Back in ‘08 I used treated wood to make raised beds. I don’t know if it was healthy to do or not. Even treated, the wood started to rot away after 12 years. I eventually pulled them out and put in fruit trees.
What material makes for permanent raised beds that don’t rot away?
Galvanized metal will last longer
cedar. my white cedar beds are 10 yrs old. no rot yet. prices on it have gone way up since then though. ive heard red ceadars even better but we dont have a source for it here. lowes has some. must be a western cedar. not sure how long it lasts. some have said they have used mason bricks but they dont look very nice but are pretty cheap.. as a bonus you can fill the holes with flowers or herbs..
Last year I used the concrete block thing and it’s worked OK so far.
looks are the main downside if that matters.
Cost was less than metal containers (if you can find the blocks cheap) and I like that they are somewhat “modular" and if you decide you want to change the size or shape of a given bed you can add or remove blocks easily to do it without having to buy or build a whole new bed.
Figure eventually if I have spare funds I can get some landscaping stone to put around the blocks for improved anesthetics, but in the meantime I could also considere painting them for a more whimsical look.
Thank you @Richard, that is exactly what I was thinking of as well. I used blocks just like those for my raised garden beds and they worked out great for years.
Cinder blocks is what I use for raised beds. I don’t use mortar because I want them to remain movable if desired. If one was worried about looks you could easily construct something to cover the blocks.
Bricks or cinder blocks.
Nth-ing the recommendations for dry stack blocks as that is what I have done with no regrets. Level the base and you are good to go
Typically I do 25’x3’ and then around 3-4’ tall.
The size dimensions match 1/4” hardware cloth that is placed on the lowest corse before filling to prevent burrowing critters from coming up into the beds.
I have some with anti bird netting for various berries and others with 4’ hardware cloth circular cages while the plants are young
My soil type is effectively 100% sand, so winter freeze -thaw movement is not an issue.
Also have a short one reversed to act as a walapini for figs / persimmon/ mulberry that is in the 2nd year of trial and measurement. Temperature is a non issue there easily holding 32 during the winter. Moisture and mold being the bigger challenge there.
The tumbled blocks work good for drainage and local fauna (bumblebees, skinks) like to use them by hiding in the small gaps
Living in a rural farm area we were able to find a couple of used cattle waterers six or seven feet in diameter. On the bottom couple of feet we put in oak logs as spacers, covered that with fine mesh screen. Then a foot or so of garden soil and then a foot of soilless mix which gets topped off yearly. These are now on their sixth or seventh year and work great.
I also obtained a couple of plastic 55 gallon drums, split then lengthwise and used some 4X4s to build a frame. Plastic 2 liter pop bottles for bottom filler and then soilless mix as the growing medium which gets replenished every season. The painted 4X4 frame shows no wear after 5 years. The plastic barrels will last longer than we will.
Welcome, and thank you for the detailed post.
I would use cedar wood if building raised beds that need to look good. Why? I have an abundance of eastern red juniper aka red cedar that will last 50 years in contact with soil. I can cut it to size with a chain saw and assemble with galvanized screws or nails. Otherwise, I would be using some type of concrete blocks, most likely the type made for garden areas.
I am sure this will cause concern and debate.. but i have several railroad tie raised beds.. and have seen many many others locally and in other states.
I cant vouch for others but mine are over 25 years old.
Not my pic..but there are tons of them online and some folks get very creative with them.
Underneath of my old ties are plenty of worms and bugs and life.. so its safe for them. I have seen toads and salamanders as well.
Will it kill me? I have no illnesses yet that i know of and if it does kill me its doing it slowly.
I have read alot of the old and new debates on cinder blocks, as well as modern concrete blocks (which may or may not use fly ash and slag etc). Also debates on ‘treated wood’..
8ft ties go for about $20 each at HD and RK etc..
I have some neighbors in their late 70s that grow tomatoes, garlic and onions in theirs. They treat their beds with wood ash which i have read that is ‘toxic’ in some discussions.. and also ‘good for soil’ in other discussions.
Having said that.. i wouldnt mind building a raised bed or two out of logs.
‘Permanent’ to me is 20 years or so.
Anyone using pavestone/concrete blocks- have you taken soil samples near the edges after a few years? Wondering if you see elevated calcium? I’m about to use them to hold in soil at a mounded foundation bed that is slowly eroding. Slightly concerned about the all around concrete.
Had similar concern but for copper with my pressure treated beds, but soil testing never should elevated copper levels.
Welcome @davidz4b!
I had made some raised beds with concrete sides I poured. They were a lot of work though. My goal was mainly to have about 8 inches of better soil to grow my plants in, not necessarily to raise the beds to a certain height. Although you could stack them. I think they turned out pretty good.
This is the guide I followed. He has a whole YouTube series too.
ive never looked at any research but garden fundamentals doesnt mention anything about calcium:
Here in Kennett Square PA “The Mushroom Capital of the World,” it’s my understanding most of the wood mushroom-growing bins are made of Cypress. There are several lumber companies in our area that specialize in it. That’s what I used when I built our raised beds.
