Building a raised vegetable garden...with Trex?

[StageLeft]

I am building a ~26 linear foot vegetable garden. I'm not using PT lumber. Even the new formula for it is too risky, I think. I was going to use PT only for stakes but probably will actually return that, too.

So the only alternative I see is Trex, even though it's obscenely expensive. I did not see cedar or redwood at home depot. I don't know how long an untreated/unpainted version of those would last anyway.

If I go with regular building wood would I even make it two years with a vegetable garden or will it rot out with a vengeance? Should Trex, in contact with moist soil 12 months of the year, still make it several years?

 

[lokiju]

Well just doing a quick Google search for Trex shows that it has mold issues.

Not sure if that's all been resolved but there are alternative brands out there.

 

[mizzou]

look in your local yellow pages for a lumber store.

They typically will deliver free if your order is significant enough

 

[vi edit]

I used landscape block. No mold, painting, or chemical issues there.

 

[Greenman]

Trex has no structural strength, and is very heavy. Use construction heart redwood or ceder.

 

[meltdown75]

I used landscape block. No mold, painting, or chemical issues there.

:hmm: this is a pretty sweet idea..

 

[StageLeft]

I can't do landscape blocks, they just won't look good in this area. Then have to put down a base and it's just more of a chore!

Does mold really matter on a vegetable garden?

 

[feralkid]

I can't do landscape blocks, they just won't look good in this area. Then have to put down a base and it's just more of a chore!

Does mold really matter on a vegetable garden?

Probably not...soil is full of every type of mold, fungus and angry spore.


Another option would be ptl with some sort of liner, but be sure to incorporate drainage in the bottom.

 

[meltdown75]

i have a lot of work to do between now and planting weekend 0_0

i did get 1/2 of the bottom 1/2 of my deck torn off though. making some alterations

i will probably just use wood... i'm lazy

 

[Demo24]

We used a combination of rectangular stack-able crates(open top and bottom, but with hinges on 4 corners) from the power company, and some longer ones we fastened together with basic corner pieces. They are going into year 2 right now and still look fine.

 

[BoomerD]

I got a good deal on redwood 2X12's at Lowes last fall. 12 footers for about $8.50 each.

It's NOT heartwood, so I know it won't last for decades, but if I get 5 years out of it, I'll be happy.

 

[StageLeft]

i have a lot of work to do between now and planting weekend 0_0

I have a bit, too

I really am going to stay away from PT, the stuff is just not sitting well with me, even with a liner.

We used a combination of rectangular stack-able crates(open top and bottom, but with hinges on 4 corners) from the power company, and some longer ones we fastened together with basic corner pieces. They are going into year 2 right now and still look fine.

So that's just regular old building wood, right? I'm probably going to either use it or Trex. I'll price out the Trex but am not thrilled at spending $60-90 in materials for a small bed. Next door there is a lot and the builder left out some wood all winter. Some of it has not yet started to rot, some has. I'm thinking there is a good chance I could get at least a couple of years out of hem fir (wood used for building) flower bed, at least before it starts to fall apart. I don't much care how it looks from a distance.

 

[StageLeft]

I got a good deal on redwood 2X12's at Lowes last fall. 12 footers for about $8.50 each.

It's NOT heartwood, so I know it won't last for decades, but if I get 5 years out of it, I'll be happy.

That is a great price. I paid $7.50 for a 2X6X12' hem fir yesterday at HD.

 

[jme5343]

Don't forget what was said about the Trex earlier. It doesn't provide much structural strength if any. You'll have to use a good amount of stakes if you expect it to stay straight.

 

[StageLeft]

Don't forget what was said about the Trex earlier. It doesn't provide much structural strength if any. You'll have to use a good amount of stakes if you expect it to stay straight.

Yep, the stuff is wimpy!

 

[meltdown75]

I got a good deal on redwood 2X12's at Lowes last fall. 12 footers for about $8.50 each.

It's NOT heartwood, so I know it won't last for decades, but if I get 5 years out of it, I'll be happy.

5 years would be ideal for my planned raised garden as well. so if your garden going to be ~36 square feet, assuming it was a square garden with 6' sides? this is pretty much the size i am looking at as well...

my existing is a 3' x ~12' garden using 2' x 6's... for my new one though i have a question...
- my soil is clay-based and pretty hard... do you guys dig a hole before you put your good soil/growing mix in or do you simply place the (in this case 2x12s) directly on the ground and pile the dirt up inside?

my old garden worked pretty well... i didn't dig for it but i was wondering what you guys thought was best. i got 4-5 years of decent harvests from it but i want to ensure my new garden is ideal... i haven't used the Google machine for "building a raised vegetable garden" yet... i value the opinions here

 

[BoomerD]

5 years would be ideal for my planned raised garden as well. so if your garden going to be ~36 square feet, assuming it was a square garden with 6' sides? this is pretty much the size i am looking at as well...

my existing is a 3' x ~12' garden using 2' x 6's... for my new one though i have a question...
- my soil is clay-based and pretty hard... do you guys dig a hole before you put your good soil/growing mix in or do you simply place the (in this case 2x12s) directly on the ground and pile the dirt up inside?

my old garden worked pretty well... i didn't dig for it but i was wondering what you guys thought was best. i got 4-5 years of decent harvests from it but i want to ensure my new garden is ideal... i haven't used the Google machine for "building a raised vegetable garden" yet... i value the opinions here

I have a small, irregular shaped area that we used for out garden. The shape looks sort of like a capital "I F" with 24" rows between the boxes.

Our soil here is pretty sandy with a touch of clay...I amended the soil under the beds with a bit of compost and gypsum to help break up the clay, then compacted it a bit for stability and built my beds on top with a mix of native soil, compost from one of the landscape material places, and some humus to help with drainage and for extra organic matter. Turned out to be a good mix with a sandy loam for my finished product. (I wish I'd have used more humus for a slightly coarser mix..maybe next season)

 

[meltdown75]

I have a small, irregular shaped area that we used for out garden. The shape looks sort of like a capital "I F" with 24" rows between the boxes.

Our soil here is pretty sandy with a touch of clay...I amended the soil under the beds with a bit of compost and gypsum to help break up the clay, then compacted it a bit for stability and built my beds on top with a mix of native soil, compost from one of the landscape material places, and some humus to help with drainage and for extra organic matter. Turned out to be a good mix with a sandy loam for my finished product. (I wish I'd have used more humus for a slightly coarser mix..maybe next season)

very good info. did you rototill or similarly work up the existing soil? how deep would you say your "mix" is? if I get 2 x 12s for my sides, i just want to know how much i should fill it with my growing mix... right to the top?

 

[BoomerD]

very good info. did you rototill or similarly work up the existing soil? how deep would you say your "mix" is? if I get 2 x 12s for my sides, i just want to know how much i should fill it with my growing mix... right to the top?

I have a Mantis mini-tiller. (on my second one...I wore the first one out)
I use that to till the existing soil, as well as to till the mixture for the planting beds. I leave the soil about 2-3 inches below the top of the boards. That way, water doesn't run off and soil stays in place better.

When I filled the boxes, they were full to within an inch, but as I watered them in, the soil compacted...so I had to add more until I got to the desired level. Still, over the winter, they compacted a bit more, so this fall, I'll add more compost and/or humus and till it in well.

 

[meltdown75]

I have a Mantis mini-tiller. (on my second one...I wore the first one out)
I use that to till the existing soil, as well as to till the mixture for the planting beds. I leave the soil about 2-3 inches below the top of the boards. That way, water doesn't run off and soil stays in place better.

When I filled the boxes, they were full to within an inch, but as I watered them in, the soil compacted...so I had to add more until I got to the desired level. Still, over the winter, they compacted a bit more, so this fall, I'll add more compost and/or humus and till it in well.

excellent thanks

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

your concern over using pressure treated lumber is over-blown.

 

[JEDI]

I am building a ~26 linear foot vegetable garden. I'm not using PT lumber. Even the new formula for it is too risky, I think. I was going to use PT only for stakes but probably will actually return that, too.

So the only alternative I see is Trex, even though it's obscenely expensive. I did not see cedar or redwood at home depot. I don't know how long an untreated/unpainted version of those would last anyway.

If I go with regular building wood would I even make it two years with a vegetable garden or will it rot out with a vengeance? Should Trex, in contact with moist soil 12 months of the year, still make it several years?

what new formula for PT lumber? why is it too risky?

 

[BoomerD]

your concern over using pressure treated lumber is over-blown.

Perhaps slightly, but I wouldn't use pressure-treated lumber for a food-crop garden either. While the risk is minimal, I'd prefer not to take the chance.

http://cetulare.ucdavis.edu/mg/articles/n032504.htm

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=989&storyType=garde

 

[Capt Caveman]

Kits sold by Lowes and HD use either Cedar, Wood Composite or PVC Resin.

 

[PaperclipGod]

If you haven't decided yet, try this:

Composite Lumber Closeout

I was looking for something similar a couple months ago and came across that. I didn't end up going with it, but for plastic lumber, that's probably your best bet. It's ideal for raised beds as its got reinforcements as well, so its stronger than the usual HD stuff. At the bottom of the product page there should be links to connectors/brackets specifically for using that lumber in a raised-bed application.