augercreek
Member
I have 21-4x10 garden beds that I've had for 10 years now and the sides are falling apart.I need some ideas on new material for sides that won't cause me to take out a home loan! Any ideas?
Raised garden beds
- Thread starter augercreek
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dave1949
Super Star Member
Do you have any trees in the 6-8 inch diameter range? You could stack them, bore a 1" hole through, and pound in 5/8" rebar to keep them in place. They probably won't last 10 years, but if you have them, the price is right and they are good garden food as they rot.
21 raised beds! What were you thinking? :laughing:
21 raised beds! What were you thinking? :laughing:
joshuabardwell
Elite Member
I don't think there are too many really good answers to this question. On that scale, anything you're going to use is going to add up to some expense. Back when I was considering raised beds, I just threw in the towel and decided to plant in the ground.
jeffinsgf
Veteran Member
How tall are your beds? I've built raised beds from a wide variety of materials and in a wide variety of sizes. My oldest beds were the most ambitious design. They're 18" wide 2 inch thick cedar panels, glued up from lumber cut from trees that were destroyed by an ice storm. There's a 5 x 5 "post" at each corner and the beds are 4' x 4'. They're gorgeous, but they were a ton of work. The effort was monumental but the design used the downed trees efficiently. A few years later a wind storm (some say EF 0 tornado) took out several more cedars. This time I had them cut into 4 x 4's and laid the beds log cabin style. These beds aren't as efficient a use of the lumber, but were much easier to build and will last a long, long time. You could do the same with landscape timbers, which quite often go on a pretty serious sale at the home centers.
The last beds I built, I just took some big cedars that the neighbor knocked down with his dozer, cut them to length with my chain saw and buried them slightly. They're a little over 10" deep and look very attractive in the garden.
If you've got trees, use them. If you have to buy...there's no cheap road.
The last beds I built, I just took some big cedars that the neighbor knocked down with his dozer, cut them to length with my chain saw and buried them slightly. They're a little over 10" deep and look very attractive in the garden.
If you've got trees, use them. If you have to buy...there's no cheap road.
DaveOmak
Platinum Member
At the big box stores, they have PVC fencing that is 2 X 6 lumber size... UV resistant, bug proof.... and should last forever.... 16' lengths are about $1 / foot..... Not bad when you consider it's the last time you will build a raised bed....
Dave
Dave
forgeblast
Elite Member
what about hugelkultur beds? I have used these in my front garden (flower bed and herb garden near the driveway).
I have in my garden pt landscape timbers that i was able to get for 1.97 a piece when they were on sale. The beds are 4'x8', I have seen them made out of concrete block, bricks, field stone, etc. I would really like to do field stone ones but I have a few projects to do before I get to that point.
How to Build Irrigation-Free Raised Beds with Hugelkultur : TreeHugger
Is Hugelkultur Sustainable? : Arcadia Farms
The Art and Science of Making a Hugelkultur Bed - Transforming Woody Debris into a Garden Resource Permaculture Research Institute - Permaculture Forums, Courses, Information & News
I have in my garden pt landscape timbers that i was able to get for 1.97 a piece when they were on sale. The beds are 4'x8', I have seen them made out of concrete block, bricks, field stone, etc. I would really like to do field stone ones but I have a few projects to do before I get to that point.
How to Build Irrigation-Free Raised Beds with Hugelkultur : TreeHugger
Is Hugelkultur Sustainable? : Arcadia Farms
The Art and Science of Making a Hugelkultur Bed - Transforming Woody Debris into a Garden Resource Permaculture Research Institute - Permaculture Forums, Courses, Information & News
Scooby074
Super Member
I just got thru building a new raised garden, 4'x12'x24" high. Made out of PT 2x12. Cost me about $250! I cant imagine building 21 of them.
Last year I built one of the same basic design, cost me around $175. PT wood has gotten crazy expensive. A single 2x12x12 is $39.50
Last year I built one of the same basic design, cost me around $175. PT wood has gotten crazy expensive. A single 2x12x12 is $39.50
fordoutback
Bronze Member
I used the I-beam from a couple old mobile homes to build my beds. the beams were 12 inches high and I cut them at a 45 degree angle on the ends and welded them together. I was able to sell the axles for what I paid for the whole frames so the cost was only my time. I was able to build 3 of them in a day. I have had them for 5 years now and they are still in excellent shape. I just have to be a little careful when I use the Mantis to till them.
DKCDKC
Platinum Member
All kinds of folks will warn you against using pressure treated wood because of leaching chemicals. I built some beds near the house this year out of recycled cinderblock. You can usually find some by talking to contractors, and it's a fraction of the cost of new. I cap them with solid concrete blocks as well. I do line the blocks with heavy plastic so they don't wick out moisture too much. And I put hardware cloth under them to stop moles, voles and other underground varmints. The beauty of blocks is that, as I age over the next few years, I can add additional rows (using rebar to stiffen) so that I can garden in my later years without bending so much.
I have used logs - locust is best, but tough to work with. Two locust logs pinned with rebar work well and lasted me about 15 years.
I have used logs - locust is best, but tough to work with. Two locust logs pinned with rebar work well and lasted me about 15 years.
OP
augercreek
Member
Well guys,there are some very good ideas here,so we'll see what comes down the road.Our beds are 10" deep.We'll be collecting material over the summer so we can start building this fall.
jinman
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I think I've seen some nice looking beds made with corrugated galvanized barn metal set horizontal inside treated or creosote posts. I don't know if it will last 10 years, but it should be easy to fix. You can just pull the dirt away from the side needing repair and lay in another piece of corrugated metal so it is double thick. Of course, if you put purlins between the posts, you could put the corrugated metal panels vertical instead of horizontal and repairs need only replace short vertical sections.
Bdavis
Silver Member
I have been thinking about hugelkultur beds for a while, thanks for the links. Have you actually built any using old trees and logs?
It will probably be next spring before I can do it but I already started the process by cutting some trees and placing them in the woods to start to rot. The concept looks perfect for me I have plenty of flat area, old trees, a couple of good dirt piles, and stump grinding waste piles.
My logs are not the trees of choice (mostly pine and gum) a few oak but what the heck if it does not work it will not cost me much and I will just take my FEL and recycle to a new pile and try again.
Just wondering if any one else had any success with the concept .
Thanks again
cmhyland
Platinum Member
I think I'd use the trex decking...
Regards,
Chris
Regards,
Chris
forgeblast
Elite Member
I tried it on a small scale, bdavis. I used split fire wood and other branches that I had and threw it down in a pile before I piled soil, compost, and then double ground hardwood mulch on top. I find that I wish I had added a bit more soil, but the logs made it so much easier to fill the beds. Now these are at tops 1' high, nothing like using trees etc to make the big ones. But it works on the small scale for me.
shows where I have it.
shows where I have it.
Bdavis
Silver Member
Thanks for the info,
Looks good to me.
I will be starting small scale just a couple of beds 20 feed long. From what I have read about 1 foot should be enough. I have read about using cardboard on top of the wood to increase bacterial growth. So that is my plan, then top it off with my soil and mulch mixture.
Thanks
for the pics - nice to know some one has actually made it work
Looks good to me.
I will be starting small scale just a couple of beds 20 feed long. From what I have read about 1 foot should be enough. I have read about using cardboard on top of the wood to increase bacterial growth. So that is my plan, then top it off with my soil and mulch mixture.
Thanks
for the pics - nice to know some one has actually made it work
jeffinsgf
Veteran Member
I've also done "semi-hugels". I have a couple 16" deep raised beds where I started the fill with rotten logs. They're some of my most productive beds. One started last year has my potatoes in it this year. If I have as much going on below ground as I do above, it's going to be a bumper crop. Those are the prettiest, must lush potato plants I've ever seen.
I have a couple 16" deep raised beds where I started the fill with rotten logs. They're some of my most productive beds. One started last year has my potatoes in it this year. If I have as much going on below ground as I do above, it's going to be a bumper crop. Those are the prettiest, must lush potato plants I've ever seen.jhasafety1
Bronze Member
I bought 5/4x6x10 cedar boards from a local saw mill for $4.00 a board to make additional beds this year. Craglist usally has numerous guys selling cedar.
Creamer
Elite Member
Instead of permanent raised beds why do you not till them with a large tiller and then create the beds with a hiller? If you are only looking for something 10" high you can do it this way and let the tractor do a lot of the work.
Short Game
Veteran Member
I just learned about hugelkultur for the first time last week. I have already started two beds. I have a portable sawmill and this looks like a great thing to do with my slab wood and branches. I have spent some hours studying this online. I have lousy luck growing anything. Let's see if this works.
