one end of each board with three holes. The easiest way to do this is to measure in 1.5″ from the edge (the thickness of the board) and equally space three marks. Place the board on top of another board with the edge hanging over and drill all the way through the board at the three marks. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the inner part of the deck screw (the size it would be if it didn’t have the threads). Screw each board into the next in the configuration shown below.

2. Repeat the first step to make a second layer. This layer will go in the opposite direction as the first so that the joints don’t occur in the exact same place. Before joining the boards together for the second layer, I added pocket holes to the second layer boards to be able to attach them to the first layer. I like this approach since it prevents movement between the two layers. You can either use the coated Kreg screws I linked above that are designed to resist outdoor elements or use plain ones if you’re concerned about toxins. For extra water resistance, join the two layers and then flip the planter over so the holes are facing downward and can’t collect standing water.

3. Add 7.25″ pieces of 2″ x 2″ wood in the corners and midway down the long sides to create stands for the pvc pipe. I screwed these into the planter. Take another screw and screw it part way into the top of each block. Leave about 3/4″-1″ sticking out. This will hold the PVC hoops. Note: You may want to wait and do this step after the planters are placed in the yard.

Congratulations, now you know how to build your own raised planters! Now let’s talk about getting them ready for plants 🙂 We’ll go over the hoop structure later.

Preparing the Yard

1. Before “installing” the planters, you’ll need to prepare the area by clearing any existing grass, plants, large rocks, etc. If you need to do any digging, call the city first and have them come out and mark any gas, water, electric, and cable lines! Level the ground where the planters will be placed. You can use an extra piece of lumber and a level to make sure the area is relatively flat.

2. Next, lay down weed block and secure with landscaping staples. We bought a giant roll from Costco that will surely last us a lifetime! Weed block was necessary because we have some nearby plants with aggressive roots that we knew would try to steal the water from the plants. We also laid down mulch around the planters and didn’t want to deal with weeds.

3. Lastly, place the planters! Here we have a 4′ x 8′ planter in the back and then two 4′ x 6′ planters. Double-check that the planters are level and not sloping too much in any direction.

Add the Hoop Structure

To add the hoop structure, take three 10′ PVC pipes and drill a hole through the exact center of each. Very carefully, bend the PVC pipe in half so that the openings of the hole are on the top and bottom of the highest point of the arch. Place each end over the screw on the 2″ x 2″ block of wood inside the planter. From the fourth PVC pipe, cut a piece that’s the inside length of the planter. Drill holes through the pipe 1/2″ in from either end, and in the center. Make sure all holes are facing the same direction. Using zip ties, attach the piece to the underside of the three hoops.

Add pipe straps to the middle hoop just below the top of the planter on either side to keep the hoop upright.

Add Soil and Corner Supports

Now it’s time to fill the planters! Use a high-quality soil to fill the planters. We used the “enriched planting mix” from Soilutions for our beds and it’s been amazing! Every year we mix in a little new compost or soil conditioner and it’s good to go. After a few years we started seeing lots of earth worms and our plants have been healthy. It’s also been practically weed free.

Because it’s so windy here, the hoop structure needed to be reinforced with corner braces. I just took some 1″ x 2″ furring strips and cut them at 45˚ angles. Then I screwed them into the planter, making sure they were flush against the PVC pipe.

I hope you see how easy it is to build your own raised planters! Next week I’ll be talking about how to add a grid for square foot gardening and how to add different types of covers.

Here’s a sneak peek of the planters with an insect netting cover.

And another picture of the planters in action during a past summer.

If you’re curious to see what the rest of our (very small) backyard looks like, be sure to check out our garden and backyard tour!