Raised beds material for edging

[Stamets]

Enjoy your carcinogenic bed.

Characterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens


Mycoremediation is costly but would clean your contaminated soil.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/1...14047407349335

[veggiechicken]

Enjoy your carcinogenic bed.

Characterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens

Which post are you referring to, Stamets?

[bramble]

Sorry, unless I have misunderstood, that post came across as quite rude.
There is always a nice way to phrase things and I just dont that was nice.

[Jimmy]

We painted ours with black bitumen which worked out quite a bit cheaper than other outdoor treatments for wood.

Mine are pressure treated but I had a nice big house beam which I painted with some old proper creosote I still had.
But you can't get proper creosote anymore due to EU tinkerers. Won't rant anymore on this cause I get my knuckles rapped !

But black bitumen sounds good.

Jimmy

[boatsman]

Stamets:
From what the report says it would appear to be better to use old concrete sleepers rather than the wooden ones, unless you are growing blueberries.

[teakdesk]

Wood is like a bundle of straws; the tree takes nutrients up the straws.

Wood rots where water can get in to the ends of the "straws". Water can't get into the walls of the straws (otherwise sap would leak out of the trees!). So planks don't rot quickly in the middle.

The ends of the " straws" are at the end of each pkank and also inside the holes drilled for screws. Keep those dry and rot will happen slowly. Alternately treat just those areas.

BUT we also expose the ends of the straws when we "nick" the plank with our spades and forks which allows water into the middle of the plank.

A yearly dab of treatment inside and outside the planks on dints and cuts will slow the rot... or just be careful digging!


This can keep chemicals in the soil to a minimum. I'm sure we all know now that dust from sawing treated planks is easily breathed in and causes lung diseases so a mask should always be worn. Health and Safety message ends!

[donksey]

This is my plot with the galvanised tin edging. Cut 14" wide with an angle grinder and hammered into the ground. Grommet strip from an electrical wholesalers is glued along the top edge with thick superglue from Toolstation. It could be raised higher. It should I reckon last for 20 years.

[craftymarie]

Love the tin edging, Donksey. I was also admiring your runner bean wigwams as well. Very impressive.

[donksey]

Thanks marie, I've only grown dwarf beans before but I read that this style of wigwam makes all the beans hang externally so they are easy to pick.

[teakdesk]

Never seen bean poles like that before. Would be interested to know how well they self-climb.

I can imagine the south facing canes being full of vines but the other side needing "help" to stay where they should. I would be able to provide this "help" so it could be something I'd try next year.

Regular photos as the season progresses please!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just one or two points.

I notice that link given to nasties in boarding relates to America not the UK. Pressure treated timber in the UK has been free of nasties since the early 2000's so unless its is pre 2003 (I think) it is safe to use.

As to dust when working timber this usually refers to MDF board (not something you would use for a raised bed) this contains formaldehyde which is most certainly carcinogenic. However its never a good thing to breath in any dust if it can be avoided.

[TeaMonsta]

Old scaffold planks. Bought twelve 8ft planks to make four beds of 8ft by 4ft. Seem to remember they were about �6 each. This picture was taken last year; their first as raised beds. I have three more raised beds made from new, pressure treated sleepers (2m x 1m). Much sturdier but much more expensive, too.

[SusieG]

Enjoy your carcinogenic bed.

Characterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens


Mycoremediation is costly but would clean your contaminated soil.

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So, this post has greatly concerned me, thanks ...
Did some digging (not the garden sort!!) and what I've read, unless they're all in some sort of conspiracy, pressure treated wood/tantalised - no longer has the carcinogen arsenic, and has been outlawed since 2004.....
So phew, says I (and I'd rudely like to say "put that in yer pipe and smoke it"!!)

[Potstubsdustbins]

^^^^^^^^^^Ah one year out. I do the plumbing maintenance work for the Nottingham branch of a national wood supplier. They actually do the process on site and I remember the change as it caused quite a bit of fuss at the time. They don't have to shower now before they leave.

[Snadger]

Pantiles! Need I say more!