How you can build a canopy for the raised bed yourself

How you can build a canopy for the raised bed yourself

Which is why a roof over the raised bed makes sense

A translucent roof over the raised bed is a good idea for several reasons: Not only that a greenhouse or cold frame attachment extends the gardening season by a few weeks and you can often start growing vegetables as early as February, such a roof also offers moisture-sensitive vegetables such as tomatoes excellent protection from the rain. As a result, the risk of the dreaded late blight and brown rot is significantly reduced, and it is simply warmer under glass - which your tomatoes acknowledge with significantly stronger growth.

also read

  • So you can build an irrigation system for the greenhouse yourself
  • So you can build a round raised bed yourself
  • Building instructions - This is how you can easily build your DIY raised bed yourself

How to build a canopy for a raised bed - a simple guide

There are different ways to build a canopy for the raised bed yourself. But you can also buy ready-made attachments for your raised bed. Above all, it is important that the roof can be easily opened for ventilation - without it, there is quickly a plant-endangering mold infestation. Regular ventilation is not necessary if the roof is open on the sides anyway.

What types of roofing are there?

The greenhouse canopy can be designed both closed and open on the sides, depending on the purpose for which you want to use it. For example, if it only serves to protect sensitive fruit vegetables from rain in summer, then a simple roof that is open at the side is sufficient. A closed greenhouse or cold frame attachment, on the other hand, allows gardening very early or late in the year, when it is already too cold for a plant in conventional soil beds.

building instructions

A roof for the raised bed is very easy to build yourself. All you need is weatherproof slats (if possible made of hardwood, no roof battens!), Angles and suitable stainless steel screws. You can use these materials to build a scaffolding that fits the dimensions of your raised bed. And that's how it works:

  • First lay out five battens on the floor so that a rectangular frame of the right size is created.
  • The fifth bar runs in the middle for stabilization.
  • Screw these battens together with the help of angles.
  • Now place a suitable glazing film on the slatted frame.
  • This should protrude about 10 centimeters at the edges.
  • You can have the film cut to size at the hardware store.
  • Now place another five slats on the lower slat construction and the film above.
  • Screw everything together.
  • The upper frame is also connected to one another with angles.

The finished roof can now be attached to metal bars (e.g. flat bars) attached to the raised bed.

Tips

Probably the simplest variant is the foil tunnel (7.94 € at Amazon *) in which you stick bent metal rods into the earth on the narrow side at regular intervals and cover them with a foil.