Raised garden beds can be built on a slope or hillside and planted with your favourite plants; we talk about retaining walls, premade garden beds, and DIY builds for your sloped garden. It is possible to garden in any landscape, no matter how level or gently sloping.
Not every yard is the same, so don’t panic if you have to work with a steep hillside without doing any large terraforming!
Can Raised Beds be installed on a Slope?
Yes, you can have raised beds placed on a slope! There are several advantages to building raised beds on sloppy, uneven ground, including better drainage, a longer growing season, uniform distribution of nutrients and water, decreased erosion, less weed development, increased control over the quality of the soil, and simpler gardening.
You may need to level and dig, depending on how steep the grade is, but the benefits will be well worth the work. It’s as easy as making a box and placing it to build an elevated bed on level ground.
Still, if you place the box only on the ground, the elevated bed will become just as uneven as the slope. To make sure your raised bed is level, you should lift one end or level the ground beforehand.
What Size Is Ideal for a Raised Bed?
Raised beds should only be four feet wide to prevent trampling on the soil and stepping into the raised bed when accessing the plants. Most plants and vegetables want them to be 8 to 12 inches deep, though they should be at least 6 inches deep.
You can make the bed into a 4 by 4, 8 by 8, or 4 by 12 sizes, depending on your preference. Still, making and caring for several shorter beds is easier than one large one.
What Materials are Used to Build Raised Beds?
The following is a list of materials and tools required to build raised beds.
- 2 x 6″ lumber and extra for filling the gaps
- Stacking Joints
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Measuring Tape
- Saw
- Garden Gloves
How Can a Raised Garden Bed Be Constructed on a Slope?
Here are some easy methods for building an affordable raised bed on a slope once you have assembled all the necessary supplies and made a plan.
Make a Raised Box
Stacking joints, also referred to as corner brackets, are structural elements. To build the elevated bed’s base, you’ll need all of them.
It is easy to set up these joints. Raised garden bed kits are also available in a range of sizes and colours. These kits require no additional materials and can be assembled in a couple of minutes.
Level the Box on the Ground
To secure your elevated bed frame in place, pierce its incline. Retain the box vertically and horizontally level and position.
Measure the Gap under the Bed and Cut
Use a tape measure to measure the space beneath your staked bed. Next, calculate the distance between the raised bed and the ground.
Take measurements of the gap’s tall and short sides. After marking more wood with these dimensions, cut the boards. A slightly offcut or line is okay. To level the bed’s sides, you can either add more dirt to the spaces left by the gaps or take some away.
Insert Boards
After the boards have been cut, lay them under the staked, raised bed. Next, attach braces to the corners of the boards with wood screws. Finally, check to see if the bed is level on all sides, and adjust if necessary.
Fill Your Beds and Start Planting
Now fill it with premium organic soil and a nutrient-rich compost mix. After filling the beds, gently scrape the dirt. With time and especially with irrigation, the soil will settle, making room for additional soil or mulch.
How to Water the Raised Garden Beds on the Slope
The best way to irrigate raised garden beds on a hill is, by far, with a drip irrigation system. When compared to other techniques, this approach can conserve up to 50% of water, giving the plant’s root zone constant moisture.
Because they reduce the chance of overwatering, evaporation, and runoff, drip lines are the best option for plants on sloped surfaces because they release less water into the air than hoses and sprinklers.
Drip Works has a large assortment of drip irrigation kits available. Depending on the size of your garden bed, the kits come in small, medium, and big sizes.
Conclusion
Raise beds on a hillside or slope may seem like a massive undertaking, but this is a straightforward do-it-yourself project. These beds are simple to make with a few basic tools and building knowledge. To prevent possible erosion problems, don’t forget to make sure the bed is level.
These easy methods will help you build fruitful raised beds, fill them with high-quality soil, and get planting. Before you know it, your garden will be flourishing and beautiful.
For additional information about raised bed gardening, check out our gardening blog. To irrigate your raised bed plants, Drip Works provides a premium and reasonably priced range of metal raised beds and garden bed kits.