How to construct the Garden Maid irrigated flower box

Below are complete directions to construct your own flower box. You can download a PDF of these instructions by clicking here. Visit the Photos page to see what this box will look like.

Figure out what size box you would like to have. In this case we will build a 4’ x 5’ bed, 1' high.

Materials you will need:

• One 2" X 12" x 20' redwood board. Cut two pieces at 5' and two pieces at 4'. (If you don't own a saw, your local lumber yard will cut your boards to an exact size for about 50 cents per cut.)
• One 4" x 4" x 4' redwood board. Cut four pieces at 4" x 4" x 1'.
• A small box (24) of 3-1/2" galvenized wood screws
• One 4' x 5' piece of gopher wire with 1/4" squares
• Weed block fabric (5' x 6')
• One 18' piece of 1/2" round dowel
• One small box of tack nails or heavy duty staples
• Four 1/2" U-clamps

NOTE: Never use pressure treated or painted wood when growing edibles – toxins will get into your food.

*Diagrams below are not to scale.

Instructions:

1. Level out the ground on the chosen site, removing rocks and weeds.
2. Get your two shorter boards (in this case the 1' x 4's) and attach them flush to the 4" x 4" x 1' boards. (SEE FIGURE 1). Screw in starting with the 1' x 4' then into the 4" x 4" x 1' boards.
3. Screw in the longer 5' boards flush with the 4' boards (SEE FIGURE 2). Now you should have a perfectly squared frame.
4. Turn the bottom side up to install the gopher wire.
5. Cut the gopher wire to fit the bottom, cutting it 1/2" away from the board edges (SEE FIGURE 3).
6. Afix the wire to the box with tack nails or heavy duty staples.
7. Cut a 1/2" hole in the corner you will use to run in your irrigation tubing.
8. Flip the box top-side up.
9. Cut your weed block fabric to a 5' x 6' piece and place in the bottom of the box on top of the wire.
10. Fit the weed block fabric so that it will go evenly up all sides.
11. Cut your 1/2" round dowels to the length of each side.
12. Place dowels 4" from the bottom of box to hold weed block fabric in place between dowel and box wall.
13. Tack dowels into place with tack nails or heavy duty staples. Fold the weed block fabric over the top of the dowels and tack into place.
14. Cut a small hole in the weed block fabric in the same place you cut the wire hole for the irrigation tubing.
15. Thread the irrigation tubing through garden box and attach to side of box with 'U' clamps (SEE FIGURE 4).
16. Fill the box with the desired organic soil. Do not use mushroom compost when growing edibles, as they contain chemicals.
17. Fit in irrigation sprinklers/drippers, attaching them to your main irrigaton line tacked to the inside.
18. You are finished. Plant and enjoy!

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