Dig a ditch the length of the wall that is about a foot wide and 8 to 12 inches 20 5 cm 30 5 cm below the ground level.
Building a dry stack stone retaining wall.
When putting your wall together mix the stone sizes throughout the wall rather than using only large stones at the bottom and small toward the top.
For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall.
Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.
The ideal height for a dry stacked retaining wall is 18 to 22 inches so you can sit on it when your gardening chores are done.
This ditch will act as the wall s footing and prevent the rocks from sliding forward due to pressure from the earth behind.
Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time.
Each layer of a dry stack wall is called a course.
Excavate to a depth of 6 inches along the entire base of the stone retaining wall using the string marker as a guide.
To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.
For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide.
Here are the basic steps involved in building a dry stack stone wall.
Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall.
Use a hand or power tamper to level the base.