Building Raised Beds

[Sally]

Hi Tracyp
I made my raised beds out of scaffold planks and used pegs hammered in the ground to keep them upright (smacked em in with a big mallet!), I'm rubbish at sawing 2 but I managed to saw up these approx 2 by 1 pegs. Instead of a membrane I used old newspapers - this year I had some old paper sacks which should be ok (I hope).
Good Luck!!!

[Novice Gardener]

With regards to the wood rotting, when my neighbour built my raised beds, he lined them with uPVC lengths - the kind used for cladding or fascias - our local place gave us their offcuts for free - it didn't matter that they were different sizes as you can't see them anyway.

[markwcel]

i used 5" x 1" tanelised timber...about £4 for a 14' length... I cut mine but they will cut them to length if required

[MarisPiper]

i made mine using Wickes decking boards. they were selling them half price (around £3 a board) a few weeks back. i did have to cut them to size myself though
6'x3', 2 boards deep. i joined them at each corner with 75mm x 75mm posts
built & filled for a total of £40.

today i bought some trellis of the same size to lay over the top in the hope it keeps the cat off. he's had a little balance but the netting between bed & trellis stops his digging

[si'sraisedbed]

I made mine last year. I used treated wood from B&Q which tapers ie. it's thick at the top and a bit thinner at the bottom, can't remember what it's called now. Anyway I just knocked the sides together and then nailed them onto posts that I'd knocked into the ground and then filled with mixed multipurpose compost and topsoil. Worked a treat. I just mowed the grass and put the lot on top (Mr Titchmarch recommended this somewhere). The grass has never come through and everything grows well.

Would love to know how people keep the cats off though!!

[SarzWix]

I didn't think I'd be able to saw the wood up for my beds either - I bought decking boards from B&Q as they were on sale, and waited 2 wknds for the OH to put them together. When they were still sitting there in the shed the following week, I had a "S@d you!" moment, got them out of the shed, measured them and drew lines where they needed to be cut, then just put them over the top of the wheelbarrow to keep them steady and just sawed away! They possibly weren't as smoothly done as they could have been, but the bed was built in an afternoon & I had all the satisfaction of knowing I'd done it myself!!
So, I'd say give it a go, never say never! And a new saw can be had from B&Q for less than a fiver I reckon

[MarisPiper]

the thing with sawing is to let the saw do the work. don't force it & you'll be perfectly fine

[syanide]

Only this mornig I thought about a raised bed for the 'erbs. I'm new to lotties and haven't even put anything down yet. Only got the keys on sunday. Plan is to cover the majority with black covering stuff and work on one end for the spuds. It's been rotavated, but that was 6 weeks ago and some weeds are starting to poke through....anyway, i digress....at the other [shed] end, to build a little section with a raised bed for the herbs with a woodchip path all the way round. That's the plan anyway...

Just one question, a guy who lives nearby is about to get rid of a whole load of garden fencing. Is this ideal for a raised bed?

Syanide

[amandaandherveg]

I had some spare fencing rails left over. 3.6m long x 15cm I cut them into 1.2m lengths and used them 2 high, giving me 30cm. Used some old 2" x 1" I had lying around for the corner posts.

I got carried away and ran out of them, called our local timber merchant and he dropped off a bunch more for me, cut to 1.2m lengths this time (he's a star). I made 7 x 1.2m raised beds and it cost £36 in total for the lot. The timber came already treated and I painted it with plant friendly wood stain.

Barrowed up 2 tonnes of topsoil tonight to fill them, uphill, took 5 hours as the soil was soaking wet. We're both in agony.

Amanda

[Woofster]

I have made numerous raised beds out of 6" x 1" tannalised timber cut by the local timber merchant to make either 4' x 4' or 4' x 8' beds. I have just nailed the boards together without using posts and they have held up well so far (some are 4 years old).
I have used weed suppresing membrane under some to try combat the weeds. It works well if you are growing fairly shallow rooted veg like onions, shallots, spinach, cabbage,
beetroot (these I have done myself). The leek roots went through the membrane.
I will say that I find wooden raised beds much easier to erect and cheaper than those Link-a-Bord things which have built in nooks for snails.
Also I have build my beds single-handedly so it can be done (nicer if you have someone to lend a hand).