Setup and Assembly

• Do I need any tools to assemble the planters?

  No tools are required for basic raised bed assembly. It's important, however, to level the ground before setting up raised beds. This is easy to do using a hoe or mattock to dig a level trench beneath the planter boards. It's also a good idea to loosen the ground below the bed using a turning fork or shovel, to improve drainage and soil aeration.

  When assembling our planter boxes, or raised beds with optional trim packs, a power drill or screwdriver is necessary to attach the top rail and corner moldings. Planter bottoms ship in preassembled panels and do no require tools for installation. Single-piece bottoms come pre-drilled and may optionally be attached to raised beds with the included screws.

• Can I set up raised beds on lawn?

  Raised beds can be set up directly on lawn with little or no preparation. Beds 11 inches and taller are generally deep enough to smother buried grass before it can reach the surface. All that is needed, in this case, is to level the ground before setting up the planter.

  Some rhizomic weeds and grasses, however, can surface through very deep soil. To prevent this, cover the ground with a layer of cardboard or thick newspaper before filling the raised beds with soil. The paper will break down over time, along with the grass beneath it, and eventually become compost for your garden.

• Can I set up raised beds on concrete and other hard surfaces?

  Yes. Raised beds with optional planter bottoms are ideal for gardening on hard, non-absorbent surfaces such as compacted dirt and concrete. This allows full size garden beds to be set up on patios, rooftops, driveways and parking lots, transforming barren urban lanscapes into lush vegetable gardens.

• Can raised beds be moved or disassembled?

  Yes. Simply remove the top layer of boards and pull out the pins to disassemble the raised beds. The planter can then be moved and reassembled at a new location. For raised beds with optional trim packs, the top rails and corner moldings must be removed before disassembling the basic raised bed.