[garddwr]

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9276023&fh_reftheme=promo_83953717%2cseeall%2c%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b10082%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b8960090%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9221012%7d&fh_view_size=6&fh_sort_order=1&fh_sort_by=_price_rrp_min&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b10082%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b8960090%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9221012%7d%2fspecificationsProductType%3dconstruction_timber&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=lister&ts=1222617991848&isSearch=false

Is this wood suitable for building raised beds ?
Will the treatment have effect on the veg ?

[woodburner]

My opinion on treated timber and the person who thought it up is unprintable. :silent: :oops:

Why not break up some old pallets? Or just make lazy/no-dig beds? Either method has the added advantages of being free and better for the environment

[garddwr]

no I want neat ones to put on concreate.

I don't know what harm you can get by using this wood

[PinkTequila]

When you say 'on concrete' do you mean the raised beds will have a concrete base?

[agapanthus]

I think woodburner is talking about all the preservatives.
I should think the wood is ok although it seems a bit on the shallow side.....I personally would opt for something about 8inches deep....don't know what that is in metric I'm afraid  :oops:

[DIGGER]

Why not just fork over the area,dutch hoe from all four sides to get a mountain of soil [well a small hill] and rake level.
When all is harvesed rake back down and start again next year.
Time making raised bed 10 mins.

[garddwr]

No I mean they are going to be placed on concreate not a concreate base.

Would you think that whatever the wood has been treated with will affect my veg and my health !

[agapanthus]

No I mean they are going to be placed on concreate not a concreate base.

Would you think that whatever the wood has been treated with will affect my veg and my health !

I've used tanalised wood for years with no apparent problems. There have been lots of discussions regarding this for many years....the same can be said about using pestacides and herbacides.

[garddwr]

I don't know now then because it looks quite cheap and just what I need so anyone else with ideas

[johnhar]

As long as there is no concreate under the beds you should be ok. I would always line the inside surfaces with thick polythene to prevent any leaching of the treatment into the beds.

[Scribbler]

Looks a bit shallow - I'd ask for prices on gravelboard, which is about 6" deep and comes in 3m lengths.

[Knight Family]

Why not break up some old pallets?

How to do it on pallets ? as in picket fence or just keep joining it for the best length?

I prefare cheap or free!!

[woodburner]

no I want neat ones to put on concreate.

I don't know what harm you can get by using this wood

Got you now, you want a pretty deep side because of the concrete underneath, which also stops you from using the usual method of stakes in the ground, so you need decent corner posts at least. Concrete also says it's not for lottie, so appearance is more important too.

I'm not quite sure what this stuff is preserved with, but the original stuff they used for tanalising was very, very, nasty. The newer 'tanalised' stuff is supposed to be safer, possibly even 'safe' but I remember thalidamide and all sorts of other stuff that we've been told is either harmless or actually good and has gone on to do no end of harm.

It quite possibly is safe, but I'd rather use cedar if I could afford it or if not I'd still go for pallets, just being more selective, and use some standard timber for the corners (and midposts if you want longer beds).
I have a couple of compost bins that are just the tops of crate type pallets, and they look pretty darn good! You can always spruce up the outsides with fence stain, being only on the outside there's no way it can affect the veg.

Incidentally a friend of mine is currently growing veg on what was previously a concrete farm yard. The concrete is still there less than 2" below the ground surface. She had loads of compost from years of chicken and allotment keeping and simply heaped it into beds. If you did that on bare concrete I think it would make a mess though.

[woodburner]

Why not break up some old pallets?

How to do it on pallets ? as in picket fence or just keep joining it for the best length?

I prefare cheap or free!!

Before I got a better idea of what garddwr wanted I was just thinking of staking strips in place with whatever thick sticks, bits of timber were easiest to get. Your picket fence idea would be good for a deeper bed though, and in fact gives me an idea of how to make a retaining 'wall' for the lower side of my veg patch.
How to make any particular item from pallets depends on what sort of pallets you can get too.