Advice needed on new raised bed planter please
NewGardenerLottie
Posts: 2
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on a large planter that we are building in our garden. Last year we starter to build a long curved planter along the wall at the start of our back garden, it measures approx. 5m x 0.5 and it gradually curves out to measure 1m wide at the end. The garden slopes down so the planter starts at 0.5m high and ends at 1m high. We are trying to be thrifty as we are renovating our house, so we have embedded fence posts along the length and panelled the sides with pallet wood. We used marine ply to create the curved top piece and we have painted the whole structure with aluminium wood primer. Unfortunately, over the winter, the marine ply has not lasted and it has split and warped, so we need to replace it.
We have lined the structure with a permeable weed membrane fabric. Our plan is to grow herbs and sun-loving vegetables alongside climbing roses and lavender in the bed. After researching raised beds online, I am now concerned about the aluminium primer and outdoor paint that we plan to use leaching into the soil and contaminating the vegetables. Would it work to line the planter with a non-permeable plastic pond-type liner around the sides? how can we stop the wood rotting in the long term? Also, what soil mixture should we use to fill the planter?
All advice gratefully received!
Posts
Welcome to the forum Lottie.
Can you post a photo? Click on the little tree icon and follow the instructions. Take a wee while, but you'll get there. ( it's all due to be overhauled next week, so should be easier )
This is the planter in construction last summer, we have now clad almost all of the outside with pallet wood and painted with aluminium primer.
Hi, my hubbie's a marine engineer so here's his view:
He thinks the marine ply was probably WBP rather than full marine if it didn't last (less laminates in summary). Although he also said any ply will suck in water if some of it touches soil/moisture. And that pallet wood is not built to last as I'm sure you know, and also agrees aluminium primer will leach/not ideal for food, even once 'gone off' (fully dry).
The pond liner around the sides could work to keep the wood away from moisture - although as a gardener myself I've pointed out the beds need to allow for drainage so I guess it can't go on the bottom!
Hubbie also said 'to be honest any wood will wear if in contact with soil' and has suggested the simpler solution would be pressure treated wood. It would last a few years before needing to be replaced. I created some beds out of this last year, it's only 1 year on but they still look great so far. They were also offcuts from our own building project.
I'd personally go for a loam based / free draining compost, as herbs and lavenders like lighter soil. You can always add a bit of peat free veg compost around the veg (from one of the tomato grow bags).
Good luck.