What is the best wood to make a raised bed out of?
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Well here in Oregon we use cedar lined with black plastic.
I would use old pellets, just lay them down where you want it raised and fill them with soil you could cover so you don't see them. All the best with that.
Cedar and Cypress are very bug resistant for the termites in the south. I used pressure treated corner posts and corrugated sheet metal for mine. They should last an easy 20 years.
Cypress is like chewing gum to termites and that's why they don't eat it
Not sure where you live, but I'm in the south and I used saw mill cut 2x 10's of oak. they get a nice grey patina and should last 20 years or better.
What ever you use, don't use pressure treated wood. The preservatives that are used to keep the wood from rotting are not healthy for you. And, you will be getting those preservatives from the boxes into the plants you grow and then consume.
I used pressured treated lumber cheap and has lasted for 10 years so far however I am going to try corrogated metal for my next bed if I can figure out how to easily cut a sheet
Naturally durable wood like cedar is best. Avoid pressure treated - it's full of toxic chemicals that could leach into your vegetables.
Do not use treated lumber. Use redwood or cedar and line the bottom (ground) and inside of boards with landscape cloth.
The pressure treated wood today doesn't have chemicals in them. Instead they use a salt water mix to pressure treat the wood with. So it is safe to use.
Railroad ties if you can find them .They last forever
In England we use old railway sleepers when making raised beds for flowers or for growing veg.
New pressure treated wood is high in copper and/or borate. I would not use it for vegetable gardens. The thought of railroad ties is frightening. Please, please read and do your research before jumping off the bridge with this.
Wood Pallets are the unknown. You don't know what is in them. Even if you line your bed with plastic and the wood isn't touching the plants, the chemicals in the wood will leach into your soil.
Cedar and redwood would be your best choice.
There are a number of ideas to look at. I would use the Cali Bamboo BamDeck® 3G Wide Composite Decking. It'll last forever and it comes in a variety of colors
i used concrete blocks for my raised beds- sturdy and lasts forever. we put landscape fabric on the ground; 3 to 4 layers of paper on bottom and sides; then compost and dirt mixed. It made a garden that is nice and sturdy!! I don't have to worry about chemicals or rotting boards. We used split faced blocks so I get a nice look on the blocks.
I agree with Connie - concrete(cinder) blocks work great & mine have lasted 16 yrs. I used plastic on bottom of bed, wire to line the sides & filled with course gravel, then my soil. Just be sure to make the walls level, or it will look awful. I have the exact same yard layout & a flooding problem by the tree corner. A lot of gravel in that corner will really help & I didn't plant anything there, but used coloured mulch & placed several solar lights & a bird house with wind chimes. It's pretty & solves my problem.
I used pallets then painted the exterior. I stapled landscape fabric on the bottom and sides then placed on cleared dirt free of grass and weeds. Fill with top soil ten make a small slit into bottom of soil into the landscape fabric then plant whatever. Inexpensive and adds a pop of color to your garden.
Whatever you use, just put in enough gravel to get the soil level higher than the water level where the corner floods and that will make sure that whatever you plant will not drown its roots, and go from there for putting in enough soil for your plants. Adjust the height of the raised bed according to how much gravel you have to put down and the amount of soil needed. or, you could make the corner part of the bed higher to account for more gravel and put a lower one on each side that doesn't flood to give it a more unique look.
Mel Bartholomew (Square Foot Gardens) recommends cedar or redwood. If you want a less expensive lumber, make sure it is untreated and preserve the wood with linseed oil. Raised beds can also be constructed with brick, cement blocks, prefabricated stone, or large rocks.
I use cinder blocks. They are indestructible and easy to move. I even plant into the holes. You must situate your vegetable garden in full sun.
Here in Central Pa, Amish and others use locust wood for fence posts hat last 30 yrs or so. I once read that an old fashioned method of treating wood that would be in ground, (clothes line poles, mailbox posts, fence posts) was to paint several coats of wood ash from fireplace and linseed oil. Was said wood treated so would last 50 yrs to a lifetime! Never got to try it myself.
Thanks for the info!!!
There are too many problema with wood so I used cinder blocks and draped painter's plastic inside and had the edges hanging over covering the blocks (punch some drainage holes inside the rectangles forming the beds (I used 5 down and 3 across and a second layer on top of the first so I didn't have to stoop to weed plus it would prevent flooding). The block are cheaper, last longer, and you could paint them a color and the fencing the same or a complementary color.
Plastic lumber like that which is used for decking gives the look of wood but doesn't rot and is impervious to bugs. I am uncertain about chemicals, so check with your local Cooperative Extension office if you want to be sure. They know pretty much everything about gardening.
railroad ties or cinder blocks