[Greenbuilding] best lumber for raised vegetable beds

[Tim Vireo Keating]

The problem with cedar that will actually last 40 
years in ground contact is that it is likely from 
old-growth. Young cedar doesn't last nearly as 
long as the old-growth "clear" stuff. Which is 
why Weyerhaeuser bought MacMillan Bloedel, then 
Canada's largest forest-products company, to get 
access to the last stands of big old-growth 
Western red cedar left in the world. Now they are 
the top cedar provider. But it will soon be gone, 
since the second-growth stuff didn't work for 
them (because it didn't work for the user).

RPL is often the way to go when looking for 
durability in exterior applications.

Sure, the cedar will eventually become part of 
Mother Earth, but is that really what we're 
looking for? How about, when the project is done, 
taking the material up and recycling it? No 
impact on forests at all.

tim keating

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>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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