How to Make a Raised Garden Bed With Tomatoes

How to create a simple, raised cinderblock tomato garden in under an hour using:

Cardboard

Cinderblock

Topsoil

Tomato seed or plant

Water

By the end of this how to, you will be ready to create your own raised tomato bed.

Step 1: Pick an Area and Measure the Space

Choose an area that is large enough for 40" by 40" garden. Make sure the area is in direct sunlight for 6 to 8 hours a day.

Step 2: Gather Materials

You will need cardboard, 8 cinderblocks, soil (store bought or from the ground), vegetable seeds or plants, and water. You may also need a shovel. These can all be found at the local Walmart or home improvement store like Home Depot.

Note: If you use soil from the ground you will need to add some type of compost and vegetable-friendly fertilizer.

Step 3: Decide on the Plant

There is a much higher chance of the plant growing (but more expensive) if you can use an already-grown tomato plant. In this how-to we are working with large red cherry tomato seeds that were priced at 59 cents.

Note: We are working with tomato seeds, but this can work with other plants and vegetable seeds.

Step 4: Lay Out the Cardboard

Any cardboard box will work for this project. Unfold the box and lay it in the chosen area. The cardboard will be the base of your tomato garden. It stops weeds and grass from growing into your garden, and will feed the plants.

Step 5: Lay Out Cinder Blocks

Lay down the cinder blocks with 2 on each side. Make sure to have the cinderblocks lay on top of the cardboard edges to hold it down.

Note: Look at picture for placement.

Step 6: Pour the Soil

Pour the soil on top of the cardboard within cinder blocks. The soil can either be from somewhere in the yard or store bought top soil. For this size of a flower bed we used two 40-pound bags of topsoil. Once the soil has filled the area inside the cinderblocks, smooth it out to make it even.

Step 7: Plant Seeds 5 Inches Apart.

Planting the seeds 5 inches apart allows the tomatoes to grow big and not on top of each other. The goal is to have a lot of healthy plants growing, and they cannot grow into healthy tomatoes if they are too close.

Step 8: Cover Seeds With Soil.

Planting the seeds 1 inch deep in the soil will help with growth and hold the water to feed the seeds.

Step 9: Water Until Soil Is Evenly Damp.

Watering the seeds after planting them helps the seeds to break down and start growing in the damp soil. Make sure to gently spray the ground with a hose- DO NOT pour water or use a lot of pressure.

Step 10: Check Daily and Keep the Soil Damp.

The soil must be kept damp until all the seedlings emerge. This allows the plants to grow big and strong to make big tomatoes.

Step 11: Make Sure the Soil Stays Damp.

Test the dampness of the soil by pushing a finger into the soil to see how damp the ground is.

Step 12: Tip: Water Only in the Evening.

Water on tomato leaves in the hot sun can harm the plant by burning it or scaring it.

Step 13: Tip: Lay Mulch Around Grown Plants.

Once the plants are at least 5 inches tall, it can help to lay out mulch to keep the soil moist without having to water so much.