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Raised bed and lining

thelacksmithg2_p1m99thelacksmithg2_p1m99 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi all hope your all safe and well. 


I have just started my gardening journey and recently installed a poly tunnel. 

I have built 6 raised beds out of decking boards and lined them with rubble sacks

I have seen conflicting information on leaching and chemicals etc. 

I was hoping for some advice on this set up?  Will it be safe to grow vegetables ?

thanks 
Lachlan

Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    If you mean chemicals leaching from the decking boards into your soil, you should be fine, especially as you have used rubble sacks.  I assume the rubble sacks are made of non-permeable plastic?

    If the answer is yes, then this would stop any leaching, however I doubt that decking boards have any serious amounts of anything toxic, and I think it is most unlikely that any edible plants would take these up into their systems.

    We completely wrap our raised beds in thick black plastic at the allotment (our beds are made of scaffolding boards).  This is more to protect the boards from rotting, and that is why it is good for you to have lined your boards in sacks, than any concerns about chemical leaching.

  • thelacksmithg2_p1m99thelacksmithg2_p1m99 Posts: 2
    Hi thanks for the reply. 

    I had seen people lining their boards with plastic then heard one say that you shouldn’t  use polyethylene only polypropylene as polyethylene can leach chemicals into the soil. 

    So I thought I was protecting the soil from chemicals leaching from the wood now concerned that I’ve lined them with another hazardous product 🤷🏻
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