My veg patch is at the bottom of a long garden and we have grass paths between the patches we have dug over. For a variety of reasons (mainly uneven ground and mowing problems) we want to define the beds with wooden planks and put wood chippings down. (I keep stepping into the corner of a bed thinking it's still the grass path which hasn't been mown for a bit!)
I've read that 4' wide and as long as you've got is best for the size of bed. What width wood should we use, how do we preserve it, how do you actually get it in place and how deep do you bury it? And how wide should the paths be?
A lot of questions, I know, and I'm sure this has been covered in the past. I've looked but failed to find it. Just lots of discussion on digging versus no-digging.
Any help will be welcome - even if it's directing me to the right place on the forum!
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Granny
Defined beds
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
the 4ft width of bed is intended to allow you to reach the middle without stepping on the bed, reduce it if you have short arms 
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paths should be wide enough for a wheel barrow , mine are 2ft paving slabs, (i was taking them to the tip for a freind )
wickes sell gravel boards , intended to edge gravel paths, about 3/4 inch thick by 6 inches they are pre treated with some sort of preservative. short lengths of tiling batten hammered in the ground will give something to hold them upright. the boards dont need to be buried as such just let into the ground an inch or so , height to separate the bed from the path is more important. modern sharp pointed screws will go straight in without drilling pilot holes, to hold it all together.
,
paths should be wide enough for a wheel barrow , mine are 2ft paving slabs, (i was taking them to the tip for a freind
)
wickes sell gravel boards , intended to edge gravel paths, about 3/4 inch thick by 6 inches they are pre treated with some sort of preservative. short lengths of tiling batten hammered in the ground will give something to hold them upright. the boards dont need to be buried as such just let into the ground an inch or so , height to separate the bed from the path is more important. modern sharp pointed screws will go straight in without drilling pilot holes, to hold it all together.
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Jenny Green
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You can also use old scaffolding planks for the edges. These are nice and thick and take a while to rot. For the length of the beds, I would say not too long as the temptation is then to step over them (and of course on them) to get to the other side.
I think woodchip is definitely less labour intensive than grass, though you have to be on top of any weeds/grass than sprouts in it. If I were making a new garden I would probably use gravel because you could go over it with a flamethrower to kill off the weeds.
I think woodchip is definitely less labour intensive than grass, though you have to be on top of any weeds/grass than sprouts in it. If I were making a new garden I would probably use gravel because you could go over it with a flamethrower to kill off the weeds.
(Formerly known as 'Organic Freak')
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
I used 8" x 1" planks, I didn't make them longer than 10' so I wasn't tempted to cut across them! They are secured every 3' or so with wooden pegs, 1" square with points cut one end, and about 14" long so they are bashed well into the ground. There are pegs at each four corners, of course.
I used tanalised timber - this in itself provokes a lot of discussion. If you don't protect the wood in some way it won't last very long at all. If you do, then some people (and some v. eminent sources - eg Ryton Organic) say that chemicals do leech into the produce grown within the beds. However, I wanted my hard work to last longer than 3-5 years! I tend not to plant right up next to the wood, and also I do know that it's not 100% sure that leeching takes place and whether it's harmful - although I'm sure someone out there will contradict me.
As my veg patch is within my garden, I wanted it to look reasonably attractive, so the wood I got from a timber merchants is pretty good quality. The other added advantage is knowing exactly what I was getting - if you get a scaffolding board, you can't be sure what might be on it. Tho' I believe you can buy them from various sources as new - I'm sure if you're a scaffolder that's what you do!
My beds are sunk just an inch or so into the soil - the pegs are the things that really anchor it in place, but that's because I wanted raised beds. I have gravel on my paths, with some bark chippings to blend into flower borders. I put weed surpressing membrane underneath.
I used tanalised timber - this in itself provokes a lot of discussion. If you don't protect the wood in some way it won't last very long at all. If you do, then some people (and some v. eminent sources - eg Ryton Organic) say that chemicals do leech into the produce grown within the beds. However, I wanted my hard work to last longer than 3-5 years! I tend not to plant right up next to the wood, and also I do know that it's not 100% sure that leeching takes place and whether it's harmful - although I'm sure someone out there will contradict me.
As my veg patch is within my garden, I wanted it to look reasonably attractive, so the wood I got from a timber merchants is pretty good quality. The other added advantage is knowing exactly what I was getting - if you get a scaffolding board, you can't be sure what might be on it. Tho' I believe you can buy them from various sources as new - I'm sure if you're a scaffolder that's what you do!
My beds are sunk just an inch or so into the soil - the pegs are the things that really anchor it in place, but that's because I wanted raised beds. I have gravel on my paths, with some bark chippings to blend into flower borders. I put weed surpressing membrane underneath.
Just a thought. Do you put the pegs on the inside of the boards or the outside. It's just that if on the inside, they get in the way of Digging,Planting,Weeding Etc, but don't look so nice on the outside.
Thanks
Thanks
Hi Granny,
I have a few defined beds and the timber used is sawn
4"x1" Tanalized. If it is your intention simply to define the bed I see no reason to add to the expense of anything larger. They have been in use for several years now simply define the paths.
The pegs go on the inside and you should always use screws as should you wish to make an alteration as using nails it is almost impossible to get it all apart without damage.
JB.
I have a few defined beds and the timber used is sawn
4"x1" Tanalized. If it is your intention simply to define the bed I see no reason to add to the expense of anything larger. They have been in use for several years now simply define the paths.
The pegs go on the inside and you should always use screws as should you wish to make an alteration as using nails it is almost impossible to get it all apart without damage.
JB.
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Mike Vogel
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I wish I'd thought of these questions BEFORE making my raised beds! I've only recently been painting some preservative on the wood before using it, so the stuff I've already done is rapidly disintegrating under the soil.
I was rather lucky to be able to get my hands on cast-off astroturf. I've cut it into 2 foot widths and now the paths look like grass but require remarkably little mowing!
mike
I was rather lucky to be able to get my hands on cast-off astroturf. I've cut it into 2 foot widths and now the paths look like grass but require remarkably little mowing!
mike
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Thanks again for replies. We have ground elder and couch grass. I've been controlling the spread of ground elder by planting tagetes along any adjacent borders. (I'm amazed at how effective it is. Nothing got through at all!) Did I read that couch grass has a shallow rooting system? In which case I needn't worry about it getting under shallow planted boards.
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Granny
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Granny
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Elderflower
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We must have more determined couch grass in Derbyshire - it seems to infiltrate itself under my boards all right! At least, it appears in my beds at intervals. The only bed that it hasn`t managed to get into is one that my OH surrounded by a 30cm deep membrane.
Sorry Granny, but I don't think Couch grass is reknown for having shallow roots. It's a pain, and the only way I found to get rid of it at my allotment was just continuously hoiking it up. Eventually it begins to lose the will to live. I have bindweed now, and have to take the same attitude with that. I just know it will keep popping up, but equally it must surely know by now that I will keep yanking it out, and soon it will give up trying and go and harrass some other poor gardener.
Hi Granny,
We are always being told that Couch Grass is short rooted but where did this information come from in the first place. I had to dig a new septic tank a few years ago and then doing another job I slipped a disc. When I finally got back to doing the septic tank and I was through mud stone and into fissured Limestone when I stopped and growing from the fissures was Couch grass and that was just over 4ft down. It went through the fissures to 8 ft deep.
so how shallow is that! I have 4ft of top soil in most places on my plot and even that which is 4ft deep is better soil than I had in Hertfordshire over 30 years ago. Couch has mainly been eliminated but every now and then I get an outbreak and this is very easily goes down to 2ft deep.
I think the shallow bit is simply not true.
I suppose it could be soil conditions that determines the depth to which it grows.
JB.
We are always being told that Couch Grass is short rooted but where did this information come from in the first place. I had to dig a new septic tank a few years ago and then doing another job I slipped a disc. When I finally got back to doing the septic tank and I was through mud stone and into fissured Limestone when I stopped and growing from the fissures was Couch grass and that was just over 4ft down. It went through the fissures to 8 ft deep.
so how shallow is that! I have 4ft of top soil in most places on my plot and even that which is 4ft deep is better soil than I had in Hertfordshire over 30 years ago. Couch has mainly been eliminated but every now and then I get an outbreak and this is very easily goes down to 2ft deep.
I think the shallow bit is simply not true.
I suppose it could be soil conditions that determines the depth to which it grows.
JB.