Update: my 4x4 raised bed collapsed at the corner after 5 bags of soil

I built a 4x4 cedar raised bed two summers ago with corner brackets and screws, and last Saturday the whole front corner blew out when I dumped the fifth bag of dirt in. I should have run a post down into the ground at each corner instead of just relying on the brackets, because wet soil pushing out is way stronger than I figured. Has anyone braced a bed with actual posts, and did you pour concrete or just pack gravel around them?

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johnb951d ago

I watched a video from a guy in Vermont who used 4x4 posts set 2 feet deep with just packed gravel and his beds have held for 6 years. He said concrete actually holds water against the wood and rots it faster, so gravel drains better. Pack it in tight in layers and the posts won't budge.

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