Building Your Own Raised Garden Bed with the KING BIRD Frame

As someone who loves gardening and growing my own vegetables, I’m always looking for ways to expand my planting space. Raised garden beds are a great option because they allow you to create more planting area wherever you have some extra room. I recently tried out the KING BIRD raised bed frame and found it really easy to assemble and use for a DIY raised bed. In this article, I’ll walk through the process of setting up the KING BIRD raised bed frame and share some tips for getting the most out of your raised garden.

An Overview of the KING BIRD Raised Bed Frame

Steel that has been powder coated makes up the KING BIRD raised garden bed frame. The pieces connect together with nuts and bolts to form a sturdy frame. After putting the frame together, all you have to do is put the raised bed where you want it and fill it with soil. The frame helps keep the soil in place and keeps the bed neatly off the ground.

Some key features of the KING BIRD raised bed include

• Comes in different sizes – I used the 4×8 foot frame which provides 32 square feet of growing space.
• Made of thick 12 gauge steel so it’s sturdy and built to last.
• Powder coated finish prevents rusting.
• Modular connector pieces allow you to assemble the frame easily.
• Provides 14-18 inches of soil depth which is great for root vegetables.

Overall, the quality and durability of this raised bed frame impressed me, especially given the reasonable price point. The simple DIY assembly was also a big plus, since I didn’t need any special tools or skills to set it up.

Unpacking and Identifying the Frame Pieces

When my KING BIRD raised bed first arrived I opened up the box and laid out all the parts so I could take inventory. Here’s an overview of the main frame pieces

• 4 panels for the sides
• 8 shorter connector bars
• 16 longer connector bars
• Side panel support attachments
• Pack of nuts, bolts, washers, and ends caps

The panels and connector bars slide together kind of like an oversized puzzle. The support attachments help stabilize the side panels One tip is to do a test fit of the pieces without tightening any of the bolts, just to make sure you understand how it all connects together

Step-by-Step Assembly Instructions

As soon as I knew what each part was, I could start putting the frame together. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough:

1. Lay two of the side panels parallel on the ground in the location you want the finished raised bed. Make sure they are spaced 4 feet apart.

2. Take two of the short connector bars and slide them into the channel on each side panel. This will connect the two panels at one end.

3. If they are not already there, attach the support brackets to the side panels. Make sure that the support piece can properly hold up the panel at its angle.

4. Add two long connector bars into the open channels at the ends of the short bars, essentially connecting all four corners of the frame now.

5. Insert bolts through each joint point between the connector bars and side panels. Add a washer and loosely screw on a nut on each bolt. Don’t tighten yet.

6. Follow the same process to join the two remaining side panels to the frame, sliding the connector bars into the open channels.

7. Tighten all nuts and bolts securely, which will square up the frame. Go back over each joint a second time to ensure proper tightness.

8. Add the end caps onto the exposed ends of any connector bars. This finishes off the look.

And that’s it – the raised bed frame assembly is all done! The whole process took me about 30-45 minutes working solo. Having a second set of hands helps for maneuvering the panels.

Filling the Raised Bed with Soil

Now that the sturdy KING BIRD frame was in place, it was time to fill ‘er up with soil. I used a blend of compost, coconut coir, and organic potting mix. My 4×8 foot frame ended up taking about 16 cubic feet of soil to reach a depth of 16 inches.

When filling, I added soil in several layers, tamping down each layer as I went to prevent sinking or settling:

• Dump in wheelbarrow loads of soil and spread around frame.
• Use a rake or hoe to evenly distribute the soil, pulling it into the corners.
• Tamp down layer with shovel or garden fork.
• Repeat process until you’ve reached desired soil depth.
• Optional – cover bare soil with shredded leaves/mulch to retain moisture.

The framing held the soil nicely without bulging or bending. I’m excited to get planting!

Growing Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Raised Bed

Now for the fun part – deciding what to plant! There are lots of possibilities. Here are some tips:

Choose appropriate plants

Consider the soil depth, sunlight, and climate when selecting plants. Root crops like potatoes, carrots, onions and beets thrive in the deeper soil beds. Lettuce, kale and spinach grow well in partial sunlight. Talk to your local nursery for the best veggie varieties for your region.

Maximize space

Use successive planting and intercropping to get continuous harvests. For example, plant fast-growing radish or lettuce seeds between slower growing carrots. Plant something new when you pull early crops like peas or broccoli.

Boost nutrition

Mix in compost or organic fertilizer when first establishing the bed. Side dress growing plants with a nitrogen fertilizer or compost tea. Mulch around plants to retain moisture and nutrients.

Save space for paths

Leave 1-2 feet of space around the exterior to allow access from all sides. Stepping inside the bed compacts the soil.

Water strategically

Raised beds often require more frequent watering. Install drip irrigation or use soaker hoses to target plant roots. Apply water-retaining mulch.

Watch for pests

Inspect plants frequently and remove bugs by hand early on. Cover plants with garden fabric row cover to exclude pests. Interplant with marigolds, mint or nasturtiums to repel certain bugs.

##Raised Garden Beds Make Growing Easier

As a busy person without a big yard, I found that a raised bed was the perfect solution for carving out some extra gardening space. The KING BIRD DIY raised bed frame kit provided an easy, budget-friendly setup. I loved that I could place it right on my patio to grow veggies and herbs within steps of my kitchen door.