I am putting together some raised beds using a combination of half sized sleepers
at the ends and scaffolding planks in between, they will be about 30" high although
I will paint the scaffolding planks with preservative. Any ideas as to how to make
them last longer maybe a polythene lining, holes at the bottom of course.
If you are using old railway sleepers they are not considered safe for food growing. XX Jeannine
Perhaps then a very thick liner would make sense even some butyl from a pond?
Good luck
x sunloving
Quote from: sunloving on July 28, 2012, 08:41:47
Perhaps then a very thick liner would make sense even some butyl from a pond?
Good luck
x sunloving
Makes the timber 'sweat' then it rots.
Hi
what ever wood you use to make a bed will probably only last max 10 years but as you have already done most of the hard work, replacing the wood is fairly easy as and when it needs it. The bracing struts have to last and are better metal. The paths need thinking about though, make sure there are not any perennial weeds in them, couch grass, marestail, convolvulus etc these have roots that grow into the bed. I think grass paths the width of a push mower are the best,if you use landscaping fabric with various toppings, after a few years the weeds grow through.
I agree with Jeannine, old sleepers carry a cancer agent. Also, as they breakdown they leach oil into the surrounding soil and spoil it for years.
Digmore.
I prefer mounded beds with no vertical sides and bare earth paths. One can dig perennial weeds out of the paths and bed edges more easily. I blame garden designers in love with neatness and structures for all the timber sided beds we see now.
Apologies for repeating myself, but every single objection to raised beds can be "turned into an opportunity" ::) by digging the paths down to subsoil, putting the rescued topsoil on the bed, and filling the trench with woodchip.
For more details and benefits check out thread Re: removing rasied beds(sic).
Cheers.
Yes I quite like them personally - but one of the reasons is being on a steep hill, and it makes it easier to stop the soil rolling off the veg bed everytime you weed/harvest/dig.
And I quite like neatness (not that I see much of it at my allotment!) ;D
If I lowered my paths, they'd be underwater in a wet winter.
Yes it all depends on what works for your plot doesn't it?
You can get sleepers that are not the creosote impregnated sleepers used on railways. They are fine for raised beds, as are scaffolding boards.
It doesn't really matter what sort of beds you have. They just need to suit where you are gardening and what you like.
Water based preservative is good but not sure about polythene liners. As said previously the increased condensation could lead to rot.
My vegetable plot is made level by a retainer wall of old railway sleepers 4' high. The soil side was lined with black plastic to reduce water rot and prevent leaching into the soil and they're still doing fine after 15 years. In fact they've weathered so well they're now growing lichens and moss on the exposed side and top surface.
Once we had the level ground, we then made 8" high raised beds using ordinary pine planks painted with Cuprinol and they lasted about 10 to 12 years. We've gradually replaced those with roofing beams painted with a modern and safe oil based stain to protect the wood and expect to get another 10 to 15 years from these.