How to build raised beds
Raised beds are not too difficult to make. Skill wise as long as you can hammer a nail or ujse a screwdriver you'll be OK. There can be a lot of shovelling and some digging at the start. The method below is for a wooden construction.
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First of all measure out your areas. I built 4 beds so I can rotate my crops. Even if you are only building one or ten the same rules apply. Once you've measured them out stick some small stakes or canes in the ground. With regards to size it's really up to you how long you have them. With reagrds to width ideally you should be able to lean over and weed/harvest with ease. If you build them too wide (like my first attempt!) you'll have areas you can't reach without standing on the soil. A width of 4 foot should suffice.
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Now you'll need to make sure you ground is level. If you are on a hill, like me, you'll have to dig into the hill to create a level plain. I also double dug my plots. This was really tough work. I did this to give my crops the best possible chance. If you are only going 6 inches high I recommend doing this. If however your going waste high you'll have plenty of deep loose soil and really don't dig down. For record I built mine at 14 inches high and dug down about 12 inches. I recommend getting help if there's a lot of digging to be done. Maybe offer some of future harvest as reward!
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Once the digging is done most of the hard work is over! Now it's time to build. You can contain your raised beds with wood, concrete blocks, corrugated iron, bricks or tree trunks. Some people use railway sleepers. Be very careful and make sure your sleepers aren't treated with harmful creosote (most reclaimed sleepers are). You can get some new sleepers which are chemical free.
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The best example of self-sufficiency is to build them with old reclaimed pallets. If sourcing pallets try and avoid pallets that have been treated. The wood from pallets isn't the best but will last a few years. You can replace planks over time.
I use cheap 1x7" rough timber from a local builders merchants.
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You'll need some good quality stakes. I use 3x3" stakes which are 20 inches long. These are driven down about 8 inches with a lump hammer. They protrude about a foot above the ground.
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Once the stakes are in simply nail or screw your planks to the the stakes. Screwing is best as nails can slip out over time. Place extra stakes every 4 foot along the planks.
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I tacked some weed mat on the insides of my beds. This helps protects the wood from the damp soil. This is a luxury and is not essential.
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Now it's time to fill your beds up.
You can just add any topsoil you have and suppliment with lots of well rotted manure and compost. If you don't have any soil to put in or are unhappy with the quality of what you have you can create your own mix. Try 1/3 Peat moss, 1/3 natural soil and 1/3 compost. You can buy all from your local DIY store or better yet try asking some local farmers. If you don't want to use peat for enviromental reasons you could try Coir (a by-product of coconut fibre production).
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Now it time to get planting!
