Concrete Block Beds

Do you think concrete blocks will stay put by them selves? They shouldnt move out of place should they?
wants to use concrete block beds cause they last forever and only cost few cents more than wood after the project is complete.

$155 to make a 2 1/2 X 80 foot grow bed.

It depends on the soil. In Houston, they would "float" or drift a bit without something to hold them in place, but a few feet of rebar cut into 1-2 ft lengths, driven into the ground would work. And, it would probably add less than $10 to your cost.

The problem I have with any hard border is undermining by the Bermuda grass and fireants.

I've been wanting to use the concrete stepping blocks that are about 1x2 around my garden, but figured it would just add more work to maintaining the edge.

using commerical ground cover to prevent weeds and grass and spraying Eraser around the edges of the ground cover. I also put out "over and out" ant killer.
Have clay soils here. Thinking about imbedding the blocks an inch into the ground to help keep them in place. The beds will be in a greenhouse and no flooding in there. greenhouse 16x96. Growing tomatoes, squash, cukes, beans, okra and peppers in the grow beds. Using the greenhouse frame for tieing up tomatoes and cukes. Poly can be removed off the greenhouse during heat of summer easily using Poly Lock system.

My main concern was long lasting grow beds. Hoping I don't have to morter the blocks together. Dont know why I didnt think about putting them in the ground before.
Chatting makes you think.

Thanks

Cricket

I have one cinder block bed. The rest are made of wood. I wanted to use up these cinder blocks my FIL had sitting around at his house (the previous owner had used them for his garden). I figured, hey free materials... My cinder block bed is made out of the kind with two holes. They're each pretty heavy. I stacked them two high. Once I filled the bed with soil, I put some soil in the holes of the cinder blocks. I planted some small stuff in the holes too. Nothing has moved an inch since I installed it in the spring. If it does, I will just scoot it back together. Once it has soil in it, it aint going anywhere, especially putting soil in the holes too. One thing to consider is that the cinder block bed takes up more room for the amount of growing space you get. Another thing I noticed is that it also retains heat better than the other beds. If you did mortar it, I don't think that would add too much difficulty to the project, but you wouldn't be able to move it again without destroying it. For me, that was not something I wanted because, I like to be able to change my mind. As I do often and without apology. :)

since they heat up more--do you think that would be too hot in the south. wonder if it would burn the plants up.

good thought on the morter----and will fill the holes with dirt too and maybe plant some radishes,turnips, garlic, onions, cabbage or carrots--etc........in them.

was also thinking about how wide those blocks are and how the actual width is not all your growing space. Making the beds 3 blocks wide to have 2 1/2 foot wide bed. Or maybe I should make it 4 blocks wide. Anyway--thought about that too.


Its goin to be fun cause I will be making 4 80foot long grow beds.
The cost aint too shabbie either.
The only thing I dread is leveling the ground but I have a culitvator tiller that will loosen the soil for me.
Guess I will have all four beds made by Spring.

Watering the beds with PVC driping system. The pvc has holes in it. Thats a whole new subject.

Cricket, I have no idea if it would burn up the plants in the heat of the south. It's not an issue here. Any heat I can get, especially in the spring, is a big plus. I think it may be a matter of the blocks retaining the heat longer overnight. Anyway, my plants in the cinder block, sprouted faster in the spring. Again, a good thing for me. I came up a few blocks short for my bed so I purchase a few at home depot. They came in different sizes. Some were longer, some were wider.

I'd do more cinder block beds except I don't think it would work in the majority of my garden. I have a sloped back yard and the wood beds can each be made to fit. There was one spot that was a bit more level and that's where I put the cinder block bed. I did have to level it out completely however. I do like that they would last forever and not have to be replaced as you have to with wood.

If you plant the holes in the cinder blocks with a prostrate or trailing plant like creeping thyme, rosemary or something in the mint family, they should drape over the blocks and shade them in the summer heat. It's also a way to keep the mints under control if you don't want to give them obedience training.

good idea garden-mermaid. I was goin to use a creeping moss but herbs are a better idea.

Herbs taste better too! I had a moss soup once that was a regional specialty. If you are eating dried and preserved foods all winter, I could see how that could be a tasty break, but it will nver be my favourite food.

Concrete blocks are porous (wood too) and will let your raised bed dry out at the edges. Consider lining the inside face of the blocks with some thick plastic. This will also keep out some of the perennial weeds.

Cricket... I am in the process of constructing block garden beds and have recently finished the 1st of several. I did it with the traditional foundation, block and mortar. I have since decided to do the next one with a concrete adhesive that comes in a tube similar to caulking made by Loctite (you can find it at Home Depot in the paint dept.). I am going to level the ground only where the blocks will sit. Next I will put a layer of tamped crushed gravel down as a base. Then stack and glue the blocks and fill the cavities with crushed gravel and tamp down until compacted. Glue block caps on...paint ...fill will soil and compost...done.
I also have run water lines to all the beds. On the 1st bed I caulked all joints on the inside where there is a block wall that is a common fence with a neighbor to help prevent anything from leaking through and creating an issue on their side.

I do like the idea of planting mint and a few other herbs in the block cavities so I think I'll leave a few caps off and try it. I like the caps because it makes a pleasant place to sit and contemplate things....like now what am I going to plant and where!

Here is a pic of the recently completed bed.

I guess the main thing is that I think blocks are pretty easy to work with and they can be permanent or not depending on what you want. In the long run it will be less expensive than wood.
Good luck! Dan

Those are very nice beds you've built there Dan! It looks like you'll get a lot of heat radiating off the back wall in the winter.

Thank you g_m. That block wall is on the north end of our lot and will work nicely this winter as you said. I know it worked like the blazes this summer when I was working on it! I'm just about ready to start the next one that will be about 5' x 20'. It will be 4' feet from the east wall and run parallel to it. Hopefully the wall won't block to much morning sun and is far enough away not to fry the plants in the summer. After living in N. Cal for 50 years gardening in AZ is like starting all over. The growing seasons have shifted, the soil must be from another planet and the weather is....well anyway this is another story for another time. :o)

Nice Dan. Very Nice.

I will also be building concret block beds around my deck.

We just built a sunroom---still under construction---and I build concrete planters in the floor--placing a cap block sideways as it surfaced the floor---topping it off with red brick using Liquid Nail to secure the brick. : )

Great looking beds there Cricket! It looks like a very comfortable place to hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee or a cocktail. Keep us posted as to your progress with the next beds you build...include pictures! :o)

Hey Cricket,
we built two cinder block beds in our yard this summer. I don't think you need to worry about the heat on the south side; ours face south and the soil was not noticably warmer on that side. I think the air space in the holes insulated the soil. The holes have also become the favorite place for the local tree frogs to hang out, which worries me because we eventually want to glue rocks on top of the holes. We used mortar, which was not very expensive, but it was a pain in the butt. I think we will use the liquid nails to attach the rock facing.

Pardon all of my junk in the foreground. This is a photo of the beds halfway through construction. The bed on the left is finished and we are just laying out the second one. All of those bricks plus a few more went into the second bed.

Thats goin to be very nice Kat.
You will have to show more pictures as you go along.
I have not started on mine yet. Mine will only be one block high.
I will start on my beds about mid Oct. We are still working on our sunroom.

Love to see more pictures folks
Cricket

We finished it about two months ago except for a couple of odd corners that need half blocks. I would have sent a finished photo last night but the beds were covered for the night (it was 25° this morning). The piles of rocks will eventually cover the blocks but there's too much else to do right now.

Here's a shot from the same perspective as the during shot:

This message was edited Sep 23, 2006 11:32 AM

And here's one from the park.

Nice beds Katlin,

I like the sweeping radius and the multiple levels you built into it. It looks like you put a lot of thought into that project. It looks very nice the way it is...can't wait to see your pic's after you finish the rock veneer.

Dan

Very nice beds indeed. Those will be show stoppers for folks walking through the park. Your tomatos look great too!

I built a cinder block garden last Winter and I had great success! The only [bad] problem I had is the d@mn Bermuda grass! I didn't use weedblock,just set the blocks on the grass...live and learn! I'm in the process of tearing all the spent tomatoes out, leaving in the peppers for a few more weeks cus they are still producing. What I'm going to do this Fall is put a border around the bed and put newspaper on the bed to smother the grass. Herbs do great, but I don't think mint would be a good idea, it will pop up all over the bed! I had thyme,cilantro,parsley and oregano planted in the cinder holes and they did great.
I ran a soaker hose along all the holes and inside the bed attached to a timer. We get HOT here but everything got through fine. I'm looking forward to Spring 2007 with NO Bermuda grass! [I can dream!]

kimmers, the key to keeping mints under control is to harvest them regularly and to pull the root up with the stem, all the way back to its required borders, when you harvest. I've had great success keeping a mint in its designated square foot plot using this method. You'll have to harvest more frequently during times of peak growth.

Thanks everyone.

It was a bit of work to cement them together but it's really nice to be abe to stand on them and pick tomatoes. Maybe next spring we'll get the rocks in place. We've talked about leaving some of the holes open to plant in or for froggie habitat (one was croaking at me today as I worked in the yard).

my frogs bed in my pots and when i water they jump out at me and ------i scream!

Lovely bed.

I was wondering what I was goin to do along the front lawn for flowers----thought about cinder bed---but the front lawn is 210 feet wide. FAint. 656 blocks for one bed. Faint.
Wants to put cannas and elephant ears and and and and.............the ideas are endless.

Cricket...would it make sense to build it in sections so you can do a little at a time?

yeh--i was thinking that last night when i got off the net.
to do 30 foot beds----one at a time.

We have a fence across the front yard and I want to remove it and put flower beds in its place.

let me find a picture
brb

front yard

Side view of the front yard.
Its much bigger than 210 feet across . The 210 feet is across the front of the circle drive.
I want to build block beds along that fence line---deleting the fence.
what you do not see in the picture is I now have crape myrtles down one side of the drive and weeping willows and mimosa in the center of the circle drive with a pond.

Right now---trying to build grow beds for the greenhouses to grow tomatoes in ----instead of growing them in grow bags.

tomatoes in grow bags--------can you imagine if they were in grow beds.

I'm impressed! Are all of these for personal consumption or do you sell the surplus? It looks like you have a fair size piece of real estate there Cricket.

I eat and sale all the rest. I just like growing tomatoes so made a business of growing and selling fresh maters .
So far it has been good choice. I do not go anywhere to sell them. I sell from my own property and have a total of 10 acres here.

This is where i want to build more grow beds for other veggies.