Raised Bed Film

What is a raised bed film?

Our raised bed film is made from environmentally friendly LDPE (low-density polyethylene). It is available in a width of 1.35 m, which usually fits perfectly. The film, which is folded once in width, is supplied on small, handy rolls. The high film thickness makes it ideal for lining raised beds of all kinds. Our sturdy film can be used for side walls and for the base of the raised bed.

What is the purpose of the raised bed film?

Raised bed film essentially has three different purposes:

• Protection of the raised bed construction (especially for raised beds made of wood)
  We recommend using a waterproof film for wooden raised beds (on the sides of the bed). This will extend the durability of your raised bed many times over.
• The film prevents the soil from leaking out
  By sealing the bed with waterproof film, you prevent the soil in the bed from gradually leaking out.
• The film prevents weed growth
  In the soil area, the film prevents unwanted weed growth.

But be careful: raised bed film can cause waterlogging! If you also want to cover the base of the bed with a film, it is advisable to add several holes or slits to the film so that water and rainwater can drain away freely. A raised bed should not be "hermetically" sealed, as otherwise waterlogging can cause problems. Our weed fleece is another very suitable material for the base of your raised bed.

Using film for raised beds - yes or no?

As mentioned above, the use of raised bed film is particularly important if the construction is made of wood. This protects the material and extends the durability of your raised bed many times over. However, a dense film can also be useful for plastic constructions to prevent the soil from being washed away. We can therefore answer the following question - Should I line my raised bed with film? - with a clear "yes".

Raised bed film or raised bed fleece?

Waterproof film should be used for the side walls. Waterproof raised bed film without holes or slits at the bottom should be viewed with skepticism due to excessive moisture and waterlogging in the bed, as mentioned above.

Raised bed film without harmful substances

Our raised bed film is made from pure polyethylene. Polyethylene consists only of carbon and hydrogen. Only water and carbon dioxide remain after incineration. You therefore do not have to worry about your plants coming into contact with toxic or harmful substances.

Raised bed film without plasticisers

Unlike PVC film, polyethylene does not contain any plasticisers that can migrate. Therefore, make sure that you use polyethylene and/or polypropylene film and fleece if you want to cultivate vegetables and other edible plants.

What are the types of raised bed film? - Dimpled film, PE film, EDPE film

LDPE film
As mentioned above, our raised bed film is made of LDPE. However, it is not an ordinary PE film. This film was actually developed as a high-strength and highly UV-resistant wood cover film. These properties also benefit you when using it in raised beds. As we produce this film, which we developed ourselves, exclusively in very large quantities, the price is also very attractive and favourable for you as a user.

Bubble film for raised beds
The bubble film for raised beds offered on the market is a construction film that is used for foundation wall protection in house and hall construction. This buuble film is not or only partially UV-resistant, but is sufficiently durable. Nevertheless, we consider this bubble film to be of limited suitability and not ideal for raised beds due to its properties (very stiff, unnecessary bubbles, low or not UV resistant at all).

EPDM liner (pond liner)
EPDM is a rubber film for pond construction. Of course, this type of rubber sheeting can be used for a raised bed. In our opinion, however, EPDM rubber sheeting for a raised bed is far too expensive and complex, as these sheets were designed for the main purpose of "pond construction" and therefore offer unnecessarily high technical values for a "small" raised bed.

PVC film (pond liner)
The PVC films sold on the Internet are also known as pond liners. We do not consider either the PVC material or its high thickness to be ideal for lining raised beds.

PE film (pond liner)
As already mentioned, PE material is ideal for beds with edible plants. However, as with PVC and EPDM, a pond liner with a thickness of 0.5 mm or thicker is greatly oversized and unnecessary.

PE film / Сonstruction film
Simple construction film or non-UV-resistant films are at risk if they are exposed to UV radiation. Under poor conditions, they can become brittle and fragile after just a few months. We therefore advise against this option, even if these films are perhaps a little cheaper than our UV-resistant and highly tear-resistant raised bed film.

Ribbon fabric / weed fleece for horticulture
Ribbon fabrics, which are used in horticulture, are usually not suitable for the side walls as they are permeable to water. They are very suitable for the raised bed base, just like weed fleece. The material (PP, polypropylene) of ribbon fabric or soil fabric is also safe for your plants.

Raised bed film - Waterlogging

Prevent waterlogging in the raised bed at all costs and do not hermetically seal the raised bed base with film. Too much moisture carries the risk of mould growth and can cause lasting damage to your plants. Please follow our instructions in the text above.

Attaching raised bed film inside and attaching raised bed film to the side walls

Before you fill and plant your raised bed, you should think about which raised bed liner makes sense. If you come to the conclusion that it makes sense to use a film, the next question that often arises is how the raised bed film should be attached, laid and installed in the raised bed. In principle, these steps are very simple. Ideally, you should lay the bed liner in one piece along the four side walls. This gives you the assurance that the film is absolutely waterproof. For wooden structures, you can fold the film over the top of the bed edge and secure it with a staple gun. Rather than stapling, it is better to use small, narrow wooden strips to screw the film over the entire surface of the wooden structure. This makes the film even more secure and fully attached.

Raised bed film at the bottom

The film or fleece for the floor can simply be laid directly on the ground. If you want it to be really neat, you can secure the covering material to the ground with ground anchors / pegs.

Dimensions of the dm raised bed film

Our film has an almost ideal width of 1.35 metres. It is perfectly suitable for the height of normal, commercially available raised beds. In most cases, the film can still be laid over the upper edge of the bed and thus be neatly and tidily fastened.

Calculate the size of the raised bed film

Calculating the size of your raised bed film is easy. We recommend using the width of the film for the height of the raised bed, as long as the width is sufficient for the height of the bed. This means you only need to calculate the circumference of the bed to get the required length. You can calculate the circumference of the bed and thus the length of the film as follows:

2 x the length of the raised bed + 2 x the width of the raised bed + a generous overlap of approx. 1 metre.

For example:
Your raised bed has a basic size of 3 m x 1.5 m

Calculation of the length of the film:
2 x 3 m (length) + 2 x 1.5 m (width) + 1 m extra (overlap) = 10 m length of raised bed film.

Thickness, quality and UV resistance of the film

Our raised bed film is a very robust 200 my (0.20 mm) PE film. Thanks to a special film composition, the film is extremely durable, tear-resistant and tough. The film is also highly UV-resistant, making it ideal for outdoor and garden use.

Colour of the raised bed film

As this film was originally produced specifically for covering firewood, we have decided on brown colour. The brown colour is of course excellent for raised beds if there is a visible part of the film.

Buy / order raised bed film

You can order our high-quality raised bed film directly from our shop. The film roll is folded to 75 cm and can be sent easily and cost-effectively by parcel service. As a rule, we always keep this special film in stock for you and delivery is very reliable and fast. You will receive the goods within 24 - 48 hours. Our shipping costs are favourable and always in line with the market.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:

dm-folien GmbH
Contact form
E-Mail: info@dm-folien.de
Phone Number: +49 7121 9118-0

Raised bed film - Alternatives

• Raised bed fleece (water-permeable weed fleece)
• Garden fabric (water-permeable)
• Greenhouse film "growline" (waterproof, UV-resistant film used for hobby greenhouses)

Useful accessories and cross-selling

• Cover film, plant film / greenhouse film, raised bed attachment film
• Garden fleece for early harvesting
• Weed fleece for preventing weed growth
• Ground anchors for fleece and film
• Practical eyelets and fastenings for film, fabric and fleece