When installing a elicit bed , there ’s a few things that need take . Not only do you need to see thewidth , altitude , soil and layout , you ’ll also need to cerebrate about the building materials .
There ’s a range of unlike materials you may apply to make a raise bottom , each with their own pros and bunko game . While some are selected for their tone or ease of facility , others have certain quality which help improve the develop conditions of the raised bed .
Not sure where to startle ? We ’ve put together our top 10 garden bed material .
1. Untreated Lumber
Arguably the most traditional elevate bottom fabric , untreated wood is long lasting and suits any style of garden . This style of wood boastsnatural rot resistance , although many gardeners select to treat it with a non - toxic preservative in Holy Order to extend its lifespan .
Untreated Douglas firis one of the more democratic choice . This wood can last up to 15 eld before require interchange , and it ’s also very low-cost . Unlike some other material , it ’s gentle to put together and work with .
It ’s important that the wood is leftuntreated . Whilepressure - treatedwood has been used in the past for raised beds , the coating used to treat itcontains harmful chemicalswhich can strip into the stain and damage your plants .
Wood handle withchromated copper arsenate ( CCA)is not recommend for rear beds . This handling can strip into the soil , contaminate both plants and people . In 2003 , the sales agreement of this wood for residential use was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency .
New insistence treated Ellen Price Wood does n’t contain CCA , and has instead been treated with alkaline copper quartet ( ACQ ) . While this treatment does n’t turn back arsenic , it ’s recommended that you do n’t use this wood in araised bed vegetable garden .
2. Cedar
Cedar wood is another top choice for raised beds . This Sir Henry Joseph Wood is easy to work and naturallyrot resistant . With the right care , cedar tree can last up to 20 years .
Cedar is normally imagine of as a unattackable wood than untreated pine . If it ’s durability you value , this is the best option . It ’s resistant to sorry atmospheric condition , and can be used all round the garden . true cedar is often used to make garden article of furniture and decking , as well as raise bed .
Another vantage of this type of wood is itsbeauty . This fabric lends itself brilliantly to most gardens , complement almost any flower display . Cedar is alsobiodegradable , and will easy break down into the earth after use .
No textile is arrant , and cedar has a duet of downside . The first is thatuntreated cedar will fadeafter long - term photo to sunshine . Many people apply a culture to prevent this from fall out .
Another headache is that cedar tree can keep back moisture , and may not last as long in very wet clime . If the UK has a particularly sozzled winter ( as it often does ! ) , cedar tree beds will be more susceptible to deterioration . Treating the woodwith a non - toxic stabiliser can help to elongate its lifespan .
3. Recycled Plastic
indestructible and easy to work with , recycled plastic is another good option for raise seam . This stuff is repellent to cracking and chipping , even when exposed to extreme weather .
Unlike do by products , recycled plastic isstableandwon’t leach toxic chemicals , or in fact any chemical substance , into the dirt . This makes it a great pick if you ’re growingedible green groceries .
Plastic is alsoeasy to maintain . After a long wintertime being baste by the elements , formative garden bed can be wiped white using either a sponge or power washer .
Another benefit is that plastic is available in arangeofcolours . They can be buy in a darker finish or light colour to suit your garden .
Although durable , it ’s deserving noting that recycle charge plate doeslack the analog strengthof wood . If replete with too much soil or place on a slight slope , plastic panel can bow outwards and eventually weaken . A good solution is to buy plastic with an aluminium bar through the middle .
Recycled credit card panels can also becostly . While long-lived , lightweight and easy to forge with , expert timbre charge plate raise bed can be more expensive to put together than wooden beds .
4. Galvanised Steel
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With its sleek design and telling durability , there ’s a number of benefits ofgalvanised brand . Unlike wooden beds , metal invoke bedswon’t rotorwarpeven after prolonged pic to bad weather .
The only affair you require to concern about when it come to metallic element bed isrust , and this is why galvanize steel is a dear choice . galvanize steel has beencoated with a layer of zincwhich makes itrust repellent . Provided your grunge is n’t very acidic , galvanised blade raised beds can last forup to 30 years .
Another advantage is that startle sword can keep thesoil warmerat the outer edges . On sunny days , you should find your evoke bed get ardent . If there ’s a gay start to the planting season , you may be able-bodied to start imbed originally .
5. Wood Composite
Made from ablend of wood fibre and recycle polypropylene , wood composite strikes the right Libra of ease of utilisation and aesthetics . woodwind composite offers the attractive appearing of Sir Henry Joseph Wood , pair with theeasymaintenanceof plastic .
Composite wooden beds can ordinarily be put together very easily , plainly stacked up to your preferent peak . If you are move house , composite wooden board can be taken with you and put back together in your newfangled garden .
Another welfare of composite Ellen Price Wood is that it ’s bothweatherandrot - immune . It ’s also gentle to clean , and can be sponged off at the first of the planting season .
There ’s not many downside to woods composite . While it normally has aprotective ultraviolet illumination coating , this can weaken over time and lead to the colour fading . As composite boards are very lightweight , overfill them or installing them on even a aristocratical gradient can make the panels to bow outwards .
6. Natural Stone
provoke a quaint , cottage - style garden feel , stone is a marvellous alternative for raised beds . lifelike , beautiful and sustainable , what ’s not to like ?
esthetic aside , stone is one of the mostdurable materialsfor lift garden beds . Unlike wood , stone evoke beds will never rot nor be destroyed by speck . Even ecumenical wear and tear is unlikely , and any that does occur will enhance the look .
Stone is alsoeco - friendly . Even produce undifferentiated stone block consumes less water and energy than other building material . Stone wo n’t emit chemicals and it does n’t need any treatment , so it ’s a neat choice if you’regrowing edible produce .
Perhaps the biggest reward of stone is its versatility . Stone can put forward a country bungalow , farmhouse or even an ultra - advanced spirit . It occur in a stove of different sizes , colours and textures .
There ’s a duet of downsides . The first is that it can be expensive . While it is a natural material , buying large quantities of stone can still cost a lot of money . Stone can also be punishing , so put together a raise bed made from this material will require a heap of labor . If you are moving firm , you may struggle to take a stone kindle bed with you ! For this reason , you ’ll need to think cautiously about the sizing , shape and location of your kick upstairs beds .
7. Concrete or Cement Blocks
Concrete can be used to make an attractive and present-day produce bed . Smaller block are light to put , allow you to change the layout of your raised bed whenever you like .
Concrete block are exceptionally long-wearing . They can lastup to 100 yearsbefore they start to devolve . Compare this to wood , which may last for just 10 yr . If you ’re after time value for money , concrete stop are up there with the best .
If ramp up aright , concrete block raise bed can be very stout . They wo n’t bend or warp , even when place on scratchy ground .
Concrete retains warmth very well , which does mean that during a heatwave you may need towater more frequently .
An vantage which is unparalleled to concrete pulley-block is that they can also give you more planting space . The hole inside each blocking can be filled with ground and used to produce individual plant .
It ’s worth note thatconcrete blocks are heavy . matter around 15 kg each , you may need an extra pair of hands to build a conjure up bottom made from concrete block .
8. Upcycled Materials
Eco - conscious nurseryman should reckon using upcycled materials for their raised beds . Chests of draftsman , wooden ledge or even an unwanted barbecue can be used to make a charming and eco - favorable layer .
In fact , raise bed garden can be made from almost anything , provided the material does n’t contain toxic chemical substance .
If you want to usepressure - treated wood furniturefor your raised beds , you should n’t grow anything edible . It ’s best practice to also use a thick liner to ensure the Sir Henry Joseph Wood does n’t touch the soil .
Natalie Wood palletsare another good option . These can be picked up very stingily and used to make simple beds . However , you should avoid second hand defile pallet , as well as old pallets with a MB ( methyl bromide ) stamp . These canleach chemicalsinto the surrounding soil and industrial plant . If the plants are consumed , they can strike human wellness .
9. Cinder Blocks
Affordable , attractive and farseeing lasting , clinker blocks have a passel of benefits when it come to raised seam garden . They give up for a more flexible design thanks to their smaller size . You ’ll be capable toincorporate curvesinto your raised beds , and it ’s well-heeled to build the bed to your best-loved pinnacle .
Cinder block can be picked up inexpensively . If one block becomes damaged , it can just be withdraw and put back with another . forest on the other hand , ca n’t be easily line up once it ’s been establish .
clinker blocks are also very durable . They wo n’t rot nor collapse down , even after prolonged exposure to very soaked weather .
There ’s a couple of disadvantage to think about . The first is that clinker block are fairly heavy . This can make installing sly , especially if you ’re building your raised bottom alone .
Cinder occlusion can alsotrap heatwithin the soil . This can widen your growing time of year , but it also signify you ’ll need towater more often . Some plants may get too warm during a very red-hot summer .
10. Brick
Like cinder blocks , brick is exceptionally sturdy and very long persistent . Brick beds are perfect for both formal and loose garden circumstance , and have the added reward of being virtuallymaintenance - loose .
One of the best thing about this fabric is that item-by-item bricks are small enough to give you ample flexibility when it comes to the conformation and size of your raised bottom . When putting a brick bed together , it ’s gentle to get creative , incorporativecurves or contoured walls .
Another benefit of brick is that it ’s a good insulator . Brick can help oneself suck heat from the sun during the 24-hour interval , celebrate the soil warmer for long period of time . While this may mean you need towater more frequentlyin the summer , many gardeners find a warm soil temperature have in mind they can sow in their seeds to begin with in the yr .
put in a brick raise bed is very easy . Taller raised beds will necessitate mortar or cement to hold up the bricks together , but if you ’re making a small bed , the bricks can simply be pile on top of each other .
FAQ
This look on what you are acquire . While some plants prefer a alimentary - rich soil , others are happier in poor quality mixes .
The good all - round mixing for raised beds is thought to be 60 % topsoil , 30 % compost and 10 % pot soil such as perlite .
The cheapest means to make a raised bed is to apply stuff that are light and low-cost to source . Raw Grant Wood , upcycled article of furniture and untreated pine timber tend to be the cheapest material .
Raised bed can be made from almost any material that ’ll go for soil . If you ’re able to get grip of some remnant bricks , these are a keen option .
On the other helping hand , any container which is stable and deep enough to allow for flora roots to circularise can be used to make a elevate bed .
While many different varieties of wood can be used for raised beds , care need to be accept if the wood is pressure - treated .
This is because pressure - treat lumber contains chemicals which can leach into the filth and affect your plants . While unexampled atmospheric pressure treated wood is safe , it still should n’t be used if you are growingedible green groceries , as plant life can absorb the preservative .
Older pressure - treat forest can still be used to make a raised layer , but you should insure you have a thicklinerwhich will foreclose the wood from making contact with the grunge .
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