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Raised veg beds - help with materials

Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
in Plants
Hi all - the time's come for me to replace a few planks in my raised veg beds - I've always used untreated wood so as to minimise risk of poisoning myself, but welcome any thoughts if anyone uses treated wood (or sleepers, scaffold boards) for their veg.  Has anyone bought treated wood and masked it with plastic / an inert varnish of some kind on the inner/soil side?
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Posts

  • muckyhandsmikemuckyhandsmike Posts: 239
    fwiw I treated mine and lined the inside with compost bags which has worked ok for the last couple of years.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    I use concrete blocks as the boarder to my raised bed - 10 years and going.  Not very pretty, but will last longer than I do without needing to be replaced.  
    Utah, USA.
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    I painted mine and lined with black plastic, all ok so far and the lettuce and spring onions did ok.


  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    @Rob Lockwood  We use scaffolding boards at our allotment, covered with heavy duty black plastic. This is not to stop any chemicals leaching from the boards into the soil, but to keep the boards as dry as possible, to delay any rot.


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I use good quality, treated fencing timber, lined as @KeenOnGreen describes. 
    It's fine for everything - no need to worry.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    Here’s a good source of sleeper brackets

    https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/
    Rutland, England
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    edited July 2023
    Thanks all - @muckyhandsmike @Sheps @KeenOnGreen @Fairygirl - how do you attach the plastic and what do you use if not compost bags?
  • muckyhandsmikemuckyhandsmike Posts: 239
    I used a staple gun. I suppose you could use heavy duty garden waste bags if you don’t have compost bags. 
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We bought large sheets of heavy duty plastic. We completed wrapped the boards, and then used a staple gun to attach it firmly. We then used heavy duty brackets to hold the boards together at the corner. 
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487

    Rob Lockwood  6ft x 1ft concrete boards, as illustrated, supported by angle iron have lasted as shown for the past 15 years.  Maybe more expensive but saves all the faff.
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