[rogertb]

Hi chaps, rightly or wrongly I have decided to edge my plot with timber. I have bought gravel board, 6" x 1" and split it down the middle (3" x 1") they're 3m long - I thought I'd hammer in a 2" x 2" stake where they meet and screw them to the stake, I figured I'd leave a small gap at the join to allow for expansion but if the screw holes and screws are a good fit that will cause them to bend when they expand anyway.

If I drill 1/4" holes and use smaller screws will that do it or should I stop worrying about it ... does a 3m length of wood expand much ? ... the whole point of the exercise is to make the place look a little tidier (my wife's idea) so if they all start warping in the sun and heat it kind of defeats the object.

Any advice welcome.

Have good weekends.

Roger

[Goosegirl]

Personally, I wouldn't have split it though my raised beds make me a bit biased here. As for the wood expanding, the lengths you mention shouldn't expand enough to cause you any problems nor should any bending, as the soil it is containing should help to keep it straight. I look forward to others' comments though.

[snowdrops]

I would think in a 3m length you will need some stakes in between the end stakes to offer stability

[Headgardener22]

I agree with GG, I wouldn't have thought that a 3 in raised be was necessarily worth it.

However, I would put a stake about every 1m to stop it flexing. Just screw to the stake there's no expansion to speak of.

[jrko]

I must be confused.

Why do you want a 3 inch fence around your plot?

[teamspotty]

As you haven't yet put it down, and I know you have said rightly or wrongly, but consider:-

1) it's a trip hazard! Whats the bet that someone trips over it - probably yourselves - and after the umpteenth time of spending time in casualty/limping, you'll rip it back up.

2) you'll need to keep treating the timber otherwise it'll rot (expense plus the time doing it).

3) time putting it in/down - time for me is precious and I'd rather be doing something more productive.

4) it's an allotment not a garden - it doesn't have to look pretty.

5) what happens if you have to move plot?

6) expense of buying the wood/time sorting any reclaimed timber.

[cadalot]

Recycled treated roof joist for me and it levels up the sloping ground and keeps the path and the soil apart. It may not be a garden but there is no reason it should not be neat.

[jrko]

Aaaah! You mean 'edge my beds" not 'edge my plot'

3 inches is a waste of time imo. You might as well just mound the bed up 

[surbie100]

Have just edged my new quarter plot with gravel boards. The reason being I am bringing in a ton of topsoil to help level the thing.

[pigguns]

Matter of taste I think-  I had to lose a lot of old raised bed edging when I got the plot as they were sluggy hideaways and the woodlice  , has put me off replacing them.

[cadalot]

Aaaah! You mean 'edge my beds" not 'edge my plot'

3 inches is a waste of time imo. You might as well just mound the bed up 

If you look back at the photo I used concrete kerb edging along the boundary path which I carpeted