Big trough planters - any cheap ideas?

[philbee]

Hello. Having decided what I'd like to plant up the wall and fence (honeysuckle and clematis, raspberries), I now need some big trough like planters to plant them in. Probably about 150-200cm long and fairly deep. I did a bit of searching and found some for over £100. Just wondering if there's a cheaper way or a cheaper supplier that anyone knows of. I could have two smaller ones side by side as well. Thanks!

You could try making one. I use treated lengths of 6 by 2 from our local timber merchant. I just made an asparagus bed out of 5 x 3m lengths and a few short wood spikes to hold it together at the corners. (Two lengths on top of each other to get the height on each side.) Cost about £28 and an hour of DH's time to screw it together. The timber yard cut one of the lengths down to size for me to make the ends. My bed is about 3m by 1m and 30cm deep.

Do you know any farmers? Old agricultural equipment can look fab, like old feeding troughs etc. Or old copper boilers? If there's a reclaimation yard near you it might be worth a trip.

No, no farmers, sadly. We are in the depths of SE London. But reclamation yard would be good. I did think of baths, but it would need to be a nice looking one, wouldn't it?

I like the idea of making them, and we have the appropriate tools. What was the wood treated with?

what about freecycle?

Not sure what it's treated with (possibly 'tantalised' according to DH though I have know idea how that is spelt or what it means!) but it lasts really well. Put some down as an edge to a flower bed a year ago and it still looks as good as the day we put it in.

Liking the idea of tantalised wood; thanks auto-correct. That should be 'tannelised' or something similar.

www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/vegging-out/raised-bed-pressure-treated-timber_16071.html

Here is an interesting discussion on whether pressure treated timber contains chemicals which can leak into fruit and veg : the conclusion seems to be not if it is modern, as there are now eu safaty regs on the chemicals used for pressure treating. But perhaps don't use treated stuff from a reclamation yard.

I must admit I too like the idea of home made troughs

what about wooden wine boxes, or is that too small?

Yes, the advice is not to use (say) ancient railway sleepers because they may have been treated with highly toxic stuff (which might also seep out and stain clothes if you decide to sit on the edge of the raised bed/trough.

I would try SE London's various reclamation places. Some of my gardening friends use the big plastic boxes that the boroughs hand out for keeping recyclables in - they're not very lovely but the size is good and you could grow lobelia or nasturtiums to trail over the edges and soften the look a bit.