materials for raised beds

[Eden]

Hi all, was just reading the thread on raised beds versus in the ground, and was wondering what people have used for the sides of the raised beds. When I did mine in the garden I bought untreated scaffold planks, but it was pretty expensive, about £60. I want to put raised beds on my allotment (but as cheap as possible! )but I'm after some ideas of what to use. What height is best aswell. Looking forward to finding out what people have used - anything unusual??
Eden

[pigletwillie]

I think that the only difficulties you will have are whats available and how much of it.

I also used scaffold planks and on two beds are doubling up the height so that I can grow parsnips and long carrots in them, others on my site have used pallets, kitchen worktops, wriiggly tin and reclaimed bricks.

[BayViewPlot]

Have dug large raised beds using old doors claimed from skips.

Have had some members suggest lead paint may be a factor to consider but I think so long as they are new(ish) it should be OK...lead paint has not been in use from about 70s and was banned in 50s.

Can send off samples to check for lead if very worried as can cause health problems, especially for youngsters

good luck

[cockneycorrot]

I found a local scaffolder who throws out boards that are slightly damaged, having to conform with Health & safety laws, a bottle of wine & he was happy.I didn't treat them with anything as I am 80 & I thought they will see me out. I made 20 raised beds through the winter & it makes it easier for me to manage my 20 pole plot. I wish I had done it years ago

[Alice]

I used tanalised timber. Expensive. But beds are 18" deep and gave me what I wanted.






The whole kitchen garden is still a work in progress, but getting there.

[snohare]

I hear that corrugated iron sheeting is great, heats up a treat and even comes with drainage/fixing holes ! If you can get a few bits of angle iron then you don't even need any wood for uprights. Don't know about the iron content of your spinach though.... And maybe you could overdose on the zinc ?
I was lucky enough to notice a double glazing firm who were replacing the soffits and fascia boards on a house. I not only got all the old guttering for free, but also the old wooden boards they were replacing (nicely painted, thank you,) and the offcuts of uPVC boards they had, which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
I have my doubts about the plasticisers in such things, Bisphenol A and the likes are getting a lot of flak nowadays and those world leaders in toxicology the Swedes (human cultivar ) have banned a lot of them, but with their high insulation value they do have a good reputation for growing things, that's for sure. I am certainly keen to see my local glazers again and see if they can supply me with more offcuts for coldframes etc. Given the soaring landfill tax, I think they are likely to be amenable !

[raine]

pigletwillie, can you explain how the pallets were used to make raised beds?
Were they taken apart and used that way or some other method? I have loads of pallets and would be interested in using them in this way.
thanks

[Eden]

Hi there, yes pallets, I'd heard once about stripping them and using the wood but flippin 'eck! ~What a job, it was near to impossible to get it apart and after many splinters and swear words I gave up so would be interested to hear how others use them...Pigletwillie.......?

[skegblade]

How I do Eden it is by using a flooring chisel and club hammer. Stand the pallet on end and hammer the chisel between the plank and block. The chisel cuts through the nail quite easily and there's very little breakage of the planks. Just don't get your hand stuck between plank and chisel like I did; it hurts! I've found it easierst to do the outer blocks first. Hope this helps

[pigletwillie]

Hi Rain,

I use scaffonlding boards but the bod who used pallets stripped them down and used the wood to make the beds about 8" high and 1 metre square by screwing them together. They were actually quite neat and will probably last 3-4 years before requiring replacement. For his bigger beds, several of the 1 metre squares were built next to each other in a line.

[Vegmonkey]

I bought specially made beds, they are really deep, the perfect size (1.2m by 2.4m), and they came delivered! Just took me a while putting them together, but i love them...there are pics on my blog if ya wanna see! Gimme a pm if you want details of where i got them from, as i can't remember off the top of my head.