Raised Garden Beds

[robertm]

My back may be killing me from hustling wet treated 2x8’s and bending over and squatting to build these puppies, but I can’t imagine what I’d feel like shoveling and moving all the dirt to fill them by hand. The BX may be small, but it is a lifesaver.

I still have a bunch of regrading and backfilling, but now comes the easy part.

 

[Peter 315]

They look very nice but I don't think pt wood is a safe choice.....:2cents:

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Very nice job! Looks like a professional nursery bed!

 

[BukitCase]

they do look good; Peter, I'm not seeing anything that vaguely resembles PT wood in my area; here, all PT stuff looks like a cowboy skated across it with spurs on. Confused (as usual :=) ... Steve

 

[KennyG]

They look very nice but I don't think pt wood is a safe choice.....:2cents:

ACQ treated lumber (the non-arsenic version, the only type you can generally buy now) is considered safe for gardens. None of the chemicals used in ACQ lumber is considered hazardous by the EPA. It's been extensively tested and the chemicals have almost no migration into the soil.

 

[3Ts]

they do look good; Peter, I'm not seeing anything that vaguely resembles PT wood in my area; here, all PT stuff looks like a cowboy skated across it with spurs on. Confused (as usual :=) ... Steve

The spurs description is very appropriate. It also seems to be a west coast thing. PT wood in the rest of the country does not have those marks and is typically greenish or yellowish in color. I've seen some dark reds in California with the spur marks.

 

[robertm]

Relax.
I went through this with my mom 16 years ago when building my kids play yard with treated lumber when creosote was just being knocked out by AC2. Then, I found a kid would need to ingest a 4x4 over 4 feet long to have issues, and by then, passing splinters was a bigger issue. Frankly, I moved the play yard to my sister in-laws last month. The old arsenic treated lumber was no better than the AC2 treated where it came in contact with the ground.
These beds are lined with 6mil plastic, although multiple articles show radishes, which are highly susceptible to drawing chemicals from soil, barely even indicating drawing copper and related chemicals in AC2 treating.
Thanks for the compliments. It was work, but fun. I can’t wait until next spring to stain them. My moisture meter pegged 38%, so that’s gonna take a while to dry out.

 

[kthompson]

They do look very good. I use to use raised beds for garden due to how wet the land could be and really like that.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think there are a thousand things that will kill you before using PT for raised beds.

Built mine from salvaged, condemned playground systems. Shame, I can't grow anything to save my life.

 

[Diggin It]

These beds are lined with 6mil plastic,

So, what are you doing for drainage?

 

[RalphVa]

They look very nice but I don't think pt wood is a safe choice.....:2cents:

Supposed to be safe now. Not like the old stuff.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

Good luck. I've not had as good luck with my raised beds. Very difficult to keep moist.

Bought soil to put in them, and it tests out perfect, but I absolutely cannot grow okra in them.

Would have been better to have brought up soil from the big garden down below where everything grew well. Would have to contend with gobs of weeds then.

Have actually converted 4 out of the 6 raised beds to asparagus.

Ralph

 

[TnAndy]

Unfortunately, the AQC treated stuff doesn't have NEAR the lifespan of CCA treated lumber. I used it on my deck and had considerable rot set inside a few years. You can still find CCA lumber for agriculture uses, and that is what I went back with on my repairs.

Point where an AQC 6x6 post rotted off....well above ground:

We LOVE raised beds at waist high level for ease of working, but I went with cinder block for a more permanent solution.

 

[Thomas]

Very nice job building :thumbsup: easier on the back knees when come to weeding.

 

[CADplans]

Good luck. I've not had as good luck with my raised beds. Very difficult to keep moist.

Bought soil to put in them, and it tests out perfect, but I absolutely cannot grow okra in them.

Ralph, you are close enough to me, that you may be having the same issue as me,,

After YEARS of poor gardens,, I passed on the soil test recommendations,, and I added SULFUR!!
I feel 2020 is the best garden I have had in 10 years,,

The sulfur was added in January,, but, it probably did not do anything until May 1st,,
from what I read, it needs to be warm,,

I can not totally explain it, but, the sulfur was the only real change to my gardening,, and we have a GREAT garden this year,,,

 

[KennyG]

Ralph, you are close enough to me, that you may be having the same issue as me,,

After YEARS of poor gardens,, I passed on the soil test recommendations,, and I added SULFUR!!
I feel 2020 is the best garden I have had in 10 years,,

The sulfur was added in January,, but, it probably did not do anything until May 1st,,
from what I read, it needs to be warm,,

I can not totally explain it, but, the sulfur was the only real change to my gardening,, and we have a GREAT garden this year,,,

Clearly the explanation is that your soil was too alkaline and the sulfur lowered the pH.

 

[CADplans]

Clearly the explanation is that your soil was too alkaline and the sulfur lowered the pH.

We have never had a soil test done that did not recommend lime,, acid rain and all that,,

lower energy use may have reduced the coal burning,, which, I believe causes acid rain,,

I have my beliefs as to what the sulfur does,, but, that is not open to debate,,

 

[BukitCase]

My theory - (not really :=) The plants get one whiff of that sulfer and think Satan's comin' after 'em, so they jump right outa the ground ... Steve

 

[3Ts]

We have never had a soil test done that did not recommend lime,, acid rain and all that,,

lower energy use may have reduced the coal burning,, which, I believe causes acid rain,,

I have my beliefs as to what the sulfur does,, but, that is not open to debate,,

As for acid rain, the rain falling thru the air will dissolve some CO2 (Carbonic acid) and become slightly acidic. The acid rain helps break down the rocks and turn them into dirt (over a very long time period). This part has been going on for millions of years without our help, think of all the rock formations in the caves. The manufacturing processes that add to that (CO2 and sulfur and ... ) increases the acids and the rain becomes more acidic and has other adverse effects. Organic materials (mulch, etc) will help buffer the ph level and make nutrients more available.

 

[robertm]

So, what are you doing for drainage?

The sides are lined. The bottoms are not lined.