type of wood to use for raised beds/retaining plants?

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i was hoping some of you might be able to help me out with the type of wood that is best for using as a way to retain herbs like mints and for raised beds.

i know i've heard nasty things about pressure treated and how they used to put some bad chemicals in the wood to keep it from being eaten by bugs but i wasn't sure if the stuff they make now is safe for use around plants and wouldn't affect the soil.

of if i should just get some other type of wood to use that isn't pressure treated and what woods work the best? around here we have carpenter ants that seem to eventually enjoy destroying anything pine when found (which is used in just about every home :/ )

 

[lupinfarm]

Cedar is a good, but expensive option. Hemlock is said to not be liked by many, if any, bugs because it is so hard.

I'm using Pine on my raised beds, painted, because its hard enough to find rough cut cedar, and I can't afford it anyway! I may next year start replacing some of my older beds with cedar and any new ones I put in with cedar.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

ooooh, thanks. i never thought about cedar. i'm not sure if we can get hemlock around here in planks but i will check on that when i go to the lumber store.

 

[aquarose]

I asked a similar question about a year ago. Many people said they just used regular pine boards and they last many years. They are the probably the cheapest solution and don't add any harmful chemicals to the soil, especially the soil you are growing food crops in. I ended up buying 2" by 10" boards, and stacked them up two high. I am very happy with them so far. I am adding another this year.

 

[ducks4you]

I had a need for a small raised bed. I looked at my saved wood, realized most of wasn't worth any projects, found 2 sets of equal length pine planks--2 three ft. 2 x 12's and 2 six ft. 2 x 8's--and put them together for my lettuce/radish/salad onion raised bed. I'll let you know how it works out. Taking some pics today. I'll try to add them to this post.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Cedar isn't readily available around here and I really like the look of redwood, which is more readily available in these parts.

Redwood is very rot-resistant and lasts for years. It's good to let the wood age for a couple of weeks in the yard. The gentleman at the lumber yard recommended that I do this before filling the beds with soil.

Not sure how expensive redwood would be in your parts but I would recommend it.

Carlos

 

[lupinfarm]

I suppose it is whatever you can get. I can *get* cedar but it is VERY expensive, sometimes almost triple the price of pine despite being in cedar country out here. Hemlock is cheap, cheaper than pine BUT it is VERY hard and hard to screw/nail into.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

I use two 2" x 6" x 8' redwood boards. I get it from HD and it is about $10.00 each. They also will cut it for you at no charge. I have them cut it in half and that amount will make a 4' x 4' bed. For me it is worth it. No muss and no fuss. They do the sawing and the wood will not rot.

I have heard that you can use linseed oil to preserve the color. I am too lazy to do that. I figure that if I have to stand on my head that long I might have to call an ambulance.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

pine certainly is the cheapest here and i'm thinking if it is painted/stained on the outside that it would help with keeping it from looking badly weathered for a couple of years. and it would make my garden colorful! (i already spray paint my tomato cages different colors to keep them from rusting! )

i was going to try and recycle some old boards that the former owners of our house left behind but that was when i found the carpenter ants and those not attacked by the ants had dry rotted right through. the ants are now gone since we had someone spray for them.

i'm a stickler for doing my own work and i'm the one that owns most of the tools in the house! grew up with a handy man for a dad so i learned a few things along the way! (just wished the dh was a little more handy around the house with him out of work still)

 

[simple life]

I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Get what you have available in a price range you can afford.
If you can get cedar or redwood thats great but if you can't
even untreated pine will last a few years and its not that expensive or much work to replace a frame.