Raised beds made from galvanized steel add a modern, clean look to the garden. In fact, they last much longer than rot-resistant woods like cedar. Aside from their longevity benefits, they can definitely be placed anywhere with six to eight hours of sunlight per day (less if you're growing shade vegetables). Put one on the driveway, in the middle of the lawn, or on a small patio. Unless you choose to DIY, galvanized loft beds are great for those who don't have the tools, woodworking skills, or time to build a loft bed. Simply set it up, fill with soil, and plant!
Galvanized raised beds have become very common when it comes to common materials used in raised bed gardens. What started as some clever green thumb using storage tanks (large basins traditionally used to rehydrate livestock) as gardens has grown into an entire industry that mimics designed garden containers and structures.
Raised beds made from galvanized steel add a modern, clean look to the garden. In fact, they last much longer than rot-resistant woods like cedar. Aside from their longevity benefits, they can definitely be placed anywhere with six to eight hours of sunlight per day (less if you're growing shade vegetables). Put one on the driveway, in the middle of the lawn, or on a small patio. Unless you choose to DIY, galvanized loft beds are great for those who don't have the tools, woodworking skills, or time to build a loft bed. Simply set it up, fill with soil, and plant!
I love the aesthetics of these instant gardens and DIY gardens. In this article, I've collected some tips and styles so you can decide if you want to choose a steel garden bed over one made of wood, fabric, plastic, etc.
Adding Soil to Galvanized Raised Beds
The soil mix you use for raised beds made of wood can be used to fill beds made of galvanized steel. One thing to be aware of, especially if you're filling a traditional tank, is that you'll need a lot of soil because of the depth. This can be expensive. A soil calculator can help you determine how much you need based on the size of your garden.
Personally, I've filled all my raised beds with good quality triple mix soil. This mixture is usually one-third soil, one-third peat moss, and one-third compost. I always fertilize the soil with a few inches of compost.
Find prefab galvanized loft beds and kits
Many companies have cleverly created the appearance of weightless galvanized steel storage tanks. Tanks are heavy. You might even find something that doesn't have a bottom that you don't really need. An example is these metal raised garden bed kits from Birdies. You can simply place the frame on a garden, walkway or flagstone, or directly on the lawn and fill it with soil. If you want to place it anywhere else, be mindful of the weight of the garden where the soil is added. For example, it may be too heavy for a deck or porch.
Traditional storage tanks can be found at farms or hardware stores. You can find cheaper ones on classifieds sites.
The best part is that there are so many shapes and sizes available. If you have a small corner of sunlight, there may be a galvanized loft bed that fits. They also make a nice addition around the existing loft bed. Smaller versions can be used for plants that you don't want to spread elsewhere in the garden, such as mint or strawberries.
