What kind of wood for raised beds

theGrinch

Hi, Im looking to construct some raised beds for privet or yew hedging.

Can someone suggest some durable wood varieties for this project at different price levels?

many thanks

SailorSam

Do you really need a raised bed to plant a privit hedge. Why can;t it just go straight in the ground.

greyteam1959

Pressure treated tanalised timber is what you need.
Have a look at your local timber merchants NOT the DIY sheds it will be far too expensive.

Sgt_Pepper_2

Old railway sleepers?

theGrinch

SailorSam wrote: »

Do you really need a raised bed to plant a privit hedge. Why can;t it just go straight in the ground.

there is no soil

theGrinch

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Old railway sleepers?

bit pricey around here

alleycat`

theGrinch wrote: »

bit pricey around here

Sleepers are not suitable as the stuff they were treated in oil / tar will get in the soil and it may kill the plants.

Best bet is old scaffold board, try asking a scaffolding firm if they have any that are a bit past their prime?

SailorSam

What i used were old concrete fence panels that i got for free when neighbour was doing some work, you see things like that in skips

alleycat`

SailorSam wrote: »

What i used were old concrete fence panels that i got for free when neighbour was doing some work, you see things like that in skips

That isn't a bad call, you can also get concrete gravel boards that fence panels sit on which might work too.

27col

Actually, wooden gravel boards will last a surprisingly long time. Especially if the insides are lined with polythene fertiliser bags or something similar. Alternatively decking boards would do the job. They are a bit thicker than gravel boards, I think.

greyteam1959

Tanalised timber will last upwards of 25 years even in contact with the soil.