Cinder Blocks Make Great Container Gardens — Here's How to Use One As a Garden Bed (2024)

FAQs

Cinder Blocks Make Great Container Gardens — Here's How to Use One As a Garden Bed? ›

Here's How to Make a Raised Bed Garden with Cinder Blocks:

If you're making a really long rectangle, having a level and a tape measure will help you keep it uniform, but those are optional. Lay down some weed fabric, cardboard, or newspaper, and add your soil to both the main bed and all of the holes in the blocks.

Here's How to Make a Raised Bed Garden with Cinder Blocks:

If you're making a really long rectangle, having a level and a tape measure will help you keep it uniform, but those are optional. Lay down some weed fabric, cardboard, or newspaper, and add your soil to both the main bed and all of the holes in the blocks.

20 blocks will give an interior bed area of 4′ x 8′. Leave a side open to bring in the soil until the new bed is filled. No mortar or special installation is necessary unless you desire a bed which is higher than 8″ raised over the surrounding area. Just set them on the ground!

Stay away from old-fashioned cinder blocks, which may contain heavy metals—not a good thing for food gardens. Second, a concrete block bed can affect your soil's pH, making it more alkaline, so it's not good for growing acid-loving plants like blueberries.

Cinder Block Flowerpots

Place your cinder blocks vertically on the floor and put some potting soil in it. Once you have filled the block with soil, sow your seed in the block and water it continuously. Your cinder block flowerpot is ready and can be placed anywhere in your garden.

Also, the wood will eventually rot while cinder block will last essentially forever. I know I could just lay the blocks on the surface and let them be, but I want them to be at least a little aesthetically pleasing.

Yes, it is one of several good ideas. Concrete will last for a long time and will not rot like wooden sides do. However, if you change your mind and want to move your garden, they are quite the things to move.

Most studies have found that the chemicals do not leach from concrete, they are tied up in the cement matrix. This includes fly ash (which has mercury and other heavy metals).

Vegetable Beds: On the other hand, when it comes to vegetable beds, the bed must be approximately 12 to 18 inches deep to ensure adequate depth for the roots of your plants. This is especially important if your raised bed is placed on cement or the patio, which will inhibit roots from growing deeper into the ground.

With these dimensions, it will cover 10 × 50 = 500 square feet. If you use a standard 16" x 8" block, the area of a single block is 128 square inches, and you will need 563 concrete blocks, as 500 ft² / 128 in² = 72,000 in² / 128 in² = 562.5 (rounding up to the nearest whole number).

What plants do well in cinder blocks? ›

I planted each of these cloves in its own cinder-block hole. Each one will grow into a full bulb. I also planted two bunches of basil, two bunches of cilantro and one bunch of oregano. Each of these grows in its own cinder-block hole as well.

I have had a lot of success growing the pak choy in the holes. I have also grown onions and shallots, herbs and flowers. I haven't tried to grow anything in there in the summer yet.

Then pick the cinder blocks up and put them aside. Spread mortar on the footing inside the marked area of the first block. The mortar should completely cover the area where the first block will sit. Use a trowel to add mortar to the area between your traced lines.

Use Cinder Blocks To Plant Flowers Inside You can create a whole garden wall using cinder blocks. Arrange them in some creative way and plant some colorful flowers inside them. When the flowers grow you will have the most beautiful and colorful vertical garden in the world.

Backfill the Wall

Once you've laid all the courses of blocks, you can fill in the area behind the wall. Backfill the wall with gravel or sand. If you use sand, first cover the backside of the retaining wall with landscape fabric. This will keep the sand from seeping between the blocks.

Use cinder blocks. Not only do they work wonderfully as a bed frame, but they also provide under-the-bed storage at the same time. Using cinder blocks allows you to choose exactly how far off the ground you want your bed to be.

Composite wood is rot-resistant and more durable than natural wood. Concrete blocks or bricks: These building materials can be arranged to form the walls of your raised bed. They are safe, sturdy, and long-lasting. Stone: Natural stone can be a beautiful, durable, and safe choice for a raised bed.

Most often when we think of a raised bed garden, the wood boxes come to mind. These are probably the most common. However, there are other options. Your raised bed walls can be made from rocks, paver stones, metal or plastic.