Make Raised Concrete Garden Beds PART 1 - Precast Mold Build -

Pour Concrete for the Concrete Garden Boxes

The 48 inch mould I made takes one bag of cement to fill (66lb). These new shorter molds will take approximately 3/4 of a bag.
Have everything ready as you need to work quickly before the concrete sets up. I like to add a small additional amount of Portland Cement to my mix to give it a bit more strength (optional).

Mix concrete with cold water in wheelbarrow

I mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow and use cold water.
Try to not make your mix overly wet. Too much water reduces the strength of the concrete and this extra water may soak into the wood forma and shorten their life.
It can take a while to get a feel for just the right mix.

Shovel the mix into a mould and fill it half way, lay in the Wire Mesh, and fill the rest of the way.
UPDATE: When I made this panel I placed the wire mesh too close to the edges. It should be buried deeper in the panel. Cut the mesh grid so there’s only one wire running the length of the form with approximately 2″ pieces of the cross members on each side.

Tap with hammer to settle concrete and remove bubbles

Gently tap the mould with a hammer to help settle the wet concrete and allow bubbles to come to the surface. Also, any tool that vibrates can work well to settle the concrete. I have a drill with an impact setting that I have used for this.

Cover with Plastic to Harden

Now cover the wet concrete with a plastic sheet and leave for at least 2 days.

Remove screws and gently remove sides and ends - cast form mold concrete garden boxes — Remove screws and gently remove sides and ends

Remove the Hold-Down screws and gently pry off the Sides and Ends. Gently lift the panel off the base. The concrete is still “soft” and will not cure to full strength for a few weeks so be careful handling them. Keep the panel wet while it cures to full strength in a few weeks.

Lift panel from base - cast form mold concrete garden boxes — Lift panel from base

Properly formed concrete panel for garden box

I use a paint scraper to remove the old latex caulking and a cloth rag to wipe down and clean the mould parts.

Scrape dried latex caulk with paint scraper - concrete garden boxes — Scrape dried latex caulk with paint scraper

Make the Concrete Garden Boxes

I cut rebar into one foot lengths with a cutoff blade in my angle grinder. I clamp the long length of rebar across sawhorses. A hacksaw will work but it takes longer.

I level a spot in my garden and overlap two panels, and check the corners for square then drive in the rebar thru the corner into the ground to secure them. It’s great to reach the point of finally assembling the concrete garden boxes.

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assemble concrete garden boxes — Level and square panels in garden

I repeat this on each corner to complete the Garden Box. For this box I used 2 – 48″ panels and 2 – 36″ panels.

Secure corners with 12" epoxy coated rebar — Secure corners with 12″ epoxy coated rebar

For deeper concrete garden boxes you can stack and alternate the panels if you like. You will need longer rebar pins.
We put a layer of cardboard down over the grass then fill the box with compost and soil before planting.
It’s pretty rewarding to remove the panels from the forms. I get a kick out of that every time. I hope this tutorial has informed and inspired you to give concrete forming a try!
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Can you use concrete for garden beds?

Yes, concrete can be used for garden beds. They are easy to make and very long-lasting. They do not rot and can hold the heat of the sun for a warmer bed.

Are concrete garden beds safe?

Concrete garden beds are generally safe to use. Concrete is a well used worldwide material that is used around many plants with no visible negative effect.