Big ol’ fat oak logs – how would you use them to build raised beds?
by dogswrestle
Big ol’ fat oak logs – how would you use them to build raised beds?
by dogswrestle
13 Comments
Either you mill them to boards or you dig a huge hole and bury them for hugelkutur.
Big chodes like that, you should split and attach to some uprights.
I would use one to put some oyster mushroom plugs in it. Then set it in a shady location and enjoy years of free mushrooms.
I’d grow mushrooms with those
I have tons of these. I used them to outline my garden beds, and they have been there now for 15 years. I just placed the stumps into the shapes I wanted, and did the cardboard method the first few years because of the grass, now I don’t need to. It’s sticks and leaves, then compost. I use others for lining a walkway and other little craft projects like a DIY bench.
Have someone mill them and make your raised beds.
Alaskan Chainsaw Mill to cut them into planks about 2″ thick (they will shrink to about 1.5″ if they are fresh cut logs).
Assuming they are white oak, you can pretty much use them the same as pressure treated wood except there are no unnatural chemicals to worry about. White oak resists rot and decay more than most woods and is actually not good to use in the lasagna garden method because they take so long to decompose.
Everyone saying “mushrooms” has no idea how long those have been sitting out after being cut. Looks like a little while
Logs that big get chopped up for firewood.
Two ways:
1. Cut 12″-18″ chunks and use them vertically as a border
2. Spit them into halves and quarters and lay them lengthwise to form the edge of a 6″-10″ deep raised bed. Use some wood stakes to fix them in place on the outside. The dirt will hold the inside.
I 100% do this with longer tree trunk sections to make my raised beds. Split them like a rail fence and lay them flat side down to make edges.
Cut them into chairs
Get a chainsaw and start making some timber.
If you’re already planning on slicing the logs up, turn them into planks, and you’ll have a bunch of boards that’ll get you halfway to a raised bed.