I’m very new to gardening and we got this large raised garden to prevent deer from eating our flowers and veggies. However, we did not level the ground before putting it together. What would be the best way to level it out now? As it stands right now, it is very difficult for the door to open because the bottom gets stuck in the grass/dirt. Please pretend you are explaining it to a 12 year old. That's my level of understanding when it comes to this stuff. 😅
by mbernui
20 Comments
really you should have done this before putting it together, all you can do now is address the problem spots as you find them unless you wanna move the whole thing, level, then put it back
If it’s just the door swing you are concerned with, dig up a couple inches of the grass/soil from in front of the door and put a large paver or two down. You could also just mulch or pea gravel instead
Take it all apart and build it plumb
Just dig a little bit under the door. Maintain as needed.
If you want something else besides dirt then dig a little deeper and add the pebbles or crushed granite or even paver stones, depending on how much you want to dig.
I have this exact same garden, note when you fill the soil into the planters the soil will push the boards outward as it spead/settles. I got some wire and tensioned the top of the posts together, added some metal posts in-ground along the perimeter to prevent the planter boards from bowing out, as well as using nails to reinforce the slimmer wood boards connecting the inside and outside posts to keep the inside posts and boards from sagging in.
My first thought would be to shim up the low spots to level. Then fill in whatever afterwards
dig out some soil where it’s high vs propping it up where it’s low….that’s assuming the difference is minor
If it doesn’t need to remain on that spot, you could level the area next to it and then slide it over. If you have it where you want it to stay, then first the door. It’s hard to tell in the photo, but it looks like there is a small knoll in front of it, which could be solved by either removing the knoll (and if affordable, put down patio pavers or flat stone if you have access), or by raising your structure and leveling around thefoundation.
I am currently doing this with a 10′ X10′ shed that settled unevenly into the ground. First, you will need to know how you are going to level where your structure sets – where does earth need to be removed and where do you need to add to end up with a level structure. Once you know that, then you can use a lever and fulcrum method to raise the stucture. A lond prybar, pole, or very strong board, along with a fulcrum (lg rock, concrete block, a chunk of log) to position at a tilting point to give you leveragein lifting the structure. Then you would place secure blocking to hold your structure while you move the earth aruond. Continue to repeat this process until you have gone completely around and have leveled the area.
The simple solution is to dig around the door and lower the level of the threshold. You can just use a shovel and carve out the sod and lower the soil level so the door will open. I would personally dig it a few inches lower than it needs to be and add pea gravel so you don’t have to deal with mud.
If you have a prybar and a brick or block of wood then you can lift up the corner of the side that is jammed/lowest, put something under it (spare wood, spare brick, whatever you have), and you’ll know you’ve leveled everything correctly when the bubble in the level (a tool, like what people use to hang pictures, etc.) is in the center.
Gather your tools first. Take your time. It’s hard to tell from the picture but there might be more than one offending corner/spot. But mostly focus on the door, since that is what you are having trouble with.
Get your shovel and start digging at the high sections
That’s the neat part. You don’t. That’s supposed to be what you start with.
Kinda annoyed at the tone of the comments here. I’m glad you’re moving forward in your gardening journey. I don’t think the snarky comments were meant to become dogpiling.
You’ve already received enough advice to move forward and I hope you enjoy your lovely greenhouse for many years. You’ll make so many mistakes over the years and they’ll become hilarious stories in time just like this one.
I don’t know why so many people are being jerks. There’s no shame in learning as you go!
There are lots of youtube videos showing how to level ground. I watched a bunch before I set up my above ground pool. I used a water level that I made with a milk jug, some food coloring, and some plastic tubing. That part was actually pretty fun 🙂 You could also use a laser level, or even just a straight 2×4 with a level on top.
If you can move it around, it would be easier to level a patch of ground first, then set it there. I hope you enjoy your beautiful new garden!
All you need to do is dig the door a little trench. Making it deeper than in needs to be and adding some stone or gravel would be a good bonus. You’re going to love it!
That’s a before you start question 😂
I would say do an Amish party trick, level and then Amish party it back into place
Can you move the whole thing? Or is it basically impossible to move now? If you can shift the whole thing over, then level the ground, then move it back that is probably the cleanest. Btw this enclosure is sick. I’m jealous.
I know nothing about this and I would probably try to just lift it and put a paver or brick of some sort in the areas that need to be higher.
But it looks amazing either way! Where did you get this awesome set up?
With a level.