Pros and Cons Of Building A Cinder Block Raised Bed!
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Using Cinder Blocks to make another raised bed. Perfect time to review wether it is right for everyone. Why it may or may not work for you.
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Really great info, especially for us elderly gardeners, thanks so much for sharing❤❤
Your welcome. Thank you for watching
I've done this style before. Instead of using a tarp or barrier cloth, I recommend cardboard.
Good advice
Yeah, it kills the weeds, but still allows the roots to eventually go into the soil. Great for no dig.
Ya, tarps eventually break down and then you get bits out plastic in the soil
I used cardboard at the bottom of mine
I use barrier cloth and I'm fine with it...
Thanks for the idea!
Your welcome
Lime is the opposite of acidic. It’s very basic. It will raise your pH not lower it!! I might try something like this next year in front of a fence we have. Why mow grass when I could have vegetables. I would have to be careful what goes in it as it’s right by the sidewalk.
I was about to write the same thing
me too
Most of the cinderblocks from homedepot or lowes are "concrete" not real cinderblocks so no leeching.
Awesome great feedback thank you
Leeching?
Leeching contamination into the soil. He is stating new ones dont leech any longer.
What did the old ones leech?
Leach.
Very good video thanks for sharing God bless you and yours.
Thank you and same to you
Thanks for a great video…
Thank you for watching!
I'm making a very similar raised bed and went for 140mm dense solid concrete blocks, £2.10 each delivered and one of the cons you mentioned is weight. These blocks I have weight 26kg each and moving them around is a total hassle. Overkill perhaps but fairly cheap, reusable, reconfigurable and very durable. I plan a 4 course high wall so figured the extra weight would be needed on a long high side wall.
Awesome good advice, let us know how it turns out!
Great Notes!
Leather Gloves ✨🌎✨
Indeed
@@creationsbydx
I think that the cinder blocks are formed like the old days when they actually added some cinders to the mix. And so while called cinder blocks they may be concrete blocks formed a certain way.
Some blocks are formed to be lighter than others. Best to carry them when they are dry. Do not overwork. In some areas the soil may be especially loose, invasive species, and risk of drying. The cinder blocks may draw off moisture from the garden soil.
Stacking higher than 2 blocks may require special reinforcements, but could facilitate special rooting vegetables.
😂🌎😂
@dandavatsdasa8345 great notes
I am building a similiar 8x4 bed and was originally going to use the regular solid concrete block from Homedepot but then i realized that these cinder Blocks are actually double the size (of regular solid block) but weight almost the same as a regular block. Therefore using these is a no brainer. Anything else compared to this is more heavier and costlier.
Only regular bricks maybe easier to handle but then you need proper brick laying skills to deal with the mortar etc.
Sad but true
I thought there was some kind of sealer for them? Well that is what I heard not sure if its just to keep the water in.
There are different types of products on the market yes, I would he sure to research them to be sure they are safe for growing in after using
Thank you for all this information. I have a question - if I paint them (to avoid chemicals getting into the soil), will that help with the heat issue? we live in Texas - I didn't know if painting them white might help with the heat retention property. The heat issue is my biggest concern (of all the cons). Thank you
Honestly it wouldn't hurt, I dont think it would be a big difference between great and white for heat abortion, but overall they won't fry the bed and roots they will just keep it warmer longer
czcams.com/video/d--fyiO8DNw/video.html
czcams.com/video/9Qzbeode6yA/video.html
I seal the inside with Water Block slurry, plants not affected...cinder blocks don't hurt plants...old wives tale
Painting them White will make a difference
@@azdesertrats729 To reduce the cost of manufacturing concrete blocks, more industrial wastes are being used in newer concrete blocks -- coal power plant fly ash and blast furnace slag (arsenic, boron, and heavy metals). I will give myself the benefit of the doubt and not use cement blocks.
Hi. How many total blocks for the one you are showing? How many caps pieces? Also what are the interior dimensions? Thank you!
There are 32 blocks, I'll double check how many caps
Did you brace these at all to prevent them from bowing out when you fill with dirt?
No, I did not. Has not has an effect on my fill, if u were to go higher likely should add something to brace them together
@@creationsbydx Thanks, I'm building them 3 or 4 bricks, so probably going to pound in some rebar on the inside edge of the bricks
@checkedoff smart
Can i cover a whole yard with tarp and build a bed like your since i very tired of Mow ? But i saw the water remains in your video? So is there a way to drain a water?
You could poke drainage holes if you wanted
Cardboard is much better for the health of your soil. You want worms and beneficial microbes in your soil, deep under your beds. Tarps will kill all that. Save your cardboard and cover one section at a time, then dump mulch on top (if you don't want grass).
It's true I did card board under my pathway then laid bricks but eventually that fed the soil as it broke down and I ended up removing my pathway because so much grew through the bricks hence why I use tarps now
Also Vinny... if you don't like mowing lawn you could turn your whole back yard into gardens. You don't tarp it. Just cover the grass with multiple beds with cardboard at the bases. You'll only have grass where there are no beds, and could easily cut it with a small push mower.
@@tibbs4000 what if cardboard break down overtime and the weeds or grass will grow from there.
And if we cover by the cardboard will weeds or grass will grow under the cardboard? Because when i use the weed barrier i still see weeds and grass are growing underneath
Would painting their exterior white reduce their temperature?
I'm sure it would help slightly, but they are already a light color. I doubt it will have a large affect
How did the plants do compared to when you used wooden raised beds?
Grew, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, marigolds all grew very well. I have a follow up video I made in editing right now will be releasing this week or next.
czcams.com/video/ed31w4zhIuE/video.html
we made one today, second one tomorow...both two high. Wonder how long these potentially leach for.
Are they newer blocks? Or recycled? If newer I would assume you don't have to worry about leaching.
@@creationsbydx These blocks, we've had them for maybe 4-6 yrs,
My guess is they are newer then and you would have no leeching
@@creationsbydx We took it apart.
The tarps are toxic. Use landscape cloth. Sont fo cheap....buy a food quality like is used over some types of septic drain fields
I think Lime will raise the ph... it is basic, not acidic.
Thank you
How many blocks did you use to make that bed?
I believe its 32 plus the caps
Where are you all getting cinder blocks ? I was of the belief they quit making them.
It is likely most places won't carry them. But as I got my blocks used and didn't know how old they were always want to give the pros and cons
If you are in the US, all big box stores (Homedepot, Lowes, Menards etc) still carry them. I just got some from Menards for 1.50$/each, which is fairly cheap.
@@umairshah6358 You didn't buy cinder blocks as they were made. If you actually found cinder blocks you found a concrete mixed with coal cinders. And some of which are not allowed by code for foundations / or load bearing. Real cinder block production halted after WW2
@@MrTonyPiscatelle you are probably right Tony but its bit of a moot point to get stuck on a technicality like this in context of the video.
Line it with cardboard
Easier & cheaper
Thanks
When you build a planter with cinder blocks always seal the inside with a waterproof sealant...problem solved....
Great advice
$2.22 at Home Depot
Not bad for a long lasting raised bed
Why do humans build raised vegetable gardens almost ground level? Seriously? I built mine so I don't stoop over.
Lol, well I'm sure you know for many reasons, I have elevated raised beds as well that definitely are a saver on the back. But most just do raised beds to control the soil mix. Thats why I started.
Almost to ground level? Because they want to save on compost. It’ll cost too much if the bed is higher. Some don’t use fillers like kitchen scraps way down below & have no access to lots of logs or cut grasses? Also, not using buried kitchen scraps at the bottom of raised beds avoid foxes coming to dig them up?
I don't have room in my yard so I built one to put on concrete.
I agree, the whole purpose is to not bend over. Also so that I can garden in my older years. Spaced wide enough for walker or wheel chair. Also sit on edge to harvest.
But, I guess that is not their goal..
I will be doing block. Only want to do them once.
@@MyLove-uj8zithat’s not the “whole purpose “. There are many reasons people use raised beds. For some it’s to avoid bending over. For others it’s to give their garden better quality soil to grow in if they live in hard clay or rocky areas with poor soil. And for people in flood zones it’s to prevent the plants from drowning in a flood when they get at least one flood every season. If you know you property will hold on to a few inches of water, a 12 inch raised bed is plenty to keep your garden safe. And yet another reason is weed control. It’s easier to keep weeds out of raised beds than in ground beds. And for people who rent, digging a garden isn’t an option but a raised bed is. So there are plenty of reasons that have nothing to do with bending over. Raised beds have tons of benefits.
From what I’ve heard cinder blocks are not made anymore cinder blocks have stuff that will leach into your soil and are not good maybe poisonous I’m not sure
I've heard similar, but a lot of folks get these things 2nd hand like I did. I like to make sure they are aware of all pros and cons
@@creationsbydx and that is a good thing, because you have a large viewing audience who may need to learn about it. I learned about it on CZcams somewhere.
What's worse about the leeching is that they have the potential to leech lead, arsenic and other really bad stuff. This is by far the absolute worst con, especially if you grow food in them.
Go with actual cement blocks. If you get them first hand, they should be cement. Cinder blocks are not really used any longer. Avoid used building materials you don't know the specification, use and origin of.
Also, as others have pointed out, lime is basic, the opposite of acidic.
Thank you great points
I stopped watching right after you said blueberries love lime ! Lime adds ph to soil which contrary to what you said blueberry bushes love acidic soil .
Thanks for the feedback
Blocks haven’t been made from cinders that from factory furnaces in decades. Its the last material you’d want to put in your garden. Why do you continue to call them cinderblocks? Its been concrete block many years now but people continue to use this outdated word. As a mason it annoys me immensely.
Thanks very helpful tip. Thats like when people call cabinets cupboards for me so I get that for sure. As this video was all recycled materials I wanted people to know what they could get decades old
@@creationsbydx I watched several more videos and pretty much everyone called them cinder blocks. I guess some phrases never die out.
Lol...guess your right