Hi folks! I thought this was going to be an easy one, but if you enjoy people having a mental breakdown over a simple task, you’ll enjoy this one.
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39 Comments
Sooo many jobs s/b EZ. However, once dug in it's apparent that's not the case.
Then comes that job you dread, and it's soooo EZ. Then I wonder why I dreaded and put it off.
Use silica packets to keep moisture under control
I painted my scaffolding wood and other planks with linseed oil, the normal natural oil that is also given to horses. Do it on a warm day and then twice.
I’ve had a plot for 32 years found that decking raised slightly on damp coarse membrane wrapped around and also capping the scaffold plank works well. I’ve just got a 1000 block pavers of gum tree which I’m going to glue together to make rot proof beds. I tried it last year on a small bed and it worked really well.
Please name one area or bed that is deserving PITA. , for Pain In The As* ( Ive got a few with that name), lol. ❤
We all have these frustrations JB. Patron perseverance bed will be you’re favourite bed – blood & sweat won’t 🤣 but a cuppa fixes everything & no flask needed anymore!!! Remember those frustrating days 😂 you’ve come far 🤣🤣
i have put raised beds into my plot i haven't wrapped them in any membrane the older allotment plot holders said not to as it just increases rot when moisture gets in it has no where to go. After clearing my plot i found on that the previous owner had wrapped and there was shedredded plastic in with written wood from the raised bed i have been picking the plastic out for the last 4 years and counting. I haven't used anything to treat the raised beds i have put in as i didn't want to put any chemical on and the safer more natural oils to protect just arent in my budget, when they rot the wood will go onto my compost and the cycle continues.
JB, do hot bin composters actually work? Do they need to be in the sun? I’m considering a small one for the garden 🤔🤔🤔
Plastic on wood isn’t a great combinations as it traps any moisture, I’ve painted all my beds with shed paint and they’re fine 😊
I got in contact with a double glazing company they were happy for me to go through their skip I cut double glazing windows frames into steaks and use heavy Duty window seals the best ones are the ones that go along the bottom of patio doors they are about 10 inches wide underside is 2 or 3 patio doors I painted them black they look ok and don't Rot Away and are designed to stay outside all year round
I suffer from Raynaud’s disease and I found using a teaspoon of cinnamon every morning in smoothies, cereals or oats has helped loads. I’ve been using cinnamon for 2 years now.
Stay positive,you’ll enjoy those beds in the summer and laugh thinking about that day 😊
try using just mounded raised beds, my Mum used this method all her life and Charles Dowding also
for me its scaffold boards, no extra treatment no plastic lets them breathe and expel moisture, beds 5 years old and although beginning to rot slightly, probably got another 3 to 5 years left. the ones i am replacing now (gravel board, again 5 years}i am getting metal raised beds. fellow allotmenteers think i have a plot full of green bathtubs. no doubt the metal planters will have their own idioscracies. the asparagus i used a ring of brick at the base and rested the bravel boards on to and filled. no rot at all on those boards. my ground is wet because i am next to a big pond and river level, loads of woodchip paths to try and soak it up so i dont flood as much as my neighbours.
Well done on battling your scaffolding planks, the beds look far easier to manage now. Re the plastic lining… Terry King recommends never wrapping your wooden sides over the top as he says the wood will always get wet but be unable to dry out. He cuts his plastic like you had it before, just at the edges for ventilation. Myself, at the base, I always put my plastic liner facing into the beds on the ground for the same reason, as the plastic will hold the moisture against the wood if it is fitted undermeath the planks. You could always puncture the plastic around the base with a screwdriver to provide some drainage on yours along edges. I have shed envy now 😉 Mind your boiling water on your paste table – they have a habit of collapsing. Looking forward to a much better year ahead. 🌻
Your vids are excellent 👌🏼 allotment looks lovely. Ill have my own soon fingers 🤞🏼 the wait lists are unbelievable 😂😂
Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your experiences
Hey JB I am on clay too and have used scaffold boards for my raised beds. The first ones we made in March 2020 have just started to go now. One has rotted at the back, probably because that is the wet end of the bed. I am not too unhappy with nearly 5 years' worth of use out of the scaffold boards and I didn't membrane mine either.
The back crumbled on one after i planted my garlic, which was so annoying. I propped it back up with bricks, and when the garlic comes out, I will be replacing it with two rectangle metal ones.
We also made one huge bed in 2020 and I regretted it after one season like you. We converted it to a fruit cage which also hasnt worked either, its such a wasted space. We will be trying a u shape now, a bit like Jessie's in her poly tunnel.
Yours do look amazing JB. It was worth it 👌 and the entertainment value for this video is 💯 keeping it real 😊❤
You have discovered on raised beds when the plastic does not wrap the top of the board water runs down the side and the board rots. If you staple plastic up a bit on the bottom, the EXACT SAME THING will happen – except it will rot even more quickly as the rain water will pool on the bottom.
JB A tip for your gas cannister, pop it inside your coat / pocket so it absorbs some body heat for 10 mins, then flame will burn higher. Take care.
I;ve just had my first 'depressed' mood on the plot, due to illness too, but I know it will get better as will yours
In my clay soil in Canada, I have given up on wood and replaced with metal. Easy to install and will last longer than me!
I find polishing the ends of the scaffolding boards with an angle grinder is o e method of making them last longer and basically burning the wood ends off so no moisture is absorbed.
Hi JB, a system that has worked well for me (getting on for 70) making things REALLY easy.. imagine an upside down bed, short legs sticking up, lay the bed on a few layers of cardboard (overlapping so it covers the pathways as well) fill paths with woodchip then beds with compost/soil/manure, topping up regularly , as the beds and paths fill up… pull the beds up using the legs/handles, level off by pushing the woodchip or the compost under till they are level.. no digging, no need for plastic as the wood, (cheap old decking boards in my case) are only holding back the top inch or two.. minimal rot so far and dead easy to replace when they do as they are practically on the surface..
They look good. Easier to work with. Perhap a bag or two of grit worked into the clay at the bottom before you put the lovely stuff on top. Rome wasn't built in a day. Happy new year!
You have done a good job😊
You know, I was just re-reading Liz Zorab's books, and in both she mentions mistakenly thinking that her projects will be simple and take no time at all, only to find that they take hours. You're not alone, JB.
Don't have any raised beds for all the reasons you are discovering, expensive to build, fill and maintenance. Looks good though 😅.
This time last year most of the country was saturated and the ground never really had a chance to 'dry out' which I imagine has not helped. I would put lots and lots of puncture holes in the membrane and see how that goes.
Jb, store you're seeds in a plastic tub with a lid, as for scaffolding boards a no go, use logs to define the outline of raised beds, natural, and also slugs n snails less attracted, hope this heelps
I think wood around raised beds are always going to rot. It's only a matter of time, and any plastic may be just as likely to do harm than good. I made some beds 12 years ago and they are on their last year. In the spring I'm going to change the layout and rebuild them, but not as high. I have decided that I want the "soil" that they are full of (mostly organic matter) less deep so that the plants can get their roots right down into the ground. I have fairly clayish soil too, under the beds. They have always been too dry, and tend to get hydrophobic in summer. I think the nutrients are just washing down to the clay. So I'm planning only the height of a 2×4. The wood will only serve to keep them looking orderly.
I guess after my experience I suggest that you consider the rotting wood to be adding organic matter, and use second hand wood if possible so you don't have to worry about the cost as much.
Hi JB it always, always takes longer to get jobs done in the garden,. It rarely goes to plan for me,. Looking back at your long bed would you have considered putting 2paths with mulch in that bed and not taking out the long side.very disappointing to see that the sleepers were not holding up to the conditions of your garden,.happy Nollaig Na mBan (women Christmas or little Christmas) 6 January. It’s a day when women get the day off and celebrate with other women!! Happy new year to you and all your family ,. Good growing for 2025 💐🪴🎄☘️☘️
Hi JB could you possibly add a thin layer of gravel under the boards so they are not sitting directly on the clay soil. A bit more work but it might give a few more years to the life of your boards. End result looks good.
Good morning JB , cracking day there. All the best for the year ahead🐞
Hi JB. Unfortunately scaffold boards are not treated so will rot super quick if wet. Wrapping them in plastic only works if ALL exposed wooden surfaces are wrapped. Any exposed upper surfaces will still allow rain water to go into the gap between board and plastic and be retained, leading to quick rot conditions. The only real solution is to use a non-wood material or completely seal the timber. In the UK we seem to be obsessed with doing raised beds out of stuff that rots. Charles Dowding has it right; no raised beds, for various reasons.
I wonder if seeds could be stored in a picnic cooler, or a mini fridge not turned on, like a broken discarded one.
Hi JB, it is annoying when you have paid a lot of money out for wood, but it is what it is. I have pallett collars, which I have lined with black plastic, and stapled it over the edges on the tops and bottom too. Hopefully it will help with them lasting longer. My hubby and I bought each other a circular metal bed as a christmas gift and are going to give one a go on our plots. My top edges are stapled over the top so the water runs away from the edge Into the soil. I would say, make do with what you have and basically replace the wood when you really need too, hang in there I know its disappointing but, you will get there. We have totally been there over the years, its normal and a learning curve. We have to make mistakes, we don't know everything, thats why growing is a challenge sometimes. Some jobs take longer than others, don't beat yourself up. I bet next time you go to your plot, you will get lots done. I have spent the whole day sowing seeds, a walk to the allotment for more compost & pots, through the snow ❄️ but, home now, bracing myself to finish the seeds i intended to finish this morning 😊 you have done a great job on resizing your raised beds, they are a much better size, well done 😊 wonky gives them character, nothing is perfect. Great video Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
My lined wooden raised beds rotted at the same speed as the beds not lined. I think the lining traps the moisture.
For me I'm fed up replacing wood every few years so have turned to metal. Appreciate the cost on an allotment would be higher versus my home set up.
At least the mycelium is a sign you've got some active healthy soil!
Hi J B when i started to make raised beds ive 10 now all 3m and 4 m long i used plastic sides from gardenskill a company which sells boards for raised beds ok there is cost but making them up and filling them way quicker and easer than wood and metal sides and they will outlast any wooden sides ide never use wood costs and longeverty is the issues