Topic: Best material for building raised beds?

[shonam]

I have a smallish garden and as it's a new build the soil isn't the best quality. I also have back problems so even if the beds are raised slightly it means less leaning over. What would be a good wood to make the beds out of? I've not decided sizes yet but probably about 2m long by 1-1.5m wide. Maybe  two or three beds to start with.

I love the look of railway sleepers but don't know how cheap these are. I figure these might be good too as they are heavy enough to be butted up to each other and secured without pegging down (always looking for the easy option :) ).

I assume that I would have to get untreated wood to stop anything leaching into my soil? I would like to paint them to make them look nice though (maybe to match my purple shed :) ) - what type of paint/stain would be safe?

Thanks for looking
Shona :)

[muddylou]

I used treated wood from Homebase (I hadn't thought about leaching), I'd like to get some scaffolding planks to replace the ones I have, when they rot.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Railway sleepers are about £15 a time on eBay, whiish is prohibitive for me. I'd need a lot to build raised beds.

[PurpleHeather]

Wood can be treated, the modern preservatives are environmentally friendly, best done before positioning. Cuprinol have a range of products in all colours.

Some beds are raised with the concrete base panels used for fencing. short corner posts can be concreted in place to hold them. The beds would be 6 ft by 3ft. It is as near to permanent as you can get and they do look tidy, the concrete can be painted if preferred on the side that shows for the sake of appearance.

Scaffold boards work out to around £6 each 13ft lengths, we got a load delivered this year to the allotment site for members to use. That is the price we sold them on at. Making a small profit for the association because we bought in bulk. A few people doubled them up to make higher beds.

Top soil costs a fortune. One of the allotment members bought some, it cost well over £100 and there was very little there once it was tipped into a bed.

[Melbourne12]

Second hand decking works well and is good value (sometimes even free)

[Mr Smith]

Flavour of the month on our site at the moment are scaffolding boards one person was lucky enough to get them for free off 'Freecycle', can't see the attraction of railway sleepers they have all kinds of rubbish in them after been down for years also merchants have caught on and for me charge over the odds, if going down the having to buy route I have used gravelboards in the past,

[taurus]

 I've managed to buy from our local reclaimation yard timber one and half inch by 9 inch timbers.  They even cut to size for me so all I have to do it paint preservative on and then screw them together. ( do paint before you screw to gether as it saves your back, learnt this the hard way as usual ::) My beds are 1 metre by 2 metres. The cost is £3 per metre.   If I put 1 on top of the other that gives me 18 inch depth so fine for parsnips, leeks, carrots etc.  Like you I have an on going back problem, but have now been advised that at a future date I am looking to have new hips. (few years yet I hope)   Despite digging in trailer loads of well rotted horse poo over the years the clay is still very hard work and now I'm reaching oap age soon I'm finding it harder and more painful.  Not the cheapest of options I no. You could try free serve.  

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's a thought, a couple of very high raised beds might work for carrots and parsnips instead of plastic barrels. Can anyone see any disadvantages?

[Lizann]

My hubby has made me several raised beds using decking boards, about 4 high usually, and my carrots and parnsips are brilliant, even though I say it myself!   He also got me some large blue tubs about 18 inches high and they also work well.  Have had potatoes, courgettes, beetroot and sprouting brocoli in them and they have also been  very good.  I have NEVER had carrot fly, so think that there is truth in growing the carrots high saving that.  I don't have any veggies in the ground at all. 

[Mr Smith]

There was a news item with a regeneration project for disabled allotment holders although the pathways between the raised had been paved the raisedbeds came to wheelchair height and they could dig in a comfortable position I can't see a problem other than have you enough compost/top soil to fill them :)

[GodfreyRob]

If you are starting on turf - strip the turf off in foot (30cm) wide strips and use these to build up a turf 'wall' surrounding the bed. As long as you remove couch grass before stacking they work fine and are self-repairing as it were (and free!). Just a trim with shears every few weeks in summer - they llok nice and green al winter too.

[shonam]

Thanks for all the replies. :)

I think the scaffolding boards might be an idea. Hadn't thought about that. There's a builders merchant beside my gym so I might pop in and see if they can do me a good deal. Can get my topsoil there too so they can help me work out cost of beds v. cost of filling them to decide what the best depth would be.

That's interesting about the carrots surviving in tall beds/containers. Don't think I would have the beds that tall though but will definitely look at tall containers. I have been toying with the idea of Christmas potatoes in Ikea bags until I get the beds sorted and am wondering if they might be suitable for carrots?

Thanks again
Shona :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Scaffolding forms regularly get rid of used boards which are no good any more, so that's probably the cheapest way. With a bit of luck you might get them for nothing.

[landimad]

Shonam,
Sorry just caught up with this thread, And it looks like there is room for more if you can go it.
I would say that reclaimed or seconds from the scaffolding companies would be ideal. I would also pay out for good corner stakes to ensure that they last a long time.
If the corner stakes are large enough then you could put a seated area around the top so as to save your back.

I have used old sleepers from a good source and they have served me well. Have a look at my gallery to see the amount I had used and then ask whether or not it is viable for you.
I was lucky and got 4.2m timbers which I then cut to size. The cost was £185 which is a lot, but then they will be there for a long time.
There are various sized beds of which I grow all manner of things in them.
Cost returns will not come into it as I wanted this look from the onset.
I am happy and I am sure you will be with whatever you choose.
Your choice and your pocket at the end of the day.
Go for it and see how you feel.
Best of luck.

[tim_n]

Pallet wood can make OK beds and is free, but time consuming and you'll be using a lot of swear words. I recommend a good hammer and mini-crowbar.

I didn't have the patience and bought some softwood and treated it with plantsafe.

This year we got a load of scaffold boards in, they're absolutely fab.  I took the metal ends of and nailed them onto the corners to make really strong corners.

As for preperation for a good bed, I'm on clay, so this may differ for you.  I dug down about three feet into the soil, added a foot of fresh manure (not rotted) and a few spadefulls of soil improver.  I then backdug the clay soil (which broke up) and added blood fish and bone.  I also added cardboard all the way around the bed to stop couch growing into it.

The result was that I didn't need to add any more top soil, the clay is now soft and crumbly all the way down due to the good drainage.  I'm a strong 27yr ol' lad, it took me a full 9hr day of digging for a 13ftx4ft bed with a couple of 15 minute breaks.