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Make you own veg beds

Charlotte_1Charlotte_1 Posts: 5
in Fruit & veg
i was just wondering what size wood people have used who have made their veg beds. 

We we are wanting to make some and I can’t seem to find anything that looks suitable that is not ridiculously priced 

thanks 
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    You know you don't have to make raised beds. Veg have grown straight into the ground for years. The only thing I have raised is a herb bed filled with very well drained soil, to suit the mediterranean herbs.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Raised beds can be made with almost anything.
    Many people use old scaffold boards. I don't have veg beds, but all my raised beds were made with fencing timber. Approx 6" x 1" width/thickness. 
    Builder's merchants are the best outlets to use, as they're much cheaper- they price by the metre. You may find that difficult just now though, as stocks are low in many areas, and some won't be open. The DIY stores are open but are much dearer.
    You can also use pallet wood if you have any, and can take them apart. Cheap to source. You'd need to batten pieces together to get a reasonable height though.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Recommended width of a raised bed is 4'/120cms because then you can reach the middle without stepping on and compressing the soil.

    Length depends on available space but you need to be careful you don't make them so long you don't walk round and end up stepping across.

    Height depends on you.  A simple 6"/15cm wide board will do for starters or you could use roofing beams or railway sleepers or recycled scaffold boards.   Make sure you put in good corner supports and also pegs at regular intervals to support the sides.

    You'll need 3, if you can, so you can do crop rotation as the seasons go by.
    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)."
    Plato
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I have in the past used decking boards two/ three high lined with plastic .
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Please don't be browbeaten into thinking you MUST have raised beds.  They're not necessary but, if you feel you'd like them for whatever reason, that's your prerogative.  If you do go that route, there's only one really sensible material to use for long term durability, i.e. concrete boards of 6ft x 1ft that most manufacturers of such products will have in stock at normal times.  All the wooden options will rot in fairly quick time, leaving you with a mess and replacement costs.  Those in my pic are 12 years old and counting.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    "All the wooden options will rot in fairly quick time, leaving you with a mess and replacement costs. "

    Rubbish - that's a very sweeping, and misleading, statement. I've had raised timber beds in several gardens. They last for years if the timber is decent to start with, and they're lined. All the raised areas in the garden I had round the corner are still in place - 20 odd years later. 

    Mine are 7 years old in this garden. They still look like new, and even considering the amount of rain we get here, they'll be around for a long time.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Forester_PeteForester_Pete Posts: 175
    I found some I thought quite reasonably priced pressure treated scaffold boards recently on ebay. Have replaced a couple of the raised beds that have probably been there 15 years and will make 3 more when the old shed is gone. Delivery was 20 quid no matter the quantity too which was good.
  • koyukanokoyukano Posts: 72
    edited March 2020
    I used sleepers for my raised beds, these were 2.4 meters in length and 100mmx200mm width/depth, I did my raised beds 2.4m long and 1.4m wide (a sleeper cut in half which is 1.2m plus the 10mm either side for the sleepers placed lengthways). I would just do dimensions that you find practical for your own garden but that minimise any wastage of wood, hence why I used either full or half length sleepers to make all my raised beds. 

    I'll attach a picture as I always feel pictures help with brainstorming ideas!



  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    They look good and I like the bits for seating.
    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)."
    Plato
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    I stand corrected, Fairygirl, but I rather fancy most attempts are done with economy in mind, e.g. cast of scaffold boards, which means those that last (like yours) will be more expensive and possibly on a par with concrete.
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