Raised vegetable bed - what size board to use?
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Adrianne C on Dec 15, 2014Here are a few links on the subject, the first says 12". http://adriannewalline.blogspot.com/2014/03/tips-for-raised-bed-vegetable-garden.html This one stacks multiple 2"x6": http://adriannewalline.blogspot.com/2014/02/raised-garden-beds.html http://adriannewalline.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-to-build-raised-bed.htmlHelpful Reply
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Kevin Moore on Dec 15, 2014It all depends on where you are putting the bed. If you are doing a little digging, and preparing the soil underneath, (the best) 6" is fine. If you are planning on putting a bottom on the bed, and filling it with soil, 8" is fine. Going organic? Untreated Cypress is the way to go. Lasts long, resists rot etc. Pressure Treated is also chemically treated, and leeches into the soil, and you end up having plants with the same. I would NEVER use treated wood for any garden where I'm planting food. Locally, I got enough 2x6 cypress for a 4x4 plot for around $25.00. I suggest reading up on Permaculture. A wonderful site for this is http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/starting-your-permaculture-garden/ or do your own Google search.Helpful Reply
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Debbie Luttrell on Dec 15, 2014I prefer to use 8" boards. You don't have to fill them completely at first. You can add good soil and compost to the beds as years go by, building it up as you can. And the extra lip you get keeps mulching materials in place, such as straw or shredded paper. If you have walnut trees anywhere in the vicinity, the higher the better, because of the juglone that the trees produce. Keeping your plant roots way above the regular soil line can really make a difference in a case like thatHelpful Reply
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Terri Lamperez on Dec 16, 2014I use 2x10 boards for mine... yes I find I can add to them year after yearHelpful Reply
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Marion Tinney on Dec 16, 2014I use 8 inch wide rough hewn 1 inch thick boards from the local sawmill, 8ft by 4ft.Helpful Reply
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Douglas Hunt on Dec 16, 2014Utah State University's Cooperative Extension Service says, "Raised bed gardens shallower than 12 inches deep should be constructed with no bottom to allow plant roots access to existing soil below the box." For more, see: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/Horticulture_Garden_2012-01pr.pdfHelpful Reply
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Elizabeth on Dec 16, 2014I don't use boards at all !!! Instead I use cinder blocks. They can be stacked to the height you desire and easily to the shape you desire. You can then fill the interior in with soil as well as the openings of the cinder blocks with soil. I often plant herbs in the small openings of the cinder blocks. Unlike wood these concrete cinder blocks will NEVER rot away leaving you with a mess to deal with. I also choose to stacks ours 2 deep which also gives me a place to sit down to work my garden.Helpful Reply
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