Tips to Assemble a Corten Steel Raised Garden Bed Kit

Build Your Own Steel Raised Garden Bed in Under 30 Minutes

My husband after the FedEx truck drove off: "Uh, did you order something really heavy?"

Me: "Yeah, another raised bed, duh!"

My two newest raised garden bed kits just arrived, and I'm so excited about them!

Ever since I started Gardenary, I've been on the hunt for well-made steel beds that could be shipped across the contiguous states, and I finally discovered the right manufacturer this year. I like their raised beds so much I used them in my own kitchen garden in Nashville.

I initially installed these steel raised garden beds in two different sizes, but then I noticed I still had about 4 feet of wasted gravel space on one end of my garden—I guess I didn't measure correctly or I got overly ambitious with the borders. So I thought, Why not add more raised beds?

I went for a different style of raised bed container from the same manufacturer. This raised bed kit assembled a little differently than my other beds, so I've written these tips for any of you who'd like to assemble one of these bad boys for yourself.

What's Included in This Steel Raised Garden Bed Kit

Note that this kit ships in a box that's really heavy, probably around 75 pounds or so. I recommend grabbing a helper when lifting and assembling.

The kit arrives in a flat cardboard box with cardboard layers between panels, some foam, and pieces to protect the corners of the steel panels.

The kit itself includes the following:

• Directions for assembly
• One bottom panel - This panel already has drainage holes in it. My initial thinking was to install the bed without the bottom, but you actually can't put the bed together without this piece because the sides fit in a lip around the bottom. If you're going to use this bed on a patio, porch, or deck, you'll be glad to have the bottom to hold your soil in place.
• Two long side panels - These panels will measure 46" long for both the small bed and large beds, and then 16" high for the small bed and 20" high for the large bed.
• Two short end panels - These panels will measure 16" wide for the small bed and 20" wide for the large bed, and then 16" high for the small bed and 20" high for the large bed. These short end panels fit over the longer side panels and screw together at the bottom for a very sleek, almost-seamless finish. I like that you can't see any screws on the finished bed.
• Screws and bolts to connect the panels - These screws are very small. I recommend keeping them in a bag or container so you don't lose them during assembly.

About This Material: Corten Steel

Corten steel is a brand name that's become associated with the product itself, like Band-Aid and Kleenex. Corten is a type of steel that rusts to a certain point and then stops.

If you order a Corten steel raised bed kit, you might notice that it arrives looking a little different than the pictures of rust-colored Corten. That's because these products don't ship pre-weathered. That means they'll have a bare steel finish at first and will weather with exposure to rain and sun to develop that classic golden brown rust color and texture.

This process initiated very quickly in my own garden. In fact, you can see the difference just a couple of months make in the pictures of my installed raised beds versus the new kit I just assembled.

When I first learned about Corten steel raised beds, I had just started designing kitchen gardens in Houston, Texas. One of my clients was insisting on Corten steel raised beds to match a Corten steel fire pit she already had in her backyard. My first concern was that the steel would heat up too quickly in the hot Houston climate and scorch the plants trying to grow inside.

Then I visited Levy Park with my family and toured the community garden, which featured these incredible huge Corten steel raised beds. The plants inside were thriving, even in the heat. I figured if these community gardeners could find success, then so could my clients. So I agreed to install Corten steel raised beds for my client and found a steel artist to make the beds. The garden turned out beautifully, and my client found so much success growing in her steel raised beds. It wasn't long before I started getting tons of requests for Corten steel raised beds.

Is Corten steel safe for vegetables?

I still see some concerns about the safety of gardening in steel. People are worried about chemicals leaching into their edible plants, and I get it. We want to take care of our bodies, not put something weird into it. I've done some research and found that steel beds can release zinc into the soil, but zinc is actually harmless to both plants and people. I've answered this question and all the other questions I've seen about steel raised beds in more detail here.

The Benefits of Steel Raised Garden Beds

Thanks to the enclosed bottom, this raised bed is ideal for use on patios, decks, balconies, and porches. It can also sit on grass, gravel, or mulch without you needing to worry about the material degrading over time.

In fact, these beds are going to last decades. This material is far more durable than wood, even cedar, for raised beds, especially if you live in a humid or rainy climate.

Not only is it durable, steel is also an easily recyclable material. That's another thing I love about steel because I care about sustainability.

When it came time for me to install my own kitchen garden in Nashville, I decided to go for Corten steel raised beds too. The beds I'd installed in Houston were holding up so well, and I love the super modern finish on these steel raised garden beds.

Tools Needed to Put Together This Raised Bed Kit

These steel raised garden beds are assembled by interlocking the pieces together to create a planter. There's no welding involved in the manufacturing process so that these beds can be shipped in a flat box. That means the customer must use some simple tools to assemble the five panels (including the enclosed bottom with drainage holes) into their rectangular shape.

I recommend the following tools and supplies for this build:

• A small screwdriver - The screws for this steel raised garden bed kit are really tiny. If you have a magnetized screwdriver, that would be extra helpful.
• (Optional) A wrench - This would be helpful in tightening the bolts.
• Gloves - I recommend gloves to protect your hands.
• A yoga mat, blanket, or towel - If you're going to put this raised bed together on a hard surface, roll out some type of mat or soft surface to prevent scratching the steel during assembly.
• (Optional) Noise-canceling headphones - If you hate the sound of nails on a chalkboard, you're going to want to wear noise-canceling headphones for this assembly. My daughter helped me build the first part until she said she couldn't stand the noise the panels made when they fitted together anymore.

Tips to Assemble This Steel Raised Garden Bed

• Grab a helper to hold the panels in place while you attach the sides with screws. I promise, this will make your life so much easier.
• It might feel intuitive to start with the bottom since it has the lip that the side panels will fit into, but you'll start by joining the side pieces.
• Along that line, I'd say make sure to follow the directions. My toxic trait is that I believe I'm so intuitive I don't need to read instructions on things and then end up struggling every time!
• The hardest part of this assembly is managing the tiny screws. For each panel connection, you'll do three screws, one on either side and in the middle.

I made the video below of me building this raised bed to help you out.

Raised Bed Garden Kit Assembly Steps

Step One

Spread out all of your pieces on a soft work surface.

Step Two

Lay one long side panel down and attach to the bottom panel with screws.

Step Three

Lay the bottom panel down and fit the second long side panel in place.

Step Four

Turn the bed on its side to attach the second long side panel to the bottom with screws.

Step Five

Slide the top of the short end panel into the lip on the edge of both long side panels. Secure in place on the bottom with screws.

Step Six

Repeat for the last end panel.

Post-Assembly Tips

• Keep your Corten steel raised garden bed on grass while it's going through the weathering process to avoid staining any adjacent materials, like a concrete patio, etc.
• Spray the steel with a vinegar/salt solution if you'd like speed up the weathering process. In the picture below, you can see the weathering process occurring on one of my older beds (which is a different kit with visible screws on the side).
• Fill this raised bed up with good soil and plant it intensively the Gardenary way.

Grab Your Own Steel Raised Bed Kit from the Gardenary Shop!

We have Corten steel raised beds in all different shapes and sizes in the shop, including my other Corten steel raised garden beds and a container like this one but on wheels (the assembly for the panels will be the same).

I hope this inspires you to build one for yourself. Thanks for bringing back the kitchen garden with me!