I have one raised garden or raised bed, it's actually made from one of those kits. My mother-in-law put it in while I was on a drill weekend when I was still active in the Marine Corps Reserve. At least we have that one I plan on making some more this year.
I love the question of "what I would do differently" even if the answer is "nothing much". I'm learning a lot from other people's direct experiences, wins and mistakes, so thank you for reflecting back on your choices, how you made your decision in the first place, what you cared about and how you feel about it now. This was really thorough and very helpful.
I'll most likely be using this same concept to build raised beds in my garden this year. Just have to decide how many to build. The moles are pretty bad where the garden will be so I will install some metal chicken wire to the bottom of the beds to hopefully keep them out.
I love that you compared prices to all three materials. Great video. I researched this heavily before building my PT garden fence, and I feel pretty convinced (personally) that it's safe. Copper is completely insoluble in water, so it can not leach. For example: Think how many of us have copper pipes in our house. Or a handful of pennies in your pocket. Or wear a "copper fit sock" Obviously you may disagree, but the science looks sound to me. With the old stuff the arsenic (and perhaps other stuff) would leach.
My main worry is that the micro copper azole (MCA) used to treat the wood is a chemical that’s dissolved in water to be applied to the wood. So while copper itself can’t be dissolved, the formulation of it used in PT wood can to some degree. Either way, it’s an interesting discussion. I may use PT when rebuilding, but line the boxes somehow.
I actually don't remember what ours cost. I used one inch thick decking. It was about the cheapest limber they had at the lumber yard. Nice video, my man!
My untreated pine raised beds started to fall apart at the screws after 3-5 years, I think due to frost heave. It wasn’t as pretty, but I go a few more years out of them by bracing the sides with T posts. When they seriously rotted out after 6-8 years (one is still intact at 9 years), it gave me a chance to redesign the garden anyhow. Do you have a video about the little greenhouse on your raised beds that I saw in the background?
Victoria Laux glad to hear you got a few good years use and then made the best of it. Funny you should mention that little green house! It’s going to be the topic of Tuesday’s video.
I use cedar fence pickets to make mine. They've held up 3 years so far. I am going to make another bed this fall from the same material. In Texas I have a lot of problems with fire ants invading my veggie beds (some sort of ants ate my first pine veggie boxes), but they have left the cedar beds alone so far.
@@TheMindfulHomestead I got them from Home Depot. I think we ended up spending about 25 to 30 for a 3x6 bed. I also used their cedar pickets to use a two section compost bin.
@@MirandaLey Thanks! We're hoping Aust has enough audio to edit it together. There's been some chatter of putting together a whole live stream or podcast, but nothing definite planned yet. She had a lot of fun talking, and is looking to do more talks on mindfulness through our channel soon.
Also, I forgot to mention, that we have had chipmunks and voles burrowing into our raised beds. On other homesteading sites, they put a layer of hardware cloth on the bottom, below the dirt. We are going to dig the dirt out of ours and install hardware cloth this year.
Yea, we’ve heard from a few other people with digging critter problems. Luckily for us, the ground these are in is fairly wet, so we don’t see many tunneling pests.
I have raised beds made out of raw pine which then is stained with outdoor siding stain. I didn't want to use pressure treated because of the chemicals in the wood. With the stain, they should last a little longer than the raw pine.
I’m planning on making some raised beds I was wondering if we could paint the outside of the lumber or do you think that would be a bad idea I’m still new to gardening in raised beds I have a few that I bought that just needed to be put together I have had them a few years I’m hoping to get a could more years but not sure I say still “new” at it gc I haven’t managed to grow anything yet except parsley and sage they they pretty much took care of them selfs they did come back this year I didn’t know they would do that so I was excited lol thanks for any help you can give me
i got 2 pallets for free and made a Bed out of that. Then i got a 2x11x16 piece and extended the length by another 8 foot. Not pressure treated. I had pressure treated wood on my deck and it was rotting away routinely so not sure good how that is. In my opinion the cost of the bed is not much but its the Soil that you fill it that's the expensive part. I am having to pay $120 for someone to deliver 2 yards of soil to fill the beds.
Do you have raised beds in your garden? What did you make them out of?
I have one raised garden or raised bed, it's actually made from one of those kits. My mother-in-law put it in while I was on a drill weekend when I was still active in the Marine Corps Reserve. At least we have that one I plan on making some more this year.
Let us know how they come out Donnie! And thanks for your service!
I guess I could have just watched this video...
Old fence slats and construction stakes:
lazygardens.blogspot.com/2016/11/no-tools-needed-tall-raised-beds.html
I love the question of "what I would do differently" even if the answer is "nothing much". I'm learning a lot from other people's direct experiences, wins and mistakes, so thank you for reflecting back on your choices, how you made your decision in the first place, what you cared about and how you feel about it now. This was really thorough and very helpful.
I'll most likely be using this same concept to build raised beds in my garden this year. Just have to decide how many to build. The moles are pretty bad where the garden will be so I will install some metal chicken wire to the bottom of the beds to hopefully keep them out.
I love that you compared prices to all three materials. Great video.
I researched this heavily before building my PT garden fence, and I feel pretty convinced (personally) that it's safe. Copper is completely insoluble in water, so it can not leach. For example: Think how many of us have copper pipes in our house. Or a handful of pennies in your pocket. Or wear a "copper fit sock"
Obviously you may disagree, but the science looks sound to me. With the old stuff the arsenic (and perhaps other stuff) would leach.
My main worry is that the micro copper azole (MCA) used to treat the wood is a chemical that’s dissolved in water to be applied to the wood. So while copper itself can’t be dissolved, the formulation of it used in PT wood can to some degree. Either way, it’s an interesting discussion. I may use PT when rebuilding, but line the boxes somehow.
@@TheMindfulHomestead Agree! It's a personal judgement call in the end. We also have termites on our land which swayed me over the edge, honestly.
Oak Knob Farm No termites here. Knock on wood 🤞
I actually don't remember what ours cost. I used one inch thick decking. It was about the cheapest limber they had at the lumber yard. Nice video, my man!
Thank you!
My untreated pine raised beds started to fall apart at the screws after 3-5 years, I think due to frost heave. It wasn’t as pretty, but I go a few more years out of them by bracing the sides with T posts. When they seriously rotted out after 6-8 years (one is still intact at 9 years), it gave me a chance to redesign the garden anyhow.
Do you have a video about the little greenhouse on your raised beds that I saw in the background?
Victoria Laux glad to hear you got a few good years use and then made the best of it.
Funny you should mention that little green house! It’s going to be the topic of Tuesday’s video.
I use cedar fence pickets to make mine. They've held up 3 years so far. I am going to make another bed this fall from the same material. In Texas I have a lot of problems with fire ants invading my veggie beds (some sort of ants ate my first pine veggie boxes), but they have left the cedar beds alone so far.
Great idea. Where do you buy your cedar fence pickets? We use PT pickets to build our chicken tractors and they are very cost effective.
@@TheMindfulHomestead I got them from Home Depot. I think we ended up spending about 25 to 30 for a 3x6 bed. I also used their cedar pickets to use a two section compost bin.
Unrelated to beds. Your wife's segment on "Be Prepared Not Scared" was amazing.
@@MirandaLey Thanks! We're hoping Aust has enough audio to edit it together. There's been some chatter of putting together a whole live stream or podcast, but nothing definite planned yet. She had a lot of fun talking, and is looking to do more talks on mindfulness through our channel soon.
Also, I forgot to mention, that we have had chipmunks and voles burrowing into our raised beds. On other homesteading sites, they put a layer of hardware cloth on the bottom, below the dirt. We are going to dig the dirt out of ours and install hardware cloth this year.
Yea, we’ve heard from a few other people with digging critter problems. Luckily for us, the ground these are in is fairly wet, so we don’t see many tunneling pests.
HI MATE, I AM WONDERING HOW THEY ARE GOING NOW A NUMBER OF YEARS LATER SINCE THIS VIDEO? WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, THANKS SO MUCH.
curious, how are the beds holding up after now after 3+ years? i need to build some raised beds soon to prepare for spring 2024
I have raised beds made out of raw pine which then is stained with outdoor siding stain. I didn't want to use pressure treated because of the chemicals in the wood. With the stain, they should last a little longer than the raw pine.
We’ve got a bucket of that in the basement for the house. Maybe we’ll have to use it next time.
I’m planning on making some raised beds I was wondering if we could paint the outside of the lumber or do you think that would be a bad idea I’m still new to gardening in raised beds I have a few that I bought that just needed to be put together I have had them a few years I’m hoping to get a could more years but not sure I say still “new” at it gc I haven’t managed to grow anything yet except parsley and sage they they pretty much took care of them selfs they did come back this year I didn’t know they would do that so I was excited lol thanks for any help you can give me
You can definitely paint them if you'd like!
i got 2 pallets for free and made a Bed out of that. Then i got a 2x11x16 piece and extended the length by another 8 foot.
Not pressure treated. I had pressure treated wood on my deck and it was rotting away routinely so not sure good how that is.
In my opinion the cost of the bed is not much but its the Soil that you fill it that's the expensive part. I am having to pay $120 for someone to deliver 2 yards of soil to fill the beds.