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Posted: 4/29/2016 4:31:54 PM EDT

My wife would like me to build a couple of boxes for a raised vegetable garden and I've never built them before.

What type of wood is preferred?
Can treated lumber be used, or will it leach chemicals into the soil & plants?

I'm planning on making 2 boxes for now, both 4' x 8', using 2" x 10" board, stacked two high, for a height of about 18 1/2"

Any advise is appreciated.

Thanks

Posted: 4/29/2016 5:01:24 PM EDT

[#1]

I would not use treated lumber. Chemicals could leach into the soil. Try ceder or redwood. And 18 1/2 inches is high unless your planting potatoes or carrots. Good luck op.

Posted: 4/29/2016 5:31:32 PM EDT

[#2]

I used pine boards that had previously been basement shelving - got it for free. I threw some lacquer on it. There's been some warping but it has held up well and I expect to get several more years out of it.

Posted: 4/29/2016 5:44:35 PM EDT

[#3]

No treated lumber, get some 2x6's and wrap them in 3 or 4 mil black plastic, that will stop water from rotting them and will last for at least six or seven years.

Posted: 4/29/2016 5:55:48 PM EDT

[#4]

I just drop trees that need to be dropped, use whole logs that are straight and the right size

. Works great for berry beds and herb beds.

Have you thought about concrete blocks?

Posted: 4/29/2016 6:21:51 PM EDT

[#5]

might want to consider one of the composite lumber materials, like trex, etc. made from recycled plastics & wood fibers...

Nick

Posted: 4/29/2016 7:13:51 PM EDT

[#6]

I just used regular pine boards, 2 rows of 2x8's high, they're finally starting to get weak and rotted after over 7 years of use. I'd expect that had I painted them, or used Thompson's they'd last 20+ years.

Posted: 4/29/2016 7:36:01 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
I would not use treated lumber. Chemicals could leach into the soil. Try ceder or redwood. And 18 1/2 inches is high unless your planting potatoes or carrots. Good luck op.

View Quote

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Cedar is hard to find locally & pricey and Redwood is nonexistent.

ETA: yeah, she wants to plant some carrots & with some arthritis, I figured higher up would be easier for her (my wife) to tend.

Posted: 4/29/2016 7:43:21 PM EDT

[#8]

Thanks guys.

I'm leaning toward using Doug Fir now.

What would be a good sealant/protector?

Posted: 4/29/2016 10:55:49 PM EDT

[#9]

I used decking boards. Haven't grown an extra arm yet.

Posted: 4/30/2016 10:21:26 AM EDT

[#10]

I picked up a bunch of un treated cull 2x12s from the local McCoys cheap and at 4 years they are holding up fine.
I have found that recycling old tracks off construction equipment works great.
Also raised beds can use more water and heat up and cool down faster so plan for that.
I use these for my jerusalem artichokes. Yes the wife sent me out to get some in the dead of winter.

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Posted: 4/30/2016 10:24:20 AM EDT

[#11]

Guess I'm the odd man out.

No way I'd use anything BUT treated lumber. You'll be tearing them out in a couple of years.

There's not enough leachable copper arsenate to be concerned about.

Posted: 4/30/2016 10:36:48 AM EDT

[#12]

I've been looking at building something like these,

http://blueberryhillcrafting.com/2013/04/24/how-to-galvanized-garden-beds/

Seems you'll get the long term gain of PT lumber and the tin lines the beds.

The only other concern is long term life of today's cheap galvanized tin panels.

Posted: 4/30/2016 10:37:32 AM EDT

[#13]

What is wrong with cedar? I have had one up for 5 years and it looks fine.

Posted: 4/30/2016 3:54:38 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
What is wrong with cedar? I have had one up for 5 years and it looks fine.

View Quote

Price.

Posted: 4/30/2016 3:55:27 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Guess I'm the odd man out.

No way I'd use anything BUT treated lumber. You'll be tearing them out in a couple of years.

There's not enough leachable copper arsenate to be concerned about.

View Quote

That's what I used for a couple black berry and raspberry bushes.

Posted: 4/30/2016 4:36:31 PM EDT

[#16]

I used untreated lumber, and put several coats of linseed oil on all surfaces before assembling, five years later they look great. In fact I will be building a shop in their location this summer and will empty the dirt and relocate them.

Posted: 4/30/2016 9:00:54 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've been looking at building something like these,

http://blueberryhillcrafting.com/2013/04/24/how-to-galvanized-garden-beds/

Seems you'll get the long term gain of PT lumber and the tin lines the beds.

The only other concern is long term life of today's cheap galvanized tin panels.

View Quote

I like that and wanted to build that to begin with but thought it might be expensive. That would require a lot of dirt.

I made the cheapest bed I could to start with. Just some 2x10s untreated. I think I might get 4-5 years out of them. They don't look the best but I'm the only one who sees them. I will replace them with the galvanized bed after.

Posted: 4/30/2016 10:40:37 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Guess I'm the odd man out.

No way I'd use anything BUT treated lumber. You'll be tearing them out in a couple of years.

There's not enough leachable copper arsenate to be concerned about.

View Quote

I am with you. Today's pt is safe, Do research on todays pt lumber and you see it is okay to use.

Posted: 5/1/2016 12:05:55 AM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

Price.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
What is wrong with cedar? I have had one up for 5 years and it looks fine.

Price.

Seems to be worth it. I have 2 4x8 planters that look great. One is 5 years old and the other is 3

Posted: 5/1/2016 12:13:54 AM EDT

[#20]

I quit using raised beds. Now I'm using plastic barrels.

Posted: 5/1/2016 2:11:28 AM EDT

[#21]

Second the concrete block idea. Untreated wood is OK, but plan on replacing everything in 3 or 4 years. If you live where three are termites, they'll destroy the wood before rot gets it.

Posted: 5/1/2016 8:12:29 AM EDT

[#22]

Pressure treated Wood:
There are studies out there showing that the treated lumber does not leach enough of anything into the soil to be a problem,
especially if you are not planting anything right up against the wood.

Also be aware, pressure treated wood today is not the same as it used to be.
The EPA got rid of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber back in 2004 for home use.
This is the "bad stuff" because it has arsenic in it.

Treated wood at your local box store is now amine copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA), there should be little labels on the boards, check them.
Either of these should be OK to use for raised bed gardens.

Cinder Blocks:
My sister in law uses these and they seem to work pretty well.

Plastic Barrels:
My wife has gone the plastic barrel route, she likes stack them in our greenhouse when she is not using them,
and they are easy to move and set up in different areas each year till she finds a spot she really likes.

Recycled material:
The box stores are also selling kits made from recycled materials which will not rot and are easy to put together.
Example

Lots of options out there.

Posted: 5/2/2016 2:52:33 PM EDT

[#23]

Add me to the PT camp. I built a bed with PT near Atlanta in 2007 and it still looked/worked good when I moved last summer. Over the winter I built three 5'x10'beds here in Florida.

Posted: 5/2/2016 2:57:45 PM EDT

[#24]

I used 6x6 green treated double stacked. No problems for 6 yrs now. Used RR ties first time around, creasote killed everything 18" around border. SUCKED ASS

Posted: 5/2/2016 8:20:28 PM EDT

[#25]

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_19/674645_ORMilitia_s_Suburban_Garden__pic_heavy_.html

I'm in the process of making some simular to these.

Posted: 5/3/2016 10:09:01 AM EDT

[#26]

I built some with untreated lumber 6 years ago. They probably have 1 year left from rot. My new ones are made from 3/16" plate steel so they should last a little while.

Grove

Posted: 5/3/2016 10:36:29 AM EDT

[#27]

we use untreated 1x6 fence pickets. Cheap, easily replaceable and cheap

Posted: 5/3/2016 6:49:16 PM EDT

[#28]

I'm amazed you guys are only getting that few years out of your non-treated raised beds.

We're going on 7 years in the first bed and no signs of any issues with rot yet, and snow will sit on them in winter too. Then again, some of the past winters in CA have been rather dry too. Maybe we'll get an extra 2-4 years because of that and equal someplace like the south with the moisture you have there.

Either way, we were happy if we got 5 due to price vs. red wood, etc... so we'll just be using plain wood next time too maybe some corrugated roofing if we can get some cheap.

Posted: 5/3/2016 6:58:32 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:

I'm amazed you guys are only getting that few years out of your non-treated raised beds.

We're going on 7 years in the first bed and no signs of any issues with rot yet, and snow will sit on them in winter too. Then again, some of the past winters in CA have been rather dry too. Maybe we'll get an extra 2-4 years because of that and equal someplace like the south with the moisture you have there.

Either way, we were happy if we got 5 due to price vs. red wood, etc... so we'll just be using plain wood next time too maybe some corrugated roofing if we can get some cheap.

View Quote

Some places have insects that will destroy them. Like where I live in the termite belt.

Posted: 5/3/2016 9:02:36 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:

Some places have insects that will destroy them. Like where I live in the termite belt.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I'm amazed you guys are only getting that few years out of your non-treated raised beds.

We're going on 7 years in the first bed and no signs of any issues with rot yet, and snow will sit on them in winter too. Then again, some of the past winters in CA have been rather dry too. Maybe we'll get an extra 2-4 years because of that and equal someplace like the south with the moisture you have there.

Either way, we were happy if we got 5 due to price vs. red wood, etc... so we'll just be using plain wood next time too maybe some corrugated roofing if we can get some cheap.

Some places have insects that will destroy them. Like where I live in the termite belt.

The last raised bed I built with 4 layers of landscaping timbers. Lasted one year.

Posted: 5/4/2016 11:57:00 AM EDT

[#31]

Find a guy that has a portable saw mill and buy some "rough cut" boards . You can get them cut in most any size and the best part is , if you ask for a 2x8 it will be 2" thick x 8" wide unlike a board purchased at HD. I paid something like .50 a foot . Check craigslist "rough cut boards" or something similar. I will try to get you a picture of my beds soon.