SHIFTING ROOTS

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How to Build Beautiful Raised Beds for Square Foot Gardening

If you only have a small gardening space to work with, like an urban backyard, creating a raised bed garden is the best and easiest way to get started growing a garden. Raised beds have many benefits–there’s less bending, weeds are easier to manage, and they can look really pretty!

While there are many ways to create a raised bed for your square foot garden, I love the flexibility that creating your own DIY version with wood offers you. You can stain yours a natural colour, or go with something fun like the turquoise blue I went with.

What is the best Wood to Use for Raised Beds?

If you decide to use treated wood, make sure to use wood treated later than 2003. Anything earlier uses harmful chemicals that will leach into your soil, adding toxins to your vegetables.

The most natural and long-lasting option is Cedar, but where I live, cedar is extremely expensive.

We chose to go with regular, untreated 2×6’s to create our boxes to cut down on costs.

In the pictures for this post, we made 6 raised beds all at the same time. The supplies listed are for making one raised bed in a with 3′ by 5′ dimensions. If you’d like to make different sizes, adjust the amount of materials you need accordingly.

Supplies

  • 4 — 8 foot 2x6s
  • 2 inch screws or nails
  • 1 8 foot Fence post
  • 4 caps (optional)
  • Wood Stain (optional)
  • Landscape fabric or cardboard
  • Mulch
  • Soil
  • Saw (or cut all boards at the hardware store if there is a cutting station).

Directions

Step One: Select the wood you need, picking as straight of pieces as possible, with little to no blemishes.

Step Two: Cut the 4 2x6s into the lengths you need for your bed. We chose 3×5 beds because there is no waste when you cut, it’s easier to reach around, and just made more sense in our landscape. You could easily make 4×4 beds with no waste as well. For 3×5 beds, you would cut a 3 foot piece off of each 2×6 and instantly have your 3 foot pieces and 5 foot pieces.

Then cut 4 two foot pieces from your fence posts.

Step Three: These pieces can sometimes be purchased, or you can make your own by cutting 3/4 inches into the wood multiple times and chiselling out the pieces.

Step Four: Slide the pieces into corner pieces. Nail or screw to secure if desired.

Step Five (Optional): Secure the fancy caps to the 4 corners.

Step Six: Stain the outside and tops of the wood if you are using regular wood. You can skip this step if you use cedar or pressure treated wood. Remember to only use pressure treated wood made after 2003.

Step Seven: Place the beds where you want them, and lay down cardboard or landscape fabric to help prevent future weeds. Make sure any weed barrier you use for the outside also comes underneath the bed too. This will prevent annoying weeds along the sides of your bed.

Step Eight: Add soil in the beds and mulch over the weed barriers.

Step Nine: Enjoy the results of your hard work!

How to Grow Vegetables in Raised Beds

Before you click away from this page, here’s a few resources for growing vegetables in your new raised beds. While you can grow anything in a raised bed that you would in a traditional garden, its best if you use the square foot gardening method to make the most of the space you have.

Brand new to square foot gardening? Read this post on how to get started.

Need some ideas on what to plant? Here’s 4 free templates:

Get 4 Free Square Foot Gardening Templates

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Start your square foot garden the easy way!

You'll get 4 4x4 plans for

  • Salad Garden
  • Beginner's Garden
  • Salsa Garden
  • Kid's Garden

Plus a short 3 day email course of how to get started with square foot gardening.

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Want to see some real-life examples? Here’s how I created my front yard raised beds, other creative small space solutions around my neighbourhood, and how one couple changed an unused side yard into a raised bed garden.

And finally, if you really want to up your small space gardening game, you’ll want to grab a copy of Small Garden, Big Harvest. It’s everything you need to maximize every available inch of growing space you have available. Grow enough produce to have something fresh from the garden every week, and feel more at peace knowing you’re contributing to your food security in some small way.

Click here to find out more

Pin me for later. . .

Two Easy Tricks to Prevent Mold in Home Grown Sprouts

Growing sprouts at home is an easy way to provide nutritious greens for your family without fancy equipment, and a fun winter indoor gardening project. But many beginner sprout growers encounter one big problem that discourages them from trying sprouting again–mold.

Nobody wants to find mold in their home grown sprouts. Who wants to throw out precious food that you spent all that time growing?

Thankfully, there’s two really simple growing tricks that will stop mold in sprouts–with barely any extra work required on your part.

But first, let’s get to the root of the problem. . .

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it on my privacy policy.

Why are my sprouts molding?

Simply put, your sprouts are sitting in too much water. If the sprouts are too wet between rinses and there’s no air flow, this creates the perfect conditions for mold to grow.

No on to the two tweaks that will prevent fuzzy sprouts. . .

1. When it’s time to rinse, do it twice

Sprouts need to be rinsed twice a day, but once just isn’t enough. Put water in the jar, swirl the sprouts, and dump the water out. Do it again, but this time, very carefully let the water drain at a 45 degree angle, trying to keep the sprouts as spread out in the jar as possible. Then. . .

2. Rest the Jar in a bowl at a 45 degree angle to drain the remaining water

You know how when you set the jar back upright, there’s always that tiny little pool of water at the bottom? By setting the jar in a bowl, you prevent water from collecting at the bottom, thus preventing mold.

Finally, when it’s time to store the sprouts in the fridge, there’s one bonus trick to keeping them longer. . .

3. Place a paper towel at the bottom of a fridge smart container for the longest possible life

The towel at the bottom of the container will collect any remaining moisture, and help avoid surprises. You don’t have to use a Tupperware fridge smart container, a regular plastic container or knock off will work too.

Just in case you’re a beginner and sprouting for the first time or two, here’s how you do the whole process step by step. . .

How Do I Start Sprouting At Home?

To start your sprouting journey, you’ll need the following ingredients. . .

  1. Loosely fill the bottom of the jar with sprout seeds.
  2. Fill jar with water and soak for 4-8 hours, or overnight.
  3. You are now starting day one. Rinse the sprouts morning and night, 2 times each time. On the last rinse of each time, carefully follow the tricks above so you prevent mould.
  4. Set the jar in a bowl between rinse times. Your sprouts do not need a lot of light, keep them in a darker room.
  5. Repeat the process until your seeds are ready, anywhere from 2-7 days depending on the variety of seeds you purchased.
  6. When the seeds are ready, follow the bonus trick to store them so they keep longer.

That’s it! I hope you enjoy your sprout growing journey!

You might also like. . .

Want to Seed Start But Have No Space? This DIY Seed Starting Rack for Your Window is the Answer!

Do you dream of a huge set of seed starting shelves filled to the brim with plants under multiple sets of grow lights? You could save money, start your own seeds, and stick it to Old Man Winter.

But the reality is, there’s just no space in your small home!! Or you have one decent window to seed start, but there’s barely even a ledge. What do you do now? Resign yourself to a life of expensive starters?

Not you my friend.

You’re going to DIY yourself a seed starting shelf in your window frame. (Or order one from us, more details at the end!)

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my Privacy Policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

Seed Starting Shelves without Grow Lights!?!

Yes, it is possible!

This design fits right into your window frame. All you need is a minimum 1 1/4″ window ledge and a South-facing window. West and East facing windows can work too, but heat loving vegetables will not be as successful.

Grab the listed supplies, set aside an afternoon, and you’ll have your own DIY seed starting rack in your window before you know it!

Step One: Measure the Window

Measure the length and width of the window you plan on installing the shelf in. Make sure that your vertical measurement is straight!!

Materials and Tools

The dimensions in the following list are based on the windows in our house. You will need more or less wood depending on the height and width of your windows.

Cut the 2×2 board(s) just short of the height measurement of the window, so you have 2 same-sized pieces.

Determine where you want the shelves to be on the 2×2 pieces, starting from the bottom up. Leave at least 12″ between shelves and the top of the window to allow room for the plants to grow.

Mark the spots on the 2×2, making sure both pieces are marked at the same height.

Still planning out your garden? Get my free garden planner below, then head over to this post to find out how to garden plan without overwhelm.

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Drill 3/4″ holes through the 2×2’s at those marks. (Remember the shelf sits on top of the dowels–adjust your height accordingly.) To avoid tear out, drill partway through on one side until you see the tip of the drill bit. Turn the wood over and drill on the other side.

Cut the dowel into 6 1/4″ pieces, one for each hole. We made six holes for 3 shelves, but you may need more or less, depending on the size of your window.

Cut the shelves to the width you’d like to fit inside your window.

If your window is wider than 3 feet and you’d like the shelves to span the full width of the window, you should build a third support. It is tricky to make the shelf level with a third support, so we don’t recommend going wider than 3 feet if you’re a beginner woodworker.

Sand all edges of the pieces to get rid of any splinters or sharp corners.

Starting your seeds without a grow light? Here’s how to do it.

Assembly Instructions

Fit the dowels into the holes, making them all flush with the back side.

Place wooden shim on top of window. Tap the vertical supports into place with a hammer, wedging the support in place. Tap another wedge in the other side to fully secure it. Repeat the process for the other support.

Place the shelf on top of the dowels.

We have not provided any instructions for securing the shelves or dowels, as the intention with this project is that it is totally removable and folds up into as little space as possible at the end of the growing season. If you have pets or kids who would likely get into shelf, you can secure the dowels with wood glue, and screw the shelves in place.

Finally, add your seed starting containers and enjoy your new shelf!

A quick disclaimer: Please use common sense and do not overload your shelf!! While it’s designed to be as stable as possible, only use light-weight containers for your seedlings. Place plants starting in the centre of each shelf and then at the ends to avoid tipping. (Unless you have chosen to screw your shelves in place.)

There’s another way to start seeds when you have no space and light in your house.. . here’s how.

Wish you could seed start indoors, but don't have room for big shelves or grow lights? If you have a south or west facing window, this removable DIY seed starting rack is the answer! Build your own shelves according to your window's dimensions and easily remove the whole thing at the end of Spring! Perfect for your homemade seed starting trays. #seedstarting #DIY

It’s still too early to start most of my seeds, so all I currently have on it is my peppers, artichokes, a couple of vines I’m propagating, and some of my small succulent planters.

If you’d like to know more about starting seeds from your window, you’ll love this guide.

Then head over to this post about where to buy your seeds online.

Wish you could seed start indoors, but don't have room for big shelves or grow lights? If you have a south or west facing window, this removable DIY seed starting rack is the answer! Build your own shelves according to your window's dimensions and easily remove the whole thing at the end of Spring! Perfect for your homemade seed starting trays. #seedstarting #DIY

So, what do you think? Would you make something like this?

If you’re local to Saskatoon, SK, Canada, the Hermit is taking orders for these seed starting racks. Email [email protected] to get on the list of pre-orders.

The Dollar Store Hack to Keep Birds Away From Your Garden

Do you struggle with birds constantly eating your vegetables and seedlings? Me too! I love planting lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, beets, broccoli, peas, cabbage, and cauliflower, but the birds eat them as soon as they sprout.

It’s so bad, that last year I didn’t get any beets, spinach, peas or swiss chard because they ate everything the second it sprouted from the ground. I tried those bright whirligigs, pie plates, CD’s, and just plain old yelling at them every time I walk by, but none of it worked.

Are birds eating all of your leafy vegetables? Here's a simple dollar store solution you can DIY in the vegetable garden to keep them out! #vegetablegarden #diy #birds #pests
This is Scrappy. He is the ruler of my front yard vegetable garden and you don’t want to mess with him. I yell at him and he just stares back at me and eats my broccoli.

I even removed half of their habitat–some old cedars against the house that were very much past their prime. I hoped that would encourage the birds to move elsewhere, but Scrappy (the ringleader who looks like he fought with a cat and won) and his little band of hungry birds live on another year to feast upon my vegetables.

I wish the birds would stay out of my vegetable garden and eat my weeds instead!!

Related: How to Keep Animals Out of Your Garden

But this year I got smarter. I figured out a DIY solution using dollar store supplies that you can easily make in 10 minutes or less. Here’s the video to see exactly how to do it, and I’ll give supplies and directions below.

P.S. Youtube always gets me at the worst possible spots for the covers. Someday I will have enough subscribers to get the thumbnail feature. Until then, enjoy unflattering pictures of my face. 🙂

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

Are birds eating all of your leafy vegetables? Here's a simple dollar store solution you can DIY in the vegetable garden to keep them out! This cover protects your plants and is so easy to make! #vegetablegarden #diy #birds #pests

How to Make a Cover to Protect Your Garden From Birds

You’ll need the following supplies, most of which can easily be picked up at the dollar store, Amazon, or a big box store. In the video and pictures, I used a white cloth designed to keep bugs out, because I needed to use that cloth anyway for my broccoli. If you are planting something else or don’t struggle with flea beetles and moths, you could use bird netting instead. I will list both options and you can choose.

Cut the Hoola Hoops

In my set up, I used two hoola hoops and crossed them over each other. If you need to cover rows, you could would not cross them, and could even cut the hoop in half to get two pieces, instead of using one hoop as the whole piece. Do what makes sense for your space.

Hoola hoops can be tricky to cut, and they may be filled with water or pebbles of some kind. I found it easier if I bent the spot I wanted to cut first, then cut it.

Once the hoola hoops are cut, you can stick them 4-6 inches deep into the ground.

Cut and Arrange the Fabric

Cut your pieces of fabric so the hoola hoop is fully covered. In this case, I cut four pieces slightly longer than I needed them, and tucked the ends in at the top as I clipped them.

If you are making more of a traditional row cover, you would just cut one long piece the length of your row, plus enough at each end to read the ground to be tied or held down. The fabric on mine in this configuration is held down with a brick. If the hoola hoops are wider than your fabric, you’ll need two pieces of fabric the same size and clip one to each side of the hoola hoop.

Related: Easy Ways to Prevent Pests in The Garden

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

Screen shot 2018 04 19 at 4.23.58 pm

Gardening doesn't have to be complicated. Learn the basics in minutes, get started with your first garden in a day or less, and start your lifetime gardening adventure.

Enter your name and email address to download the Quick Start Garden Guide. You'll also get a mini-email course and weekly gardening tips and advice.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Clip with Binder Clips and Enjoy Your Bird-Free Vegetable Garden

The binder clips make setting up your hoop house so simple. No sewing, no fussing, and it can all be taken apart and reused as need year after year.

No matter what your project is, you’ll probably need more binder clips than you think, and once you see how easy this method is you’ll probably do it in other spots in your garden. Order at least a 24 pack.

Are birds eating all of your leafy vegetables? Here's a simple dollar store solution you can DIY in the vegetable garden to keep them out! This cover protects your plants and is so easy to make! #vegetablegarden #diy #birds #pests

Click here for more ideas for keeping bugs off your broccoli.

Will you make this protective cover? I’d love to know if you do!

DIY Wooden Garden Markers: A Cute Craft for the Garden

A garden looks perfectly beautiful on its own merit. Who doesn’t love to look through a well laid out and weeded garden? And the smell! But the gardener needs to know what’s what- especially at the beginning of the season.

This means you’ll need garden markers. And, because they’ll get the full force of the great outdoors, you’ll definitely want weatherproof plant markers! So many gorgeous gardens are ruined by those flimsy plastic labels.

Here are some garden markers that can be made very quickly and will enhance the beauty of your garden. With the rustic wooden look they will fit in with any garden.

These DIY wooden garden markers would be so cute in my vegetable garden, or even for my outdoor herbs and perennials. They use dollar store items and would be perfect for a craft with the kids! #plantmarkers #gardenmarkers #vegetable #diy #gardenart

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my Privacy Policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

Supplies

  • Wood slices (mine are 9-10cm)
  • Vice
  • Drill
  • Acrylic paint (Black and White)
  • Giant BBQ skewers (If you’re concerned about these biodegrading throughout the season you could use the wire from a hanger instead. These will provide more durability. However, my BBQ skewers were inexpensive and came in a pack of 30, so I’m just going to replace my skewers as needed.)
  • Damp Cloth
  • Spray Varnish (I didn’t actually do this with mine. They’ve been outside for a month in all this rain, and they look good as new.
  • Stamp set, wood burning kit, Cricut or paint pen

Note: if you purchase these pre-drilled wooden slices, you can skip the vice and the drill.

These DIY wooden garden markers would be so cute in my vegetable garden, or even for my outdoor herbs and perennials. They use dollar store items and would be perfect for a craft with the kids! #plantmarkers #gardenmarkers #vegetable #diy #gardenart

All Garden Row Marker Styles Start With:

  1. Clamp your wood slices into a vice and drill holes (about half an inch deep). 
  2. Using your damp cloth, wipe off each wood slice. The slices come pre-sanded, so this is just to get the saw dust and bits off. If you plan to use an adhesive stencil for your garden markers you’ll want to sand it down (gradually) to 240 grit so the stencil adheres properly and doesn’t leak.

Chalk Board Style Garden Row Markers:

  1. After the wood slice is completely dry paint your black circle onto it. You will probably need two coats of paint. I used the grain of the wood as a guide, so none of mine looked the same. If you prefer, you can make perfect circles or ovals for the name. I thought it looked woodsier following the grain. 
  2. Wait for the black to dry completely. Don’t get impatient! It will mess up your black (and maybe ruin your white marker) if you don’t wait for it to dry. 
  3. Using your preferred method of lettering, write on your plant name. Obviously the idea is for it to look like a chalk board, so I recommend using white paint. I used a brush to paint mine, but maybe you prefer a little bit more control and are going to use a paint pen. Maybe you prefer a lot more control and are going to opt for a stencil. Whatever you want to do, now is the time. 
  4. Allow to dry.
  5. Insert the BBQ skewers into the hole on the bottom of the wood slices and stick them into the ground.

Learn the Basics of Gardening in Just a Few Minutes

Screen shot 2018 04 19 at 4.23.58 pm

Gardening doesn't have to be complicated. Learn the basics in minutes, get started with your first garden in a day or less, and start your lifetime gardening adventure.

Enter your name and email address to download the Quick Start Garden Guide. You'll also get a mini-email course and weekly gardening tips and advice.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Wood Grain Style Garden Row Markers:

  1. This is by far the simplest one! All you need to do is use a Sharpie to write the plant name onto the wood slice. Alternately, you can use a paint pen, wood burning kit, stamp set or stencil and paint. 
  2. Stick the BBQ skewers into the bottom of the wood slices and stick them into the ground!
These DIY wooden garden markers would be so cute in my vegetable garden, or even for my outdoor herbs and perennials. They use dollar store items and would be perfect for a craft with the kids! #plantmarkers #gardenmarkers #vegetable #diy #gardenart

Black Label with Border Garden Row Markers:

  1. Tracing the grain, paint a black circle around the border of your wood slice.
  2. Using a straight edge, draw two lines. The first goes about a quarter of the way from the top and the second about halfway. Paint in this rectangle black.
  3. Allow to dry.
  4. Using white paint write the plant name on the black space. 
  5. Allow to dry.
  6. Insert the BBQ skewers into the hole on the bottom of the wood slices and stick them into the ground.
These DIY wooden garden markers would be so cute in my vegetable garden, or even for my outdoor herbs and perennials. They use dollar store items and would be perfect for a craft with the kids! #plantmarkers #gardenmarkers #vegetable #diy #gardenart

If you’re loving how these adorable large wooden plant markers improved the look of your garden, and are craving another little garden craft, be sure to check out Kristen’s post DIY Fairy Garden. It is so darn cheerful! Happy Crafting!

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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