[Greenbuilding] best lumber for raised vegetable beds

[Kathy Cochran]

I have been researching “raised garden beds” and found that many groups were
purporting CEDAR.  Said that it will last 40 years.  (By then I won’t care!
And it is organic!)  So I have just constructed some 23-1/2” tall cedar beds
)  (2 – 2x12’s) lined with ½” gopher wire (and I have to get down into the
beds and stitch the wire seams together to prevent the gophers from climbing
up between the seams, so they tell me) .  These 2’x4’x8’ beds were going for
about $400 EACH.  Well, I got all the wood, bolts, wire, etc. for about less
than 1/3 that.  Now, of course, I have to get them filled with good organic
compost, which hopefully will come next week, in time to plant my summer
vegetable garden.  I’m also planting asparagus  -  a 15-20 year crop on the
back side.  

 

Does concrete (i.e., concrete blocks) have a chemical reaction with garden
dirt  -  that could affect the true “organic” state of the garden for
vegetables?

 

Happy gardening!

 

Kathy Cochran

San Andreas, California

 

From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Clarke
Olsen
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7:40 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] best lumber for raised vegetable beds

 

I've terraced my hillside garden with 4" (x8" x16") concrete blocks. 
I don't glue/mortar them together, but stack them
as usual with short lengths of wood (1"x1" locust) or rebar through 
the core voids. Less work, durable, flexible, and
definitely re-useable.

Clarke Olsen
373 route 203
Spencertown, NY 12165
USA
518-392-4640
colsen at fairpoint.net




On Apr 12, 2011, at 9:16 PM, Kat wrote:

> I just watched this discussion happen with another group.  Try 
> straw bales or CMU blocks instead?
>
> -Kat
>
> candtcampbell at juno.com wrote:
>> What type of wood, treated or otherwise, would y'all expect to 
>> last longest in ground contact when used to make raised vegetable 
>> garden beds? Or would y'all say recycled plastic lumber is better 
>> for that application?
>>
>> Thanks very much.
>>
>> Tim
>>
>>
>
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