STEEL REBAR IN LANDSCAPE TIMBER FLOWERBEDS

Last week we posted about digging holes, here is another project related to planting that a few of you asked about when we did it.  I thought I'd post something to show you what we did. 

When I cut the landscape timbers to fit the flower beds, I needed some way to hold them in place. I was at the local home improvement store and found these.  They are steel rebar posts.  The best size I found was the 1/2" diameter (pretty standard) and then they came in varying lengths.

I chose the ones that are 24" long. That made them long enough to go deep into the ground and remain stable. Best of all they were only a dollar each.  I bought a couple dozen.

What you do is just push them into the ground right along the edge the landscape timbers.  Above is an example.  You push them in by hand (a few days after a rain is a good time) and then you just hammer/push them in until they are level with the top edge of the timber. 

Alternatively, you can drill holes into the timbers of the same diameter as the rebar and then put them inside the hole and into the ground in the same way. This keeps them sort of hidden and safe.

Landscape timber flowerbed with rebar

I tried to put them in this pattern.  I found through trial and error that it worked the best.  I would put one near each end of the timbers no matter the length.  Two per timber when four feet or shorter   and on the 8' long sections I used three by adding one in the middle between the ones on each end.  

At each small end section I had to use two to hold them in place. Then what I would do is after putting them on the outside I went back and put some on the inside, holding against the timber from the backside. You can see in the picture above how I did it.  Just picture that end piece as the same on a longer section only with three instead of two.  The ones on the inside act to push against the ones the outside and it kind of just locks them in place.  

So far we are two years in and it's working like a charm.  I occasionally bump one with the weedeater but for the most part they are doing exactly what we had hoped they would do, holding the timbers in place and keeping the soil and plants where they are supposed to be...in the flowerbeds. 

Hope this helps someone!