Boarded edging

[Gilberd]

This is my second year on my allotment and after making it nice and neat around the outside, the grass has encroached on the plot.

I see lots of allotments with wooden planks or slats edging the plots, and wondered if there are any ideas where to get wood for this purpose. Buying new sees expensive, or is there any other material I could use?

[Bill HH]

I would suggest old scaffolding boards, scaffolding companies regularly discard board when only the ends are rotted. They are nice and thick with a good width so you can dig them in for stability. Scoure your local paper or approach scaffolders. Decking is ok and probably more available second hand but it is not as meaty.

[Nicola.P]

I have seen some people use the boarding off of old pallets. I am not sure how long it would last though but it would be free.

[Bigmallly]

I have to agree with Bill, scaffold boards will last longer.

[WendyC]

Or buy a pair of edging shears.

[TrysHard]

If you have to buy then feather edge board works out at around 70p a metre and is probably the cheapest you will get. Although thin on one edge it is pressure treated so will last a while. I have used it to keep soil from borders etc away from fence panels. The down side is it is a bit flimsy.

[Vince G]

Got most of mine from B&Q from regular visits over the last couple of years. They regularly chuck the unsellable planks on a trolley in one of the timber aisles where you can help yourself and I regularly pick up 2 metre lengths for 50p a go. Sometimes at the cutting station there, if you spot a bit they've just trimmed off that you fancy you can get that too.

The problem is sometimes because they are rejects, they have no bar code and don't scan at the till. So someone has to come and have a look and give you a price for it, bit of a faff, but now one or two of the guys on the till kind of recognise me now, I make a point of going to them and say "50p for this one?" and it usually works.

Obviously because they are rejected bits of timber, they're often warped, but you can straighten them to an extent when you pin them in the ground. Am using up an old tin of wood stain on them before sinking them, might make them last a bit longer.

[Gilberd]

Thank you for the great ideas!

[roitelet]

What ever you use give them a good coat of linseed oil, they will last longer.

[plotman]

I actually bought concrete edging stones second hand of ebay. Cost me £20 job lot but that was 6 yrs ago, Still look fabulous and i can dig and plant right to edge of allotment