Wooden edging for beds?

[EnglishRose]

Now that my new plot is (nearly...) under control, I'd like to put some wooden planks around my beds.  I'm not thinking of raised beds, just some sort of edging that will look neat and tidy and hopefully deter the grass paths from spreading onto the beds

However, everything I've seen in the posh gardening magazines looks horribly expensive.  There must be a cheaper solution out there!  Can anyone recommend anything?  Also, pics of how you've edged your beds would be very interesting (so that I can steal ideas, of course  ;D)

[EnglishRose]

[rugbypost]

I did this a few years back it may be justwhat you are looking for old pallats put a hammer and strong chisil in the car and any diy or  anywhere you can think of strip pallet cut to what size slats you want the long  side bits cut them to the size you want and use them as stakes to drive into the ground and in the forum there is mention of cheap ronseal fence paint stand the parts that are to go in the ground in 2 pots of the ronseal for a few hours it will stop them rotting i reckon with screws and paint it wont cost you £15 hope this helps  Rugbypost

[Susiebelle]

Because of the new Health & Safety regs on building sites we have a good cheapish source of scaffolding boards (seconds of course) they are usually about 13ft long so minimum labour required and good life expectancy.
I would have thought the same H & S rules applies everywhere.

I was extremely lucky and secured a cheap source (in exchange for veg) of railway sleepers, I know not everyone likes using them but they are serving me well and I am very happy with them - extremely hard work intially but now reaping the benefits!

[tonybloke]

just don't use any of the pressure treated wood, 'cos it usually contains arsenic and other poisons!!

[cornykev]

I was lucky enough to get my scaffold boards free, as my mate who started the lottie with me has his own building firm, so I have my whole plot boarded and fitted free, the best things in life are free, that would make a good song.   ;D ;D ;D     :-X

[willconkerer]

Scaff boards are untreated and (in my experience) will rot in 2-3 years.The more it rots the more slugs like it. Pressure treated timber still OK after 7 years. Might contain some nasty stuff, but you don't have to lick it if you don't want to.

[BarriedaleNick]

Our entire site is held up with scaffold planks and they have lasted for years..

[tonybloke]

Pressure treated timber still OK after 7 years. Might contain some nasty stuff, but you don't have to lick it if you don't want to.

ain't you heard of leaching?
why poison the family?

[picman]

In my experience wooden edging to plots just provides a nice damp place for slugs and other pests to live, and you will be changing it every couple of years... 

[manicscousers]

our pallet wood lasted 5 years, we're now replacing it with scaffolding boards, the posts will be cut down when we decide if they're going any higher  :)

[willconkerer]

Convince me that "poisons" leach from the wood and are absorbed by the veg and I might have a rethink. I mean proper science, not supposition.

[tonybloke]

Convince me that "poisons" leach from the wood and are absorbed by the veg and I might have a rethink. I mean proper science, not supposition.

It's not my job to convince you of anything. The research is out there, go find it for yourself.

I've been there, and  done it, whilst at college studying for qualifications in organic horticulture and food production, thanks. ;)

[EnglishRose]

I like the idea of pallets but it's quite difficult to pick them up around here - for one thing, there dioesn't seem to be much building work going on, and in any case I don't have a car so I can't just act on the spur of the moment!  I can hire a car for a couple of hours to pick up stuff from a supplier, but I'm not sure where's cheapest.  Or is there somewhere online, perhaps, that might deliver to me without costing a future?

[tonybloke]

I like the idea of pallets but it's quite difficult to pick them up around here - for one thing, there dioesn't seem to be much building work going on, and in any case I don't have a car so I can't just act on the spur of the moment!  I can hire a car for a couple of hours to pick up stuff from a supplier, but I'm not sure where's cheapest.  Or is there somewhere online, perhaps, that might deliver to me without costing a future?

have a word with any of your local skip hire companies or builders merchants,they may drop some pallets off for you free of charge ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Scaffolding planks will last longer as they're thicker. Nothing to stop you treating them yourself.

[grannyjanny]

Travis Perkins let us have pallets free but we were able to collect them . OH made a fence out of them. I have been told that builders price scaffolding plants into a job & get rid of them. Is there any building work going on near you or do you know any builders. We got a scaffolding company to deliver & he only charged £3. Just ask around. If you don't you don't know.

[sazhig]

Convince me that "poisons" leach from the wood and are absorbed by the veg and I might have a rethink. I mean proper science, not supposition.

You could ask Garden Organic - they have a section on using wood in the garden in their organic guidelines as well as a factsheet about using wood in the garden so would be able to point you in the right direction.

[willconkerer]

Thanks Sahzig for your input, somewhat more sympathetic than Tonybloke's not-my-job, I'm alright attitude. I haven't had a lot of time to research, but it would seem that there are studies that claim arsenic does leach into the soil, studies that claim it doesn't get into vegetables in any measurable amount,studies that say you are more likely to suffer a meteorite headache than get ill from arsenic poisoning as a result of growing your own veg, and studies that say arsenic hasn't been used in treating timber in europe since 2006.
So it comes down to what you believe in, which may or may not be scientifically verifiable!

[tonybloke]

with a post like this

Convince me that "poisons" leach from the wood and are absorbed by the veg and I might have a rethink. I mean proper science, not supposition.

why are you surprised at an answer like this

It's not my job to convince you of anything. The research is out there, go find it for yourself.

folk ask for advice on here, not an education!!

[ConfusedRhubarb]

hi english rose
i know that you live near-ish to me, because of your post about the greenwich rents going up
so-  if you want pallets try lewisham market.  they have huge piles of them.  a stall holder told me you can help yourself, except the blue ones.
i ended up meeting the guy who drives around london in his lorry collecting  them - then his company sell them on.  and he delivered 10 for a tenner right to my plot - I could have haggled, and he prob would have done it for less, but I was just glad and can't fit even one in my little car.
I still have his number so if you want it, PM me.