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Tuesday, August 28, 2018

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!

7 comments:

  1. Rebar is very handy to have around for so many uses. Can't count how many rebars we have used around here for making timber beds.

    So many things a person can make or use rebar for especially if you have a good friend who is a welder.

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  2. I too love rebar! We've used for many things around here on our farm. Problem is getting OUT of the ground if you try to move things around. Also works best after a rain :)

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  3. That is a great idea. I would have to have them further in the ground as I would trip on the rebar or get my pants leg caught on them. If a person can ever trip on anything, I would! I thought you had braces that made a corner stable.???

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  4. Great ideas for rebar to secure your flowerbeds. I love rebar too. In the winter, I place a rebar or two beside my tender fruit trees and then cover them in freezing weather. The rebar keeps the fabric off the tree which creates a space of dead air, further protecting the tree.

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  5. It was just yesterday that I used two 24 inch lengths of rebar on each side of my blue bottle tree trunk to give more support. It is so handy to have some to use in the garden. I have used it to support the corner of rock borders, also. I always enjoy your blog.

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  6. We drilled through the landscape timbers so there was no brisk of anyone/thing becoming impaled on the re bar. We took it one step further though, and cut wedges out of the ends of the timbers, so they fit together neatly at the corners. Not quite dovetail. This was at our farm downstate. Up north (N. lower Michigan, toward the tip of the mitten) we have amazing amounts of round fieldstone which we use. I am a real fan of round landscaping vs straight, so we just lay down a hose oin the config we like, then begin piling rocks.

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