# Raised beds



## firedog4$ (Aug 24, 2004)

I have to replace some wood on the outside walls of my garden. They seem to rot out quicker than I want. Any ideas on this would be helpful. My garden is 8 X 24. I get a lot of my vegies from this little plot. Thanks, FD


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Hey firedog, is the garden in a location where appearance is important, or can you get by with function alone?

In the W.R. Ranch greenhouse thread (toward the later part of the thread) he has some pictures of using landscaping block to define, and raise beds. It looks great in those pictures.


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## bevo83 (Feb 26, 2010)

Depends on how high your beds are, and what you can handle looking at, my dad uses cinder blocks stacked 2 high. I use cedar post around my garden, not exactly raised bed, but brought it up around 5-8 inches.


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## MichaelW (Jun 16, 2010)

I build my raised beds out of landscape timbers and line the inside with 6 mil plastic to keep the moisture away. I just rebuilt a couple of beds that lasted about 18 years. Don't line the bottom, just the sides so that water can drain through.


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## T_rout (Jul 25, 2013)

Put 18"-24" of bull rock at the bottom, on top of that put soil separator and fill the top with compost soil or whatever you use as planting soil. This will help unwanted moisture drain and keep the wood from rotting.


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

All my raised beds are overcome with weeds after awhile. I used some black mesh that was supposed to help this problem, but after a year or so, here the weeds comes again like before and the mesh sorta discentagraded.
I want to redo them completely with a miniature bottle brush on each end, and Mexican heather in the middle. The two beds will only be approx 12' long and 24" deep. I will use two layers of landscape timbers.
What do yall suggest to use to keep the weeds out?
See my bad drawing below!


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## T_rout (Jul 25, 2013)

baytownboy said:


> All my raised beds are overcome with weeds after awhile. I used some black mesh that was supposed to help this problem, but after a year or so, here the weeds comes again like before and the mesh sorta discentagraded.
> I want to redo them completely with a miniature bottle brush on each end, and Mexican heather in the middle. The two beds will only be approx 12' long and 24" deep. I will use two layers of landscape timbers.
> What do yall suggest to use to keep the weeds out?
> See my bad drawing below!


Spray roundup 6-8 weeks before plating. Also, make sure you use quality soil. If you bring in poor soil it may be full of weed seeds.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

I would use Roundup to kill weeds in a flower bed.....but when it comes to a veggie bed for foods I would not touch Roundup at all even though the label says something like 8 days life cycle. You never know what would be absorbed by food plant and eventually ends up in your digestive system.

I'll use good soil and pull weeds by hands. It is easy to pull weeds when the bed is made out of soft compost soil.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

mas360 said:


> I would use Roundup to kill weeds in a flower bed.....but when it comes to a veggie bed for foods I would not touch Roundup at all even though the label says something like 8 days life cycle. You never know what would be absorbed by food plant and eventually ends up in your digestive system.
> 
> I'll use good soil and pull weeds by hands. It is easy to pull weeds when the bed is made out of soft compost soil.


This is exactly right

I would not use treated wood or landscape timbers...the chemicals leach into the soil and are absorbed in the plants

I used cedar wood....but the bricks are good too

No one says you have to use anything....go a-natural ....and no borders


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Horsecrap... You should be more concerned about contracting anthrax, which occurs naturally in the soil... or consuming arsenic, which is used in making ornamental bricks.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Great write up with good alternatives that I had not thought of

http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=989


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I'm thinking about using 1x6 cedar fence pickets. Doubled up, screwed together, and held up by cedar fence posts, cut short.


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## donaken (Nov 25, 2010)

*R/R ties...*

Have bought used rail road ties from MCoys for yrs for my raised beds...lasts for years, aesthetically pleasing.....I use a heavy poly liner for the sides...as for the weeds, maybe a pre-emergence...


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## captMike (Jan 30, 2006)

*raised beds*

Mccoys has what is called ranch lumber, rough cut 1 x 6 full cut treated, would work great for this.


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## firedog4$ (Aug 24, 2004)

I have figured out what I am going to use to border my garden. I plan on using that black edging material for sidewalk border. I double it up and it gives me about 18 inches of wall to retain my garden soil. Screwed in place by treated 2 X 4's . Pic's will be on here after the polar vortex. Thanks for all the different ideas.


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