Help in making a raised bed

[gezzelin]

My garden is very clay soil and with the weather its more like a swamp. I've planted a willow tree and some shrubs in the hope of drying it out abit. I would like to grow some vege,well mainly salad. I've been thinking of making a raised bed, I've got a compost bin and then top it up with multi-purpose compost. Also, it will be easier to keep the dog off as well, she tends to use the garden as a race track.
Any suggestions of what sort of wood to use or avoid and where I can get it from cheap ( the joy of being on benefit).

[Armstrongs]

Hiya Gezzelin

If your garden is a bit on the damp side.......think I'd be more tempted to put a "wanted" on Freecycle for some paving slabs

Failing that, re-claimed railway sleepers make pretty good frames....and you can build them in layers - until they are "dog proof"

Next, would be 3/4" marine ply, which can be cut to shape / size....but you would still need to line the bits underground, or it would be rotted in no time

Yvonne x

[nykmedia]

Gezzelin, I've built raised beds from all sorts of bits of old furniture (available locally via free ads if you have access to transport for collecting). My latest one was from a chest of drawers - remove the back board and the drawers and you have a readymade raised bed. Same with shelf units, wardrobes etc. Failing that, practically any old wood will do. You can even make one from large empty milk cartons or plastic containers filled with water. Sit them edge to edge, tape strips of carrier bag overloapping along inside edge to prevent soil coming through and forcing the bottles apart, and tie some string or rope around the entire lot to help stop them from tipping or moving.

Tubs, buckets and bins are also brilliant things for growing potatoes, veggies, herbs, fruit. The black buckets that supermarkets have cut flowers in are large enough to plant a potato in each or a few leeks, carrots, radishes, onions... you can plant veggies in almost anything as long as it has drainage holes and don't dry up, get drowned or get frosted. Old tyres stacked up make good potato planters but are a bit heavy. Hanging baskets are ideal for strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, salad leaves... the choices you have are too many for me to list here

Woodchips are handy for covering over scruffy bits, if you know any tree fellers, forestry workers or wood yards. Or, it's about £5 a bag in garden centres.

Reserve the slabs for paths and patios (where you can sit more tubs), growing your own food is far better and can save a fortune over the summer months. and into winter if you have a freezer.

My latest 'extravagant' purchase was a 99p paddling pool to line the little duck pond.

[Idealproductsales]

I used to build raised beds- completely without the help of any materials beyond some black gardening plastic - just a bit more work- but it results in great soil and drainage - just use your hoe or rake to dig up soil to top of pile, base of pile being about 18 inches wide, and 18 inches between rows, makes a nice large pile , then simply flatten out the top to about 6-8 inches wide , tamp everything down a bit, water lightly and let dry, then you can place black plastic over the whole thing to help with water control and weeds, cut slits in plastic at middle of each row and plant seeds there, poke some holes in plastic at bottom base of the mounds to let in water (and have the very bottom sloped so water will drain off relatively quickly, hopefully)

nice thing about doing it that way is, at end of growing season, just lift the plastic , save (if it is worth saving) or shred it for next season's mulch then you can mix up and till the whole garden's soil with whatever compost and leftover vines, stems, etc, pack it down good, in the spring simply till it up again, and repeat the process... much less digging to do than when you put raised beds in "container" lumber..

[meebo1]

I must still be tired because I did not think this was about gardening

[alm1995]

I agree with all nykmedia has said, good advice there. I have built my raised beds from old furniture/wood from my garage but following the principals of Mel Bartholomew in Sguare Foot Gardening I have had amazing results even though my garden gets very little sun. Hopefully this summer will be a good one so expecting even better, can't wait!

[gezzelin]

Thanks for the replies, you have given me something to think about. Theres already an old tyre down the garden which Juno (dog) use to play with.

[tjsprinting]

Raised beds, I thought a brilliant idea, but how high do they need to be before the local bunnies stop getting up on them, the wire mesh look awful!!

[mrsandman]

Beautiful Dog xx

[damian_steele]

Failing that, re-claimed railway sleepers make pretty good frames....and you can build them in layers - until they are "dog proof"

But you MUST avoid the ones that are coated in black. It is usually a bitumen based product designed to protect the wood. It is a nasty chemical based goo which will leach out of the wood and into the food. It'll also get on you and your clothing if you come into contact with it.