Hi there,
Having already got an allotment I've decided to expand homeward. We have an area which is all paved but looks to have a concrete base which I don't fancy digging up. So I was thinking I could do some diy some raised beds on top of the patio slabs. Does anyone have any experience of doing this?
I reckon I can fit about three 3mx1.5m beds in, making sure I leave 60cm all round for paths. I'm undecided what to use - as it's down the bottom of the garden through a gate cheapness is my priority rather than beauty. My builder neighbour reckons breeze blocks would be cheapest, but I'm not sure what depth I require - I've read 75cm or 60cm so I'm guessing that's a good ball park. I think I would need to make sure breeze blocks aren't permeable (as I think some of the special light ones soak up water!) plus have some drainage holes if on solid surface.
Any advice/experiences gratefully received!
Raised beds on patio - any tips
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oldherbaceous
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Dear ajpaterson, three courses of blocks would give you 67.5cm, so that would give you about the right depth.
Building it in blocks won't be cheap though, just the materials will be quite a lot, and then there's the labour unless you are prepared to tackle the job yourself.
If you do decide to go ahead with it, a few tips would be, to cut 10cm lenghts of plastic overflow pipe to put in the bottom corse of joints to let the water escape, and also line the inside of the blocks with 25mm polystyrene, this will help to keep some of the moisture off the blocks and also help when the soil freezes and expands, it will help to stop the blocks from splitting.
You should try and put about 15cm of rubble in the bottom of the raised beds as well, since they will be on a solid base.
Hope this helps a little.
Building it in blocks won't be cheap though, just the materials will be quite a lot, and then there's the labour unless you are prepared to tackle the job yourself.
If you do decide to go ahead with it, a few tips would be, to cut 10cm lenghts of plastic overflow pipe to put in the bottom corse of joints to let the water escape, and also line the inside of the blocks with 25mm polystyrene, this will help to keep some of the moisture off the blocks and also help when the soil freezes and expands, it will help to stop the blocks from splitting.
You should try and put about 15cm of rubble in the bottom of the raised beds as well, since they will be on a solid base.
Hope this helps a little.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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ajpaterson
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Many thanks for your kind advice Old Herbaceous. Hadn't thought about the possible freezing(!), and the drainage pipes sound like a good idea too. Hopefully will be able to get my builder neighbour to get blocks slightly cheaper as he's about to order for his own house extension. He talks a lot of prices and measurements very fast that I can't quite it in, so I'll have to get him to draw a plan on paper so I understand!
You could try combining cheapness with beauty, if only because you and your neighbours have to live with this for some time and one assumes you have to think about the value of your property.
I garden at home and I used to have some help one day a week. He was very good at codging things together, for quickness, which we then spent hours taking apart and rebuilding. If it's a reasonable job, it looks OK even when it's not full of crops ready to be harvested.
I garden at home and I used to have some help one day a week. He was very good at codging things together, for quickness, which we then spent hours taking apart and rebuilding. If it's a reasonable job, it looks OK even when it's not full of crops ready to be harvested.
Hello
Have you thought about using something like that link-a-bord stuff. Probably not as cheap as concrete blocks but certainly a lot less hassle. If you ever want to move or extend your raised bed it's easily done. Concrete blocks are pretty permanent and, to my mind, an ugly feature on a patio/paved area).
John
PS Be wary of builders - their minds are set in cement and concrete!
Have you thought about using something like that link-a-bord stuff. Probably not as cheap as concrete blocks but certainly a lot less hassle. If you ever want to move or extend your raised bed it's easily done. Concrete blocks are pretty permanent and, to my mind, an ugly feature on a patio/paved area).
John
PS Be wary of builders - their minds are set in cement and concrete!
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
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What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
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oldherbaceous
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Dear John, i represent that last bit 
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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ajpaterson
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It's months later from when I sought advice on this thread (thanks again to those who replied) and I'm approaching filling my new raised bed*. Can anyone recommend a 'recipe' for what to fill it with? I can get a skip of compost for £25, access to car fulls of manure for free and have a little bit of top soil (with more commonly available on freecycle). Is a mixture of compost and manure adequate, or do I need top soil for some reason too?
Many thanks.
* For those that are interested, I didn't go with the blocks idea in the end, but managed to get lots of old scaffolding boards (slightly less permanent than breeze blocks!) from a local company and, using some fence posts, have knocked together something suitable. Aiming to line sides with polythene to make the wood last a bit longer plus put weed fabric at bottom (as paving slabs did have weeds coming up between, which may reappear), then a layer of rubble for drainage, then the compost...
Many thanks.
* For those that are interested, I didn't go with the blocks idea in the end, but managed to get lots of old scaffolding boards (slightly less permanent than breeze blocks!) from a local company and, using some fence posts, have knocked together something suitable. Aiming to line sides with polythene to make the wood last a bit longer plus put weed fabric at bottom (as paving slabs did have weeds coming up between, which may reappear), then a layer of rubble for drainage, then the compost...
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skinny_bum
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Hi ajpaterson
I too Have a raised bed at home, mine is not as deep as yours but nevertheless to has a hardcore bottom, is only a railway sleeper (on its side) in height, I filled my ground with just clean top soil from the local builders centre down my way, that was last year April & at the time I added some - (maybe one bag) of horse manure and one bag of compost (only because it was there not being used) and this has worked well for me, producing some Potatoes, Carrots, broad Beans & purple Sprouting Broc - which I am eating now.
That was my first year of growing anything veg wise and to my surprise, things have worked out great.
A few weeks ago I added some chicken pellets ready for a new lot of planting.
I have loads to learn, & would be interested in what others have to say, and which is better organic which is what I use or not? !!!
Skinny
I too Have a raised bed at home, mine is not as deep as yours but nevertheless to has a hardcore bottom, is only a railway sleeper (on its side) in height, I filled my ground with just clean top soil from the local builders centre down my way, that was last year April & at the time I added some - (maybe one bag) of horse manure and one bag of compost (only because it was there not being used) and this has worked well for me, producing some Potatoes, Carrots, broad Beans & purple Sprouting Broc - which I am eating now.
That was my first year of growing anything veg wise and to my surprise, things have worked out great.
A few weeks ago I added some chicken pellets ready for a new lot of planting.
I have loads to learn, & would be interested in what others have to say, and which is better organic which is what I use or not? !!!
Skinny
Only just seen this so not sure if you will see what I write but here it is anyway.
Last year as an experiment I made a bed 6ft by 2ft by 5inches (!) on top of some flags that formed a path under the garage window. South facing and in full sun I just filled it with growbag compost and planted it up.
I successfully grew 3 different types of tomatoes to 7 feet including Marmande (which is big), sweet peppers, beetroot, 2 pointed cabbages, various herbs, a cucumber and lettuces in the gaps.
Just shows what can be done eh? I hope it gives you confidence to have a go with whatever you have.
Best
David
Last year as an experiment I made a bed 6ft by 2ft by 5inches (!) on top of some flags that formed a path under the garage window. South facing and in full sun I just filled it with growbag compost and planted it up.
I successfully grew 3 different types of tomatoes to 7 feet including Marmande (which is big), sweet peppers, beetroot, 2 pointed cabbages, various herbs, a cucumber and lettuces in the gaps.
Just shows what can be done eh? I hope it gives you confidence to have a go with whatever you have.
Best
David
Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids.