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.
Building a dry stack stone retaining 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.
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.
Lay high quality stones and use a geotextile backing to ensure the wall lasts a long time.
Higher walls should be engineered for stability.
Each layer of a dry stack wall is called a course.
For dry stack walls the base should be as wide as the wall is tall.
Even if you don t plan to sit on your wall 3 feet is about as high as i would recommend building any dry stacked wall.
For this 18 inch high wall the footing should be at least 18 inches wide.
Plan for good drainage proper width height ratio and distance between tiers.
To build a natural dry stone retaining wall prepare the site.
Draw the wall to scale and measure the length and height.
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.
Use a hand or power tamper to level the base.