Raised Beds

[Pandabean]

I am trying to look for wood for creating raised beds in my back garden but I am not entirely sure what wood would be best suited and also be obtained on a budget.
If anyone has rough prices for what timber would cost that would be great as some of the websites I have seen don't list their prices.

Some of the raised bed kits seem pricey and/or of low quality or just not the right size. As for timber planks I am not sure what wood will last a long time compared to others.

Also from what I have read some of the treated timbers can leach chemicals into the soil such as arsenic and it got me wondering about using birch oil to treat wood. Has anyone tried that and would it be a suitable alternative for preserving the wood for raised beds if the original timber was untreated?

Any suggestions would be welcome

 

[fishfish]

builders planks are cheap.```

 

[sunndog]

decking planks would my choice, not expensive and will last for years

 

[Zingmo]

On chemicals; Tanalith C contains arsenic but it is no longer approved for use in Europe under the Biocidal Products Directive since September 2006. We have moved on to Tanalith E (the "E" stands for Ecological) which doesn't contain arsenic. Tanalith C and other CCA products are still used in the US and the rest of the world. Old CCA treated (tanalised) wood contains arsenic. I guess if the wood is new then you are OK.

Old railway sleepers are often saturated with all manner of black sticky bi-products of the coal gas industry. These can even become a problem later as they may be classified as hazardous waste when you come to get rid of them. The tar in them can come oozing out in hot weather and get onto shoes and clothes.

If the wood is not treated at all, then unless it is a type of wood naturally rich in oils like chestnut, it will rot in a surprisingly short time and your hard work will be wasted.

Z

 

[Mesquite]

Have a look at the price of gravel boards from fencing suppliers Andy.

Other alternative is decking boards, you can sometimes pick up seconds that have warped a bit and aren't any good for their intended use.

 

[bobnewboy]

+1 vote for gravel boards. Helene and I just made two good sized raised beds from them. It seems to last as well. You can get packs of 5 from Wickes.

 

[British Red]

I have a lot of raised beds. I second using deck boards. Mine have been in for years with no problems. I use six inch wide, one inch thick boards the cost £9 for a 4.2m board
http://www.withamtimber.co.uk/shop/decking/decking-board/decking-board/

There's a full pictorial in my retirement home thread about how I built ours to a stndard size and constructed moveable nets etc. for them

Red

 

[Pandabean]

I have seen gravel boards at reasonable prices so may go ahead with them next time I am in the city. I would go to Wickes but the nearest is Inverness or Dundee for me. Too far to travel for a few planks of wood.

I am just wanting to get more out of the garden this year and try my hand with raised beds. I haven't had much success with other veg in the last year. So I am hoping with a structure to the garden it will be a bit easier.

One question though with regards to potatoes: are these ok being grown in standard raised beds? I have always had them in an open area and they have usually done well. But Iw as wondering if the tighter spacing means I will get less of them.

I will go and have a look at your thread Red, been a while since I read it.

 

[British Red]

Spuds are fine in raised beds, especially if the soil is well manured. But you may need an extra board to allow for earthing up.

 

[mousey]

I've had some success growing potatoes in bags, it makes it easier to harvest them - just tip / cut open the bag, no digging to get at the tatties.

 

[British Red]

Old tyres are even better. Plant in two tyres on top of each other. Each time you earth up, add a tyre. Come harvest time, kick the stack over. The tyres are free from any garage and last for years.

 

[Robson Valley]

Local community garden uses stacked tires/tyres but with black garbage bags as liners,
holes in the bottoms like flower pots. The argument is that the soil is much warmer than
if you had planted in the ground. Old ones have a $5 enviro fee attached.

 

[tiger stacker]

Old tyres are even better. Plant in two tyres on top of each other. Each time you earth up, add a tyre. Come harvest time, kick the stack over. The tyres are free from any garage and last for years.

Cheers red i had been thinking of tyres for planting. Sometimes you need a nudge to remember the idea.

 

[Laurentius]

I was going to use some planking I had salvaged from an old fence for raised beds, I am having second thoughts about now. The question is have there been any actual scientific tests done as to how much leaches out and ends up in the veg?

 

[santaman2000]

I was going to use some planking I had salvaged from an old fence for raised beds, I am having second thoughts about now. The question is have there been any actual scientific tests done as to how much leaches out and ends up in the veg?

Probably not. The arsenic cured ones are used here quite a bit, and while I don't know of anybody suffering ill effects, I still worry about it too.

 

[Pandabean]

Red, I had a read through some of the early parts of your thread again and it certainly has given me plenty of ideas. Especially about the netting and laying out of the beds! I may have to look at that this year.

My veg planting over previous years has been in larger contained areas but it can get a bit tiresome clearing all that of weeds. Does veg grow much better in raised beds than in open areas?

I am not sure if you went into detail about your herb patch? How did you go about planning that and did you have any worries about invasive/spreading herbs like mint or did you not plant that?

 

[British Red]

My veg does very well in the raised beds, but I suspect that is due to three inches or more of well rotted manure applied most years

Our herb bed is an experiment in the "Back to Eden" deep wood mulch method. It has been insanely successful. The soil is so rich it is black, and best of all, no digging!

 

[Tengu]

My friend used sleepersbut then she can afford them.

How about using old bricks and blocks? Have you access to stone?

 

[pysen78]

The in-vogue thing to use around here is that hinged plank collar thing you get with cargo pallets sometimes. They've become so popular with the hipsters, you can by them off the shelf in "home-mart" for this purpose alone. I think it's a neat and practical idea, but it's lost its novelty around here, but might be different where you are.

One product I like, and see being used more and more is peat blocks. You lay them as large bricks, and secure them with wooden pegs running vertically through them.

Depending if it fits the overall style of your garden, you could try your hand at weaving with Salix. I've always wanted to try, but never found the right place for it.
Some inspirational pictures I found online:

Other ideas like above mentioned can be natural rocks, or perhaps larger branches or logs. Untreated wood will still last several years before it needs replacing, and by that time you may want to change shape, place, content of your beds anyways.
Whatever style you choose, lining it with that non-woven earth textile stuff is best if you need the beds to be airy and well drained, otherwise you can re-use the plastic bags you're likely to get your fertilizer in. This makes for a bit more damp conditions close to the rim, but may not be a problem for you.

 

[Tengu]

Those are great pics, Pysen78, looks like the plants are in baskets.

Note the wall made from old blocks simply stacked. Im sure the OP can make tidy raised beds from whatever they find around.