Raised beds done right.
Raised beds are all the rage right now! There are so many great styles out there, but to tell you the truth, I get a bit overwhelmed about where to start. Should you use pressure treated wood, un-pressure treated, 2x10s, 2x10s stacked, 2x8s, bricks, stones, resin...the list goes on and on. We came across this easy and efficient raised bed style (pictured above) when on our nursery tour in Seattle in July. The owners of one of the nurseries lived right there at their business sight, so they allowed us to tour their own personal garden space. It is such fun to get a glimpse of how other people do things!
To be honest, I would normally dismiss any plan that had pvc pipe in it, but I just love how this style looks! I think painting the pvc black or dark gray would amp it up, but leaving it white looked charming as well!
I love this!!! This is so great. I have been looking at doing a series of raised beds and looking at different plans. So did he use pressure treated wood?
ReplyDeleteUse PVC electrical conduit... It's already gray!!!
ReplyDeletei used pvc and then draped plastic over for inprovised green house. this looks good...by the way I sure hope you didn't use pressure treated wood ....it's usually got arsenic in it.
ReplyDeletetreated lumber is no longer treated with toxic chemicals. I use 2x8" myself. I've been gardening from 4 beds like this for over 20 yrs. we've just replaced a board here & there once in awhile. :)
DeleteI love those trellises!
ReplyDeleteI would never use pressure treated wood for anything, it has toxic poisons that seep into the ground, making to soil around it unusable and poisonous!
I built two raised beds out of redwood 2x6's but have used cedar fence boards in the past. Even pine/spruce/fir would be better than treated...
ReplyDeleteI think I'll attach some short lengths of a slightly larger diameter PVC to the sides that the other "hoop" pipes can slip into that way they can be easily removed until needed.
Great idea, thanks.
DeleteYou guys should research pressure treated wood. While it used to be treated with arsninic, they have stopped doing that. Now it's treated with copper. That's why when you buy it at the store it feels damp. The MSDS (material safety data sheets) now have no cancer warnings or ingredients linked to causing cancer. Just an FYI. :-)
ReplyDeleteI still wouldn't grow anything I'm going to eat in PT wood. Just me. Call me silly, but I'm not exactly trusting the companies that make this stuff to tell us if it's safe or not...
DeleteI assume you used schedule 200 PVC pipe and not schedule 40. Can you confirm? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe've had raised beds for years, starting out with wood and gradually changing over to cement block (lots less upkeep and more permanent).
ReplyDeleteWe did something similar w/ PVC, but I like this entire set up. PVC for covering stuff w/ netting or plastic, and trellis' for growing upright.
I have no issues with PVC pipe, but if someone decided to paint it for whatever reason, be careful of the paint used.
I wouldn't use pressure treated wood in my garden either, but that's just me.
I got some recycled treated wood from a neighbor that replaced his deck. It was 3-4 seasons old so I felt most anything would be leeched out by then. I've had no issues with it. I've been raised bed gardening for about 8 years
ReplyDeleteYou could also use black agricultural pipe
ReplyDeleteI bought 6mil clear plastic to drape over pvc pipes. How would you attach plastic and secure it to ground with it having a parachute effect with the wind?
ReplyDeleteMake that "without having a parachute effect" ;)
ReplyDeleteSome people staple the plastic, but everywhere you staple creates the potential of tearing. If you bought the hardware store plastic you might as well staple because it's not UV protected anyway and will break down after a couple seasons. If you bought greenhouse UV plastic that you want to last a few years without tearing, then you can also find wiggle wire clips and tracks from greenhouse supply outlets.
DeleteI am courious about the concrete block design for endurance. What kind of block and did you mortar it to stay in place?
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