What do you put on the bottom of a raised garden bed?

Line the bottom of a raised garden bed with cardboard or hardware cloth to block weeds and pests while keeping soil in place — most gardeners use one or both together.

Cardboard (single layer, staples and tape removed) suppresses weeds immediately and breaks down within one growing season, feeding soil biology as it decomposes. Hardware cloth — typically 1/4-inch galvanized mesh — stays permanent and blocks burrowing pests like voles and gophers. AmazStove raised garden beds use an open-base design by intention, so roots penetrate deep into native soil below the 12-inch walls and drainage stays unrestricted. The lining layer sits on top of native soil, inside the bed frame.

• AmazStove raised garden beds have an open base — no solid floor — allowing roots to grow beyond the 12-inch wall depth.
• Recommended hardware cloth mesh size for pest exclusion: 1/4-inch galvanized wire.
• Cardboard weed barrier fully decomposes in approximately one growing season under normal soil conditions.
• Lining material sits directly on native soil inside the frame — not attached to the steel walls.