Subject: Re: raised bed materials
From: rol@teleport.com (Roland Couture)
Organization: Teleport - Portland's Public Access (503) 220-1016
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 97 22:53:33 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$970906.15603@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970905.15154@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


In article <MOD$970905.15154@rec.gardens.ecosystems>,
Joe Tremblay wrote:
>
>I would like to build some raised beds. Does anybody have suggestions
>for materials to use? I want to avoid traditional treated lumber. Is
>there anything low-cost that won't rot away in a few years? Imagine
>stone is my best bet.
Cinder blocks or stone would have been my first choice as well. The only
other thing I can suggest is to use cedar. Cedar is naturally rot-resistant
so it tends to last a while without chemical treatment. The downside though
(aside from the probably high cost) is that the wood is fairly weak and soft,
so it might not be strong enough in plank form... you might have to use whole
logs, building up the walls of the bed like a log cabin. But then the logs
present their own problems of availability, hauling and assembly. Planks
might work for all I know. I am also concerned (but not certain) about the
effects of cedar on beneficial soil organisms.

rol

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