Wood For Raised Flower Beds
Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
They will sit directly on the ground and I want
to use something that will last. I'd rather not use
pressure treated. I was considering Trex or other
synthetics but local Lowe's only has 2-by boards
and Home Depot has some other brand but not
what I want.
Does this stuff come in 1-by boards? I'd like to
avoid resawing a bunch of 2-bys. What's a better
source than the home stores? Do lumber yards
carry it? What other suggestions would you have
for this application? Is MDF water/rot/insect
resistant? I know the engineered stuff is expensive
so maybe going with redwood or cedar would be
better.
Thanks for all the help.
Dennis Vogel
Leslie Gossett
love working with cedar, it makes the shop smell so nice!
Ms Leslie
"Dennis Vo...@rcn.com" <denni...@rcn.com> wrote in message
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BobGramza
"Leslie Gossett" <msles...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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> I would use cedar without giving it a second thought. But thats just me, I
> love working with cedar, it makes the shop smell so nice!
>
> Ms Leslie
>
>
>
> "Dennis Vo...@rcn.com" <denni...@rcn.com> wrote in message
> news:b8nfst$62s$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
I second cedar.
>>
Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
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>
> "Leslie Gossett" <msles...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BoHra.45835$sC.3...@fe06.atl2.webusenet.com...
> > I would use cedar without giving it a second thought. But thats just me,
I
> > love working with cedar, it makes the shop smell so nice!
>
How does the cost compare to Trex or the like?
And, is cedar OK on the wet ground?
Dennis Vogel
Lew Hodgett
"Dennis writes:
> I'm making some octagonal raised flower beds.
> They will sit directly on the ground and I want
> to use something that will last.
I once did this with old railroad ties.
Skinned the dirt level, then placed ties directly on bare dirt.
Put some black plastic sheeting on the ground inside the rail road ties,
then added about 3" of pea gravel over the plastic.
25 years later, I left the place and those beds were still the same as when
they were built.
If you go this route, a chain saw will make life a lot easier.
HTH
--
Lew
S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for Pictures
ape
WALT K
all depends on where you live here in So Calif were close to the
redwoods reatively speaking and all of our lumber yards around
here lowes -life and the BORG carry "con -heart" < construction
heart> grade redwood in 2X stock so I would use redwood My self
but if you have railroad ties avable at a good cost and have a way to
transport them
the down side to RR ties is crasote and imbeded rocks I would be
leary of a chain saw I think I would use a SawZall with a blade made
for cutting nail embed wood
I have never used Trex or any other man made so I can't speak to that
now if you can find a power company that is replaceing wooden poles
with steel and can work a deal with them telphone /power poles are
a nother option less crasote and probley no rocks
Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.
>
> "BobGramza" <b...@midwest.net> wrote in message
> news:LJIra.5700$%_3.38...@newssrv26.news.prodigy.com..
> >
> > news:BoHra.45835$sC.3...@fe06.atl2.webusenet.com..
> I
> > > love working with cedar, it makes the shop smell so nice!
> >
> > I second cedar.
>
> How does the cost compare to Trex or the like?
> And, is cedar OK on the wet ground?
>
> Dennis Vogel
Maintenance / long term costs of either?
PC
what 1x Trex will withstand without bowing excessively.
I'd suggest doing some back-of-the-envelope calculations before putting
too much effort into so that you select the right materials.
Phil
Paul Irwin
approximately 5/4. Depending on your area, cypress lumber or Black Locust
posts might meet your needs.
"Dennis Vo...@rcn.com" <denni...@rcn.com> wrote in message
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Scott Burright
"Lew Hodgett" <lewho...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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> I once did this with old railroad ties.
Don't they weep tar?
Lew Hodgett
"Scott Burright" writes:
> Don't they weep tar?
From memory, had one small spot that "weeped" a little the first summer, but
after a typical northern Ohio winter, it was no longer a problem.
Had about 50 ft or so of old railroad ties by the time the job was finished.
Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
even though the sides are only about 3' long. They
will be about 15" deep so will probably need
some bracing.
Dennis Vogel
"PC" <P...@heronsnest.com> wrote in message
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Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
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>
> > I'm making some octagonal raised flower beds.
> > They will sit directly on the ground and I want
> > to use something that will last.
> <snip>
>
> I once did this with old railroad ties.
>
> Skinned the dirt level, then placed ties directly on bare dirt.
>
> Put some black plastic sheeting on the ground inside the rail road ties,
> then added about 3" of pea gravel over the plastic.
>
> 25 years later, I left the place and those beds were still the same as
when
> they were built.
>
> If you go this route, a chain saw will make life a lot easier.
Yeah, I've used ties before but I'd rather not this time.
First, I don't like the chemicals in them. Second, I need
a 15" depth for the shrubs I want to use. That'd be too
many ties to stack and fasten. Third, I need them about 3'
long; too many cuts.
Dennis Vogel
Bill Pounds
x 8 and bury half below grade.
--
Bill Pounds
http://www.bill.pounds.net/woodshop
"Dennis Vo...@rcn.com" <denni...@rcn.com> wrote in message
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Pat Barber
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?SID=&page=47455&category=2%2C44664&ccurrency=2
Phisherman
Wood, even pressure treated, will eventually rot when in direct
contact with the ground. I'd pick redwood, cypress, white oak or
cedar (with PT wood my very last choice), and line the inside with
galvanized metal primed and painted with Rustoleum. If you coat the
part which is in contact with the ground with plastic, you'll get some
extra years out of your planter.
Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
to fasten the lumber. They recommend 1x8 lumber.
I don't want to resaw PT 2x8s. Besides the danger
from the saw dust, there's the issue of moving all
the wood to the basement to cut and back upstairs
to the garden. I want to use 1x8 lumber. Trex-type
engineered would be nice for the durability factor
or cedar or redwood if the Trex stuff doesn't come
in 1x8s. I'll consider cedar or redwood if it'll work
on the ground without rotting in a few years. It's
probably no more expensive than the Trex stuff.
Dennis Vogel
"Bill Pounds" <nospam....@linkline.com> wrote in message
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Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=10351&category=2,44664&ccurrency=2&SID=
They show 1x8s. I'm going to have 8 double layer
octagons with about 3' sides on the octagons.
Dennis Vogel
"Pat Barber" <mboce...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:3EB0343E...@worldnet.att.net...
Jeff Cochran
>I'm making some octagonal raised flower beds.
>They will sit directly on the ground and I want
>to use something that will last. I'd rather not use
>pressure treated.
Cedar, redwood, cypress.
Jeff
Cody Hart
buildings, gardens, sheds, decks, posts in my vineyards, or whatever. It
does not rot, and is very inexpensive.
Dennis Vogel@rcn.com
I'll look for it.
Dennis Vogel
"Cody Hart" <lo...@iowatelecom.net> wrote in message
news:3EB078BA...@iowatelecom.net...
Larry Blanchard
nos...@mydomain.dude says...
> On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 23:28:44 -0400, "Dennis Vo...@rcn.com"
> <denni...@rcn.com> wrote:
>
> >I'm making some octagonal raised flower beds.
> >They will sit directly on the ground and I want
>
> Cedar, redwood, cypress.
>
As a gardener, I'd be a little concerned about the effect of the cedar
oil on flowers planted near it. No facts to back that up, just a nagging
little worry. I'd go with the redwood.
That said, I've got a couple of flower beds that are 10 years old made
with "landscape logs" i.e. peeler cores, and they're still going strong.
I used 2x12 hemfir for my raised beds in the veggie garden and they're
still OK after 5 years. With that experience, I'd expect redwood to last
at least 20 years.
--
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