Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Shieldsy on November 23, 2011, 18:43
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I am still learning the ropes but keen and willing so am after a bit of help/advice.
I have a winter project of making and filling five 3m x 2m raised beds, around 30cms+ deep, ready for spring and full on veg sowing/planting but have a few questions.
Are old 2nd hand scaffold boards up to the job, you know the ones you can find/buy on E-Bay or does anyone have a good link/company I could use/contact? I've tried a couple of local scaffold companies but they are reluctant to sell 2nd hand boards.
What is the life span of scaffold boards used for raised beds?
And finally does anyone know of any good manure/top soil providers in the Reading, Berkshire area or websites that provide good value for money?
Many thanks in advance for any responses
Al
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HI
I bought scaffolding planks from a local company, 2.50 each and 3.9 m long.
I cut them to lengths 2.7m and 1.2m( 8ft x 4ft in old money)this made best use of the boards,also it is easier to reach across as the furthest point from the sides is only 0.6m(2ft).
I painted them with fence preservative to try to make them last a little bit longer,I've been told they will possibly last up to 4 years before they rot.
I used decking screws to join them together,and wooden posts at 3ft intervals to strengthen the sides
Sorry can't help you with the other
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Hi Shieldsy... :)
In answer to your question...IMO, the width (2m) may be too wide for your raised beds, bearing in mind you might be tempted to walk over them to get to the other side, 1.2m wide may be a better size.
2nd hand scaffold boards are the bee's knees for making raised beds and can last for years if treated prior to using them and generally most scaffolding companies are happy to get rid of old boards, however, some can be wary incase the people buying them use the damaged/old boards on their own scaffolding.
Anyway, if you manage to find a company that will sell you some, you should expect to pay £3.50+ for a 13' board, good luck. :) :)
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If you can't source scaffold boards I made mine out of treated gravel boards from Wickes. As others have said the optimum width is 1.2m.
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Agree with other about the size of the beds --- mine are 2.4m by 1.2 m as the decking boards we were given were 2.4m long.
Scaffolding boards are great and gravel boards good too. (Try CATS for gravel boards, too)
Have never managed to source decent top soil in this area.
For the school plots got some from Dandystopsoil, free delivery and excellent stuff. Not cheap but for from the dearest.
Good luck with your project :D
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If you can't source scaffold boards I made mine out of treated gravel boards from Wickes. As others have said the optimum width is 1.2m.
We also used gravel boards for our raised beds. They seem to be fine.
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Its worth asking / keepin gan eye on freecycle for topsoil, people are often wanting rid of it round here when they remove a layer to build garages / patios etc, and are happy to have it taken away for free.
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A good suggestion Robert, but just a warning to inspect the 'top soil' properly if it's come from excavating for foundations. Usually foundations go deep beyond the top soil layer and into the subsoil. This is nutritionless and structurally very difficult to cultivate. You don't want to end up being the mug who takes away a lot of soil, most of which is unusable :ohmy:
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Very true!
I was lucky I found someone who not only had some lovely quality soil to get rid of, he was also a bit of an archaeology buff and after having found a bit of Roman pottery in his garden, he had sieved all the soil he was getting rid of in case he found any gold coins :D
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Very true!
I was lucky I found someone who not only had some lovely quality soil to get rid of, he was also a bit of an archaeology buff and after having found a bit of Roman pottery in his garden, he had sieved all the soil he was getting rid of in case he found any gold coins :D
That was a stroke of luck :D
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What kind of preservative do you use on scaffold/gravel boards? I've been wondering about this because I'm just about to build some raised beds in my new polytunnel, and I always worry about toxic residues and stuff.
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I have none on mine at all
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I put none on mine and they've started to rot quite badly after 3 years :( so I will deffo use a preservative on any replacement boards.
Some sites are recommending this one
http://www.recycleworks.co.uk/croma-non-toxic-wood-preservative-pr-16149.html
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Thanks all for your responses so far.......will reduce to a 1.2 width and will try again with some different local scaffold companies and if not will take the plunge on E-Bay
I have a load of old compost bags that I kept so was planning on stapling these on the inside of the boards to reduce the moisture into the boards and hopefully give them a longer lifespan......has anyone else done this and is that fine?
Al
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My gravel boards were pre treated and the scary toxic stuff people panic about in the chemical was outlawed a long time ago so no longer relevant.
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Thanks all for your responses so far.......will reduce to a 1.2 width and will try again with some different local scaffold companies and if not will take the plunge on E-Bay
I have a load of old compost bags that I kept so was planning on stapling these on the inside of the boards to reduce the moisture into the boards and hopefully give them a longer lifespan......has anyone else done this and is that fine?
Al
My hunch is that you will accelerate any rotting down by doing this. The plastic will trap moisture behind it and next to the board; the plastic will then prevent the moisture from evaporating and so affecting the board.
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Hunch correct :D
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Thanks all for your responses so far.......will reduce to a 1.2 width and will try again with some different local scaffold companies and if not will take the plunge on E-Bay
I have a load of old compost bags that I kept so was planning on stapling these on the inside of the boards to reduce the moisture into the boards and hopefully give them a longer lifespan......has anyone else done this and is that fine?
Al
My hunch is that you will accelerate any rotting down by doing this. The plastic will trap moisture behind it and next to the board; the plastic will then prevent the moisture from evaporating and so affecting the board.
I'm a little bit hesitant about disagreeing with two moderators with a combined post count of 24074 ( and rising) but here goes!!!
Shieldsy was thinking of putting some old plastic bags on the inside of the boards on his raised beds to stop them rotting.
I did a similar thing. I bought a roll of 11" dpc from a DIY store. Its the sort you use for a damp proof course between courses of brickwork in a house. As I recall it wasnt expensive.
I used that on the inside of the boards. I fastened it securely to the boards using galvanised nails every 6" or so. I made it continuous round the corners of the boards so the water didnt leak at the corners, because thats where any rotting will probably occur first.
So far the boards have remained dry and rot free.
There is an added bonus of lining the inside edge. The soil doesnt seem to dry out as fast, so less watering in dry weather and I guess you can also plant closer to the edge if you are short of growing space (like I am).
If I was going to line the timber, I dont recommend using old compost bags or the like. I dont think they would be durable enough. Show it a fork or trowel and it would probably tear straight away. If you are going to line them, a roll of dpc would be a good investment.
Hope this helps.