Learn a quick and cost effective way on how to build raised garden beds with cedar. These raised garden beds are simple, beautiful, and can be completed in a weekend.

cedar raised garden bed filled with squash plants. text reads "how to build inexpensive raised garden beds"

Spring is in full bloom and so is the garden! It’s the time where the days are filled with beautiful weather, budding flowers, and infamous allergies.

Gardening season is upon us and we decided to expand our garden here at the farmhouse with some cedar raised garden beds.

We have had a few friends and family members ask us how we built our raised beds for the garden; one of which is a college student and loved the fact that these are cheap to build!

These raised beds are so simple to throw together that we were able to get them built and filled in one weekend.

We love being able to grow some of our own food and know the quality at every step of the process. Grocery store produce just doesn’t compare to homegrown in either taste or nutrition.

Not only do we gain a lot of joy from the garden, but so do our kids. It is wonderful to watch the pure joy our kids experience over growing their own food. They love to go out to the garden each day and see what yummy snacks are ripe for the picking.

watermelon vines trailing over the side of the cedar garden bed

DIY Cost Effective Raised Garden Beds

Normally, the words cedar and budget don’t typically go together. The reason these raised garden beds are cost effective is because they are made from inexpensive cedar fence pickets.

Cedar is an ideal choice of wood for garden beds because it is naturally rot resistant, bug resistant, and withstands weathering well.

I thought I was the pioneer of home gardeners when I had the idea to use cedar fence pickets as a cheap way to build raised garden beds. As it turns out, I was not.

Benefits of Raised Garden Beds:

You can fill them with organic compost, soil, and mulch to provide nutrient dense soil.
Typically results in less weeding than in-ground gardening especially when topped with a thick layer of mulch.
Prevents both kids and pets from running through the crops and compacting the soil.
Allows for the flexibility to easily add a “cage or covering” on top of the beds to keep unwanted animals from eating your precious harvest.
A simple way to divide up the beds to incorporate a square foot garden space.

cucumber vines trailing over the side of the garden bed

Raised Garden Bed FAQ

What kind of wood is best to use for a raised garden bed?

Cedar wood is one of the best choices to build raised garden beds because of its longevity and affordability. The natural oils present in cedar wood naturally make the wood both rot and bug resistant and therefore does not need to be treated for outdoor use.

What is pressure-treated wood and is it recommended for raised garden beds?

Pressure-treated lumber is wood that has had the excess air removed from it and replaced with preservative agents to help make the wood rot and insect resistant.

Fungicides, insecticides, and copper can be found in pressure-treated wood.

Untreated wood is the best wood to use for raised garden beds. Treated wood is not approved for organic gardening due to the nasty chemicals it can leach into the soil and ultimately the food you worked so hard to grow.

What is the best size for a raised garden bed?

It is best if the width of a raised garden bed is no more than 4 feet wide. This allows for easy access and harvesting of all plants from either side of the bed.

The length of a raised garden bed is determined by personal preference and space allowance. We chose to make ours 6 feet long simply because of the cedar fence posts used.

How far apart should you place raised beds?

3 feet apart is a comfortable amount for walking, squatting, and mowing. You may choose to do more between rows or every other row, etc if factoring in larger equipment such as a UTV.

close up of garden bed to show that it is two fence picket widths tall

How deep should a raised garden bed be?

An optimum depth (or height) for a raised garden bed is 10-12″ tall. This allows for ample root space and nutrient dense garden beds in which to grow your crops.

What is used to fill a raised garden bed?

As recommended in the Back to Eden gardening method, we fill our raised garden beds with a total of 8″ worth of raw materials: 4″ of a combination of compost and soil, along with 4″ of hardwood mulch.

You can also choose to mix in a little sand with the compost and soil for better drainage.

What kind of mulch is best to use in garden beds?

Our favorite mulch to use in the garden is a blend of hardwoods. Look for natural blends without additives such as dyes used for coloring.

Although the raised beds are made of cedar and are wonderful for that purpose due to its longevity, it is not recommended to use cedar as garden mulch.

Cedar wood takes a very long time to compost, hence the longevity. Therefore, it does not work well in the garden when being used as a mulch with the intention of composting and adding nutrients back into the soil.

Variations of a DIY Raised Garden Bed:

Add a permeable base and build them raised up at about 3 feet tall for an easier gardening experience. We built an elevated garden bed this way a few years back.
Repurpose some lumber you have on hand instead of using cedar 2x2s to save some on expense. Scrap 2x4s can be ripped to make 2x2s. Keep in mind, it might not hold up as long depending on the type of wood used.
If building on a slope, dig post holes and use 2×2 or 4×4 posts (depending on the size of the beds and slope) to level the garden beds. Add additional cedar boards around the elevated sides to enclose the beds.

close up of garden bed full of squash plants

This post contains affiliate links. View my full disclosure here.

Tools You May Need:

Drill
Miter saw or circular saw
Tape measure

Supplies:

6 – 6 foot cedar fence pickets
1 – 2 x 2 x 6 cedar board
Outdoor screws (we used this color)

Tutorial for How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

Measure and cut six posts at 11″ each from the 2 x 2 x 6 cedar board.

2x2 cedar being cut into an eleven inch post with miter saw

Cut off the dog-eared tops of the cedar fence pickets for a clean edge. This will make the pickets 5’11”.

measuring tape on a cedar fence picket to mark cut location at 5 foot 11 inches to remove dog eared top

Measure and cut two of the fence pickets in half to get four 2′ 11.5″ boards. These will be used for the shorter sides to make the width of the raised bed.

measuring tape on a cedar fence picket to mark cut location at 2 foot 11 and a half inches

Lay two of the 6′ cedar fence pickets side by side with the ends in line with one another.

Place three 11″ long 2 x 2 posts underneath the 6′ boards – one on each end and one at the center. The center post helps prevent bowing or separation of the boards once filled with soil.

deck screws being drilled into fence pickets to attach to center post

Align the boards and attach the fence pickets with four screws at each post.

Repeat with the other two 6′ cedar fence pickets and 11″ posts.

four deck screws drilled into fence pickets to attach to corner post

Flip the assembled sides so that the pickets are laying flat and the posts are facing up.

Clamp the 3′ cedar fence pickets onto the 2 x 2 posts – two on each end.

deck screws being drilled into fence pickets to attach to corner post with a clamp holding the pickets in place

Drill four screws at each post with two in each fence picket, minding the placement as to not collide with the existing screws.

close up of corner post with screws in alternating positions to avoid any collision when drilling

Flip the three sided structure and clamp onto the posts of the other 6′ piece. Drill screws in the remaining two posts.

fully assembled 3 foot by 6 foot raised garden bed made of cedar fence pickets on garage slab

Place the finished raised beds in the garden, fill, and sow.

Printable tutorial available below!

More DIY Farmhouse Builds:

DIY Privacy Trellis with Jasmine

Find more handmade farmhouse builds here.

If you try your hand at these raised garden beds, I would love if you could come back and let me know it! Tag me on social media to share your growing garden!

Pin It for Later!