Boards for my raised beds

[Ghazal]

Hi all,

I just got my allotment at the weekend and am planning away my weekends already. Much of the advice on this forum has been very valuable and I already have grand plans for my new bit of land. One question I would like to know the answer to involves raised beds so here goes...

I'm looking to have several raised beds on my plot, and I've been looking at gravel boards which I can get from my local fencing supplier at a good price. What worries me is that they are pressure treated and possibly will have some chemicals present that can leech into the soil over time. What should I be asking when it comes to choosing my raised bed surrounds, and what would members of this forum recommend?

I did notice when walking around the allotments yesterday that many people use decking boards for the surrounds, but these aren't cheap as far as I'm aware.

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

[Darwin.]

I would've expected decking boards to be very expensive and treated. I honestly know feck all compared to most on here though. I bought rough 9' x 1' boards last week, they came in 18" lengths. I'm using them to raise the level in the polytunnel a little. They were fairly cheap but I can't remember the exact price.

[out in the cold]

We used wood from pallets to make ours.

I know others here have suggested Scaffold boards.

[Darwin.]

Scaffold boards would be perfect if they could be gotten cheap.

[SarzWix]

Reject decking boards are a bit cheaper, and just tend to have knots in the wrong place etc. : Reject Decking: Quality Decks for Less (prices are listed per metre, not per board)

[Newton]

Welcome chazal.......look for cheap decking boards at B&Q half price sale from time to time....Got mine for £1.50 each untreated.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Scaffold boards would be perfect if they could be gotten cheap.

Scaffold boards are anything but suitable. . They are softwood and will last two or three seasons at most.

Decking boards are ideal because they are pressure treated. If you are concerned about the pressure treatement, line the inside of the beds with builders damp proof material.

[SarzWix]

Scaffold boards are great! We were given a few for school and they're just right in height and thickness. We don't use any treated wood for growing at school. If I could get hold of them cheap I'd use them on the plot too,

[StaryD]

We have many raised beds on our plots, and to be totally honest with you, they didn't cost us a penny, they are just made with scrap bits of wood, an old wardrobe, bed slats, Wooden CD racks, old kitchen worktops, cupboard doors, old interior doors and even a couple of cabinets.
Only thing we had to buy where the nails.

[snakeshack]

I use scaffold boards and find they last well,mine are now 5 years old and show only minor decay,scaffolding companies have to change them every 3 years by law and sell them off at a good price,they have date stamps on each board in the metal end cladding .I paid £1-2 for 12 ft boards if I collected whic with only 2 boards gives an 8ft x 4 ft bed.try ringing around local companies to see when they are changing boards & negotiate a price

[DannyRam]

Hi Guys. Last Sunday, I asked my friends on Facebook if anybody had any scaffold planks. I had an immediate reply from a guy who had two of them in his garden that a builder had left months ago. I now own them. They were 13 feet long. Unfortunately, I had to cut them in half to get them in the car.