Epic Raised Beds
Welcome to Your Epic Raised Bed
You've got the bed. Now let's get it built, filled, and growing. Everything you need lives right here.
Step 1
Press Play.
Our beds are designed for straightforward assembly. Follow along with the video below to build yours step by step.
Step 2
Fill It Like a Pro
Skip the guesswork and save some money. Here's the order we recommend, straight from our own gardens to yours.
Clear the ground first
Building over grass? Remove it with a tiller or a stirrup hoe before you start. No grass to deal with? A layer of straw, mulch, or cardboard over bare ground still gives your bed a clean, weed-free start.
Lay gravel underneath
A quarter to half inch of gravel under your bed keeps drainage moving and stops weeds from creeping up from below. Check your bed with a level while you're at it. A little effort here pays off all season.
Hugel your Tall or Extra Tall bed
Fill the bottom half with logs, branches, and yard waste, a method called hugelkultur. It breaks down slowly into rich, living soil and cuts your fill cost way down. Expect about six inches of settling in the first season, so keep extra soil handy to top it off.
Save the good stuff for the top
Most roots live in the top twelve to eighteen inches, so that's where your best soil and compost belong. Prefer to skip the layering entirely? A quality raised bed mix works too. It costs more upfront but needs far less refilling by season's end.
How To Save 60%+ On Soil Costs
Fill the bottom half of tall raised beds with logs, sticks, grass clippings, compost, and other organic material, then top it with quality soil to cut costs and build healthier soil over time. Kevin explains how to save costs.
Step 3
Water Like You Mean It
A raised bed drains fast, which your plants love and your hose needs to know.
Go deep, not often
A soaker hose or drip line aimed at the roots beats a quick daily sprinkle. No irrigation set up yet? A directional nozzle and a little extra attention will carry you through.
Water in the morning
Give your plants a drink before the heat sets in. Leaves dry off by afternoon, which keeps fungal trouble and slugs to a minimum.
Let mulch do double duty
A light layer of organic mulch keeps moisture in, weeds down, and your beds looking tidy from spring through fall.
Skip the guesswork entirely
The Epic Garden Watering System Starter is a complete drip irrigation kit built specifically for raised beds. Set it up in about 30 minutes and give every plant slow, even watering, no more dragging a hose out every morning.
Step 4
Plant With a Plan
Stagger Your Plantings
Twenty five lettuce seeds means twenty five heads of lettuce ready on the same day. Great if you're feeding the block, less great if it's just you. Sow a few seeds every couple of weeks through summer and you'll have something fresh well into fall.
Planting flowers instead? Choose varieties that bloom in sequence so your bed stays lively from spring through frost.
From Our Founder
A Note From Kevin
“My first raised bed was scrap wood, and it rotted out in two seasons flat. That's exactly why we build these in steel. They're meant to outlast this year's garden, and the ten after it. Thanks for growing with us.”
Kevin Espiritu, Founder, Epic Gardening
Keep on growing.
Quick Answers
Before You Ask
Do I need a bracing kit?
Only our Medium and Large beds ship with one, and you'll find it already in the box. Want extra for peace of mind, or you're combining beds? You can pick up more from our shop.
What surface can I place my bed on?
Bare dirt, gravel, even concrete. Your bed can handle it. Building on a slope? A terraced setup with retaining support looks great and holds up best over time.
How much soil do I actually need?
It depends on your configuration. Your printed instructions include a chart for your exact model, and Step 2 above walks through the fill order we recommend.
Can I place the beds on hard surfaces such as concrete?
If you're placing your bed on pavers, concrete, tiles, a porch, or anything you don't want to stain, it’s better to add a bed liner or geotextile fabric. Go ahead and place your box in position, then put the fabric on the bottom of the bed from the inside. Run any excess fabric up each side and then fill your bed with soil. The fabric allows water to drain freely, but it keeps soil from messing up your floor. Optional: To really protect the surface, place thick builder's plastic down before putting your bed into position. Once the bed is filled, any excess plastic can be trimmed around the edge of the garden bed with an Exacto knife.
Can I combine beds?
Yes, you can combine two beds together. We always recommend installing bracing bars when combining beds to prevent bowing due to soil pressure. For detailed instructions, check out growepic.co/bracinginfo.
What are the benefits of raised bed gardening?
Raised bed gardening reduces pest pressures, elevates the garden to a more comfortable working level, and is a great way to guarantee you have quality soil to grow in. You’ll also have fewer weeds to deal with and an easier time clearing out any that pop up. Also, your soil doesn’t become compacted like an in-ground bed. It gives you better control over your gardening environment.
What can I grow in my Raised Beds?
Pretty much anything. We’ve got some ideas to get you started, but really, the sky’s the limit.
How long will these beds last?
All of our Epic Beds are constructed from 24-gauge, cold-rolled steel with an aluminum-zinc (aluzinc) alloy coating. The aluzinc steel is up to 7x more rust-resistant and corrosion-resistant than standard galvanized metal. Like all iron-based metals, steel will rust eventually, but with proper care, these beds will last you 20+ years. You can improve the longevity of your beds by keeping your soil free-draining, within a 6-7 pH range, and not using fresh chicken manure.
Are they safe to grow food in?
All the materials used are 100% food-safe and will not leach into your soil, allowing for safe, healthy food production. Our aluzinc steel raised beds are coated with a non-toxic, USDA-approved paint and the hardware supplied is food-grade stainless steel.
Read More: Are Galvanized Steel Garden Beds Safe?
Will the beds get too hot in summer or in hot climates?
No, they won’t. Compared to standard concrete and plastic beds (especially if made from a dark color or material) our metal raised beds will outperform all of them, maintaining even, cool soil temperatures. The superior reflectivity of the aluzinc steel keeps most of the heat from ever passing into the soil. And, that bulk of soil in your bed will quickly absorb and spread the small amount of heat it gets from touching the stainless steel panels.
Are the beds bottomless?
Yes, that means no drainage holes to drill, and the soil gets to touch the ground, so you end up with superior, microbe-rich soil and healthier plants.
What is the thickness of your metal beds?
All Epic Beds use 24-gauge, cold-rolled, Aluzinc-coated steel.
Can the safety edging handle freezing temps?
Yes, the safety edging is UV-safe and designed to withstand both freezing and hot temperatures.
We've Got You
Something Not Quite Right?
Missing a bolt, a bent panel, or just a question? Our team will sort it out fast.