Verhoogde bedden & plantenbakken
Hoogtebedbakken die langer meegaan dan de tuin zelf
Hout rot, metaal roest, en beide moeten vroeg of laat worden vervangen. PolyBrick® plantenbakken klikken in minuten in elkaar uit 100% gerecycled kunststof, en doen over twintig jaar nog steeds hun werk.
Waarom PolyBrick hier de juiste keuze is
Een hoogtebed staat permanent in de zwaarste omstandigheden die een bouwmateriaal kan tegenkomen: continu vochtig aan de binnenkant, blootgesteld aan weer en wind aan de buitenkant, en in direct contact met grond die voortdurend organisch materiaal afbreekt.
Hout verliest die strijd. Zelfs geïmpregneerd hout begint te rotten aan de binnenzijde waar je het niet ziet, en het eerste teken is doorgaans een wand die naar buiten bolt onder het gewicht van natte grond. Cortenstaal en gegalvaniseerd staal zien er strak uit, maar roesten aan de basis, worden in de zomer erg heet en zijn aanzienlijk duurder. Betonblokken werken, maar vereisen mortel en een vakman voor alles wat niet kaarsrecht is.
PolyBrick heeft nergens last van. Het rot niet, roest niet, splintert niet, krimpt niet en vervormt niet. Het materiaal is inert en lekt niets uit in de teeltgrond, en het is UV-bestendig zodat het niet bros wordt of verkleurt in de zon.
Bovendien is het in minuten gemonteerd. Blokken klikken op elkaar, zodat een bed omhoog gaat zonder gereedschap, mortel of bouwkundige kennis: wie blokken kan stapelen, kan dit bouwen.
Toepassingen
- Groente- en slatuinbedden
- Sierborders en plantenbakken
- Kruiden- en moestuinbedden
- Volkstuinpercelen
- Toegankelijke bedden op taillehoogte
- School- en buurttuinen
- Patio- en binnenplaatsplanters
- Boomputten en heesteromrandingen
Overzicht
| Montage | Kliksysteem. Geen gereedschap, geen mortel, geen bevestigingsmiddelen |
| Vorm | Modulair, zodat bedden elke gewenste lengte, L-vorm, getrapt of terrasgewijs kunnen hebben |
| Bodem | Vlak en stabiel. Open naar de ondergrond, of op een bestaande verharding |
| Grondcontact | Inert. Lekt niet uit in de teeltgrond |
| Materiaal | 100% gerecycled polypropeen, UV-bestendig, duurzaam geproduceerd in de EU |
| Druksterkte | Getest op 150 tonnes/m² onder statische belasting |
| Levensduur | 25 jaar garantie |
| Onderhoud | Geen. Niet behandelen, beitsen, bekleden of vervangen |
De juiste hoogte kiezen
De hoogte van het bed bepaalt in grote mate hoe prettig het werken is, en dat is iets om over na te denken vóór de bestelling, niet erna.
Laag, één of twee lagen, is geschikt voor sierbeplanting, slagewassen en situaties waar je vooral afbakening en wat extra gronddiepte wilt.
Middelhoog is het praktische moestuinbed: voldoende worteldiepte voor de meeste gewassen, diep genoeg om vroeg in het voorjaar op te warmen, en een comfortabele hoogte om op de rand te zitten tijdens het werken.
Taillehoogte verandert wie er kan tuinieren. Niet meer knielen, niet meer bukken, en bereikbaar vanuit een rolstoel of kruk. Als iemand in de tuin beperkt mobiel is, maakt dit een wereld van verschil — en het is veruit de meest gehoorde wens achteraf. Houd de breedte beperkt zodat het midden nog bereikbaar is vanaf één zijde.
Houd er rekening mee dat grond zwaar is en een diep bed er veel van bevat. Geef ons bij ongewoon hoge constructies de afmetingen door, dan adviseren wij op basis van de situatie.
How it goes together
- Choose the position: most vegetables want sun, and a bed against a fence is only reachable from one side, so allow for that in the width.
- Clear and level the ground where the bed will sit. It does not need to be a construction-grade base, but it does need to be flat and firm, because the first course sets everything above it.
- Lay the first course and check it with a spirit level in both directions. On a slight slope, dig into the high side rather than packing up the low side.
- Build up in courses, pushing blocks together and staggering the joints between courses. A tap with a rubber mallet seats them fully.
- Cap the top course for a clean finish and a comfortable edge to sit on.
- Fill: coarse material at the base if the bed is deep, then a good topsoil and compost mix. Fill in stages and let it settle rather than filling to the brim in one go.
Filling a deep bed economically
Buying enough topsoil to fill a tall bed to the top is expensive and unnecessary, because most crops never root that deep.
Fill the bottom third with coarse woody material, turf turned upside down, or clean rubble if drainage is the priority. It breaks down slowly, feeds the bed from below, and saves a great deal of bought soil. Then good topsoil and compost above it, which is the layer the plants actually use.
Expect the level to drop over the first year as the base settles and organic matter breaks down. Top up in the second spring rather than overfilling at the start.
Drainage and the ground beneath
Where the bed sits on soil, leave it open to the ground. Roots can go deeper than the bed itself, worms move in and out, and water drains away naturally. Loosen the soil at the base before you fill.
Where the bed sits on a patio, a path or another hard surface, it needs somewhere for water to go, or the bottom of the soil stays saturated and roots drown. A layer of coarse material at the base helps, and raising the bed very slightly on the hard surface lets water escape at the bottom rather than sitting in it.
Shapes, runs and adding on later
Because the system is modular, the bed does not have to be a rectangle. Turn corners, step it down a slope, run an L along two boundaries, or build a series of narrow beds with paths between them.
It also means you are not committing to a final layout on day one. Beds can be extended, shortened or reconfigured later, and blocks from a bed you no longer want go into the next project rather than into a skip. That is a genuine advantage over anything built with mortar or screws.
Get it right first time
The one thing worth knowing: make the paths between beds wider than you think.
Everyone maximises growing space and regrets it. A path that is comfortable when the beds are empty is impassable in July, when everything is leaning over the edges and you are trying to get a wheelbarrow between them.
Allow enough width for a barrow with room either side, and more where you will kneel to work. Growing space you cannot reach is not growing space, and it is far easier to plan generously now than to move an established bed later.
Ask our engineer
Questions about bed heights, filling, or planning a layout? Ask below, or get in touch directly.
Common Questions
Is recycled plastic safe for growing vegetables?
Yes. The material is inert recycled polypropylene and will not leach into growing soil. Unlike some treated timbers there is nothing applied to the surface that can move into the bed, and unlike metal there is nothing to corrode.
It locks the waste plastic up rather than releasing it.
How long will a PolyBrick raised bed last?
25 years under warranty. There is nothing to rot, rust, splinter, shrink or warp, and the material is UV stabilised so it does not go brittle or bleach in sunlight.
It needs no treating, staining or lining at any point.
Do I need tools to build a raised bed?
No. Blocks push-fit together, and a tap with a rubber mallet seats them fully. There is no mortar, no screws and no cutting, so a bed goes up in minutes rather than days and needs no construction skill.
What base does a raised bed need?
Flat and firm ground. It does not need a construction-grade base, but the first course sets everything above it, so level it properly and check with a spirit level in both directions.
On a slight slope, dig into the high side rather than packing up the low side.
How deep should a raised bed be?
Low beds suit ornamental planting and salad crops. Mid height is the practical vegetable bed: enough root depth for most crops, warms early in spring, and comfortable to sit on the edge while working.
Waist height removes kneeling and bending entirely and can be worked from a wheelchair, which is the single most common thing people wish they had done.
What is the cheapest way to fill a deep bed?
Fill the bottom third with coarse woody material, upturned turf, or clean rubble where drainage matters. It breaks down slowly, feeds the bed from below and saves a great deal of bought soil.
Good topsoil and compost go above it, which is the layer plants actually use. Expect the level to drop in the first year and top up the following spring.
Can I build a raised bed on a patio?
Yes, but the water needs somewhere to go, or the bottom of the soil stays saturated and roots drown. A layer of coarse material at the base helps, and raising the bed very slightly on the hard surface lets water escape rather than sitting in it.
Where the bed sits on soil instead, leave it open to the ground.
Can I extend or move a bed later?
Yes. Because the system is modular and there is no mortar or fixings, beds can be extended, shortened or reconfigured, and blocks from a bed you no longer want go into the next project rather than into a skip.
You are not committing to a final layout on day one.
Do the beds need lining?
No. There is nothing to protect: the material does not rot or corrode and does not need separating from wet soil, which is why timber beds are often lined.
Leave the base open to the ground where you can, so roots can go deeper and worms can move in and out.
