I'm currently tearing down an old garden and building a new raised bed on a slight slope—about 12 inches over 16 feet. The new bed will be two-tiered and measure 16x16 feet, made from 2x12x8 green treated lumber. Given the slope, should I stake the bed into the ground, or is the heavy-duty structure enough to keep it stable? If staking is necessary, what's the best option for that? The reason I'm raising this bed is that the previous owners built the old one over a stump, resulting in shallow roots everywhere.
3 Answers
You might be fine without staking, but investing a few bucks in rebar stakes could really secure it and prevent any movement. If you drive the rebar into the ground on the high side of the bed, it'll act as a ground anchor without needing to drill into the wood. Just make sure you get them deep enough to go below the frost line!
Are you cutting into the slope or just laying the bed on top? I'd suggest using rebar or extending the corners and braces to reinforce it when building.
I'm just laying it on top—there's no way I'm digging through all those roots!
I just put in a raised bed on a slope in my backyard recently. If the ground underneath is solid enough, you probably won't need to stake it at all!
That’s a smart tip about the rebar!