Question
Oh dear, I guess I didn't make my self very clear. 4' high and 4' deep I would be accessing it from the front side, and a 4' reach to the deck side isn't that far. Also I thought to fill in the bottom of the "garden bed" with lots of scrub wood and stuff(having 6 acres of mostly pine trees, and weeds means I have lots of stuff to use as filler) and then make a "base" 12" from the top to hold the garden soil. Is that a ridiculous idea?

Answer
Hello:

If you want to access a planting area from your deck you should use planting boxes no more than 18 inches wide attached to the rails and boxes on the deck if there is room. If you need more room,consider extending the deck. An area the size you mentioned completely filled with ordinary garden soil on a deck will be a large load that an ordinary deck may not support but building a raised planter attached to the deck according to the dimensions you mentioned may be possible. You would have to use board lumber for the sides and decking and perhaps use the cedar for the posts or as beams. Soil weighs about 100 pounds per cubic foot and you would need a load calculation. Such a planter would need to be lined with rubber to prevent rot. Lightweight soil may be a possibility. This would substantially reduce the loading.

Stacking 4 x 4 up to the level of the deck and then filling it with the material you mentioned would not only be a waste of lumber but the organic material you mentioned will harbor pests and decompose.


Mark Harshman


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