raised vege garden

[Liz5264]

Hi
We are wanting to build a raised vege garden. It will about 400mm high. We are thinking of using either 2x200mm sleepers or 4x100mm pine slabs or winged splits. (I will put some heavy duty plastic on the inside of the logs to prevent any possible seepage from the treated pine). Each bed will be 1.8 x 2.4m.

My question is - how do we fix the logs to each other and make them stable?

Here are the options I have thought of:

1. put a corner post on each side of each corner (so 8 posts for each bed) and attach the logs to them. Do I need to cement the posts into the ground or not given it will only be 400mm high? Do I need a middle post on the 2.4m side?

2. Lay the logs so the joins are not all on top of each other at the corner (like brickwork) and then somehow join the logs together. Can I use long gal nails and simply nail through the log into the one below? Do I need angle brackets in the corners? Will it be strong enough to hold the soil back? Sould I drill a hole through each log and use a steel rod hammered through each log and then into the ground?

If anyone has any other ideas I would really appreciate it. The simpler the better!

THANKS

[Brickie]

Holes and steel rod.

[Sturdee]

I have extensively built raised garden beds of similar size using 2 rows of 200*50mm sleepers.

I nailed them together at the corners using 100mm nails (2 to a corner) and one skew nailed at each corner to hail the top layer to the bottom one. It helps to predrill the nail holes.

Not much more is required as the soil hold everything in place.


Peter.

[Liz5264]

thanks for the quick replies!

Sturdee, just so I'm clear, you mean butt the ends at 90 degrees to each other and then nail the face side of one sleeper into the end of the other sleeper?

Does the 50mm timber warp with the weight of the soil behind it? Especially on the longer 2.4m side?

I gather you don't do anything to keep it on the ground? I guess the weight of the wood is enough to do that.

[Sturdee]

Sturdee, just so I'm clear, you mean butt the ends at 90 degrees to each other and then nail the face side of one sleeper into the end of the other sleeper?

Yes.

Does the 50mm timber warp with the weight of the soil behind it? Especially on the longer 2.4m side?

No, as I've used sleepers, both treated pine and redgum, up to 3m in lengths without warping.

I gather you don't do anything to keep it on the ground? I guess the weight of the wood is enough to do that.

Yes, the weight of the soil is enough to keep everything in place and there is no need to set the bottom edge into the soil as I've built quite a few raised garden beds on top of concrete rather than dig up the concrete.


Peter.

[JDub]

I have extensively built raised garden beds of similar size using 2 rows of 200*50mm sleepers.

I nailed them together at the corners using 100mm nails (2 to a corner) and one skew nailed at each corner to hail the top layer to the bottom one. It helps to predrill the nail holes.

Not much more is required as the soil hold everything in place.


Peter.

Just build a small (1.3 x 1.3m) raised vegie garden using the same method and materials above.... except instead of 100mm nails I used 100mm (10mm) coach screws for a bit more insurance against it coming apart at the corners. Its pretty solid.

[ledbe]

Heya
I did some small garden edging in a place about similar height, if you are going to put reo through the sleepers, a decent squirt of CRC in the hole before hand before you wack it with the mallet makes it happen easier!

Also - we stained ours with cabots garden shades (a bluey one) - broke away from the standard treated pine green...the stuff is a bit pricey but goes a long way.
Ben

[Sturdee]

Also - we stained ours with cabots garden shades (a bluey one) - broke away from the standard treated pine green...the stuff is a bit pricey but goes a long way.
Ben

Same here but I used 2 coats of standard fence paint from Bunnings to match the fences, makes all the difference.


Peter.

[h4lcy0n]

Hi,

I'm also in the process of building a raised vege garden and am looking at timber options.

I've been looking at both CCA hard wood and pine, the difference for a length of 2.4m is about $3.

What is the advantage of using one over the other?

Cheers,
Aaron

[Jasey]

Hi,

I'm also in the process of building a raised vege garden and am looking at timber options.

I've been looking at both CCA hard wood and pine, the difference for a length of 2.4m is about $3.

What is the advantage of using one over the other?

Cheers,
Aaron

Pine is cheaper, easier to cut and drill/nail. I think you'll find that hardwood will probably warp less.

[JDarvall]

I just used the longest batton screws I could find. Big powerdrill with hex bit. Predrill the holes.... The corners legs arn't even in the ground. Its all just screwed together on the surface, with the bottom sleepers dug out a bit to be level. The sleepers alternating at the legs, with old engine oil painted into the end grain . Easiest way I thought. Very strong. Nothing will ever budge it thats for shore. .

[Jasey]

I like the way you alternated the sleepers' butt joints, closes the corners.

[illcrabmagik]

I used coach bolts onto 4 posts. I actually attached the posts to the short ends first before concreting in the ends of the posts, then bolted on the longer sides. It made lining everything up easier.

The other thing I did was hinge the bottom of the top longer lengths so that they would drop down. I used a simple slide bolt at each end to secure them in place. That lets me drop the side down to dig out the soil easier so I can remove some volume ready for fresh compost or to just turn it over. Digging from the side is easier than digging from the top so I figured it would make less mess on the surrounding gravel that way.

It worked brilliantly until our 2 year old kelpie/lab cross discovered the joys of digging in them. He actually managed to get half the soil out of one of them earlier this year!

[kekemo]

...ok...yep I would have gone with the steel rods...but you've got your act together...looks fine....now just a thought....if you're going to grow your own potato's....this is an excellent option....

...use tyres... potato's need mounding up....as the dirt layer increases you place a second tyre....hense when your ready to crop.....knock down the tyres...the potato seem to grow in the ring of the tyre...no back breaking digging & just re-use tyres for second crop....fast & easy....

good luck with your gardening....mmm too busy with woodwork...but the sawdust would really come in handy for mulch....wouldn't/woodn't it....LOL
Kekemo

[h4lcy0n]

That looks great, exactly what I want to build.

I've been told to buy ecowood as it is treated with TanH rather than CCA.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this piece of advice? - I'm find it hard to source Ecowood sleepers (2.4x200mmx50mm).

Cheers,
Aaron