Unfortunately Obelixx, this does not fit requirements of the original post. Must be a hedge ,thorny and at least six feet high. Hence the need for these structures to house the sufficient amount of soil. The only real reservations he has is how long they will remain intact with regular coats of preservative. Does anybody here use sleepers to house large amounts of soil, how are they holding up ?
Sleepers are good. We used them to make retaining walls to create a level veggie plot in our last garden. Ours had been up 20 years when we moved and showing no signs of wearing out. We did line the soil side with black plastic to protect them from water in the soil and also stop any chemicals leaching out.
Very heavy though so we got chaps in to do all the carrying, laying, cutting and fixing.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That will put him at ease I think, it's a bit unusual making heavy sleeper boxes for top of a wall I grant you but with six feet of heavy fencing already fixed to top of wall ( and it's a few foot wide at top) , essentially the wall on his side is ground level on the opposite side of the fence so really it's a retaining wall with a six foot drop to his back garden. Making them will be fine as we're both decent enough at garden Diy. You're right though, getting them up there will be fun ! Might have to take a supervisory role for that one ?
Try roofing beams instead. They'll have been treated against rotting and infestation and, being pine, will be a lot lighter for both you and the wall. Longer too so less cutting. Probably cheaper too.
We're planning to use them for raised beds for the veggie plot in this new garden.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I can see where you're coming from but surely roofing beams aren't designed to be exposed to the elements long term, except maybe fluctuating moisture levels in the air, once covered by the roof itself. Maybe a few weeks max I reckon. Have you done a bit of research yourself into using them for your beds ? ( raised, not bunk lol ! )
Yes, we used them to replace planks on our raised beds in the old veggie garden. They are pressure treated. Line them with plastic as suggested and, if you like, apply some oil on the exposed sides. I'm using olive oil for cooking (not virgin) mixed with the juice of one lemon per litre. Shake well. Works a treat and goes on very easily with a big brush.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind for when we begin, which will be end of February I think. By the way, what type of plastic did you use. Do you remember the thickness ? I wonder is there a type you can get specifically for this purpose. Must look into it.
Have you thought of the implications of ongoing maintenance? Most hedges in my experience don't tidily stop growing at 6ft and can also get pretty wide. We have a monster of a berberis hedge a previous owner put it, which was a double layer, 10ft high x 6ft wide. It's absolutely vicious, with thorns about 1 inch long which go right through the soles of your wellies - really painful. We can't really manage it and it costs £100=£200 each time we have it cut, which it needs several times a year.
You also need to think about watering and whether the wall is strong enough to take the weight of the sleepers, the soil and the hedge itself.
Thankfully Lizzie I'll be involved in the initial planting only, no double rows either, and will leave any hedge cutting to my friend. The wall in question is a wide stone retaining wall which is very sturdy by accounts so it should handle the weight quite well and once he keeps it well trimmed every year and doesn't get lazy about cutting it he should be fine. He could also get somebody to cut it for him I suppose, he's not short of a few bob !. I'll offer my services, I'm very reasonable ! As for the thorns, well he wants thorny so he'll have to live with the hazards of being spiked from time to time !
Posts
Unfortunately Obelixx, this does not fit requirements of the original post. Must be a hedge ,thorny and at least six feet high. Hence the need for these structures to house the sufficient amount of soil. The only real reservations he has is how long they will remain intact with regular coats of preservative. Does anybody here use sleepers to house large amounts of soil, how are they holding up ?
Sleepers are good. We used them to make retaining walls to create a level veggie plot in our last garden. Ours had been up 20 years when we moved and showing no signs of wearing out. We did line the soil side with black plastic to protect them from water in the soil and also stop any chemicals leaching out.
Very heavy though so we got chaps in to do all the carrying, laying, cutting and fixing.
That will put him at ease I think, it's a bit unusual making heavy sleeper boxes for top of a wall I grant you but with six feet of heavy fencing already fixed to top of wall ( and it's a few foot wide at top) , essentially the wall on his side is ground level on the opposite side of the fence so really it's a retaining wall with a six foot drop to his back garden. Making them will be fine as we're both decent enough at garden Diy. You're right though, getting them up there will be fun ! Might have to take a supervisory role for that one ?
Try roofing beams instead. They'll have been treated against rotting and infestation and, being pine, will be a lot lighter for both you and the wall. Longer too so less cutting. Probably cheaper too.
We're planning to use them for raised beds for the veggie plot in this new garden.
I can see where you're coming from but surely roofing beams aren't designed to be exposed to the elements long term, except maybe fluctuating moisture levels in the air, once covered by the roof itself. Maybe a few weeks max I reckon. Have you done a bit of research yourself into using them for your beds ? ( raised, not bunk lol ! )
Yes, we used them to replace planks on our raised beds in the old veggie garden. They are pressure treated. Line them with plastic as suggested and, if you like, apply some oil on the exposed sides. I'm using olive oil for cooking (not virgin) mixed with the juice of one lemon per litre. Shake well. Works a treat and goes on very easily with a big brush.
Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind for when we begin, which will be end of February I think. By the way, what type of plastic did you use. Do you remember the thickness ? I wonder is there a type you can get specifically for this purpose. Must look into it.
Good garden centres and DIY shops sell it by the metre from big rolls. Thicker than bin bags.
Our railway sleeper retaining wall was mid chest height on me and 15m long so quite a bit of plastic.
Have you thought of the implications of ongoing maintenance? Most hedges in my experience don't tidily stop growing at 6ft and can also get pretty wide. We have a monster of a berberis hedge a previous owner put it, which was a double layer, 10ft high x 6ft wide. It's absolutely vicious, with thorns about 1 inch long which go right through the soles of your wellies - really painful. We can't really manage it and it costs £100=£200 each time we have it cut, which it needs several times a year.
You also need to think about watering and whether the wall is strong enough to take the weight of the sleepers, the soil and the hedge itself.
Food for thought?
Thankfully Lizzie I'll be involved in the initial planting only, no double rows either, and will leave any hedge cutting to my friend. The wall in question is a wide stone retaining wall which is very sturdy by accounts so it should handle the weight quite well and once he keeps it well trimmed every year and doesn't get lazy about cutting it he should be fine. He could also get somebody to cut it for him I suppose, he's not short of a few bob !. I'll offer my services, I'm very reasonable ! As for the thorns, well he wants thorny so he'll have to live with the hazards of being spiked from time to time !