Raised Beds

[slowlyburningcalories]

Just wondering what the optimum raised bed size is, and what material is best to build the sides from. I can't afford the expensive ready made units.

Also - I remember a way of planting once where you divide your patch into 16 squares - or am i dreaming?

We built six of 6x2 pine. If you can get 6x2 reclaimed timber it would be even cheaper, old roof rafts for instance.
Gave them a good three coats of wood preserver before assembly.

Ours are two different sizes, to fit where we wanted, with gravel paths between.
Had them four years now & been really good.

I used old sleepers for mine, may not be so cheap now as they once were though. but i dont think they will ever rot

Slowly- square foot gardening?.

You need new sleepers, old ones leech into your soil and into your veg, the crap they are coated in.

Oooh shall mark my place here as I've been thinking about this today.

I've a small garden so considering having several raised beds as I want to keep a reasonable lawn for the DCs. Also my lavender has drowned and I think it needs to be in a raised bed for better drainage!

Oh should have asked where do you get reclaimed timber?

We have gradually terraced our sloping veg garden by raising the sides of the beds. We have done this for nothing using scrap wood we have gleaned from skips, from a neighbours building site (with permission) and from driftwood planks we found on the beach. Obviously it doesn't look the most beautiful as not matching but very satisfying to have done it for nothing.

In terms of optimum size, they need to be no bigger than you can easily reach across from the sides to the middle. Our beds are long and about 4 ft wide with narrow 18 inch paths between. With hind sight I would have made them shorter and wider with slightly wider paths between. Maybe 4 in a block with paths that cross in the middle.