Raised beds

[livinglightly1]

Hi All

I need some help. We are currently making a new tv series called 'Living lightly'. We have found a wonderful family from longford who have agreed to live lightly for the next few months.

One of the challenges we have set the family is to start to grow there own veg. The soil in the garden isn't great so we are now going to do raised beds.

We need to try and organise quite a bit to get the garden up and running. One thing I am trying to source is the wood.

I have been given wood measurement of 8ft by 5ft and it needs to be 10 inches high and 2 inches deep. I need it to be untreated does anyone know what type I should be looking for? or if there is anywhere I can find it? I have phone quite a few places at this stage and I'm having no luck.

Also I am trying to source compost in the Longford area. Does anyone know of anywhere localy that gives away free compost?

I also need some good topsoil does anyone know where I can find that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

replies to thread please

[el_loco_blanco]

Hi. In my garden when I moved in the soil was really bad so we had to do raised beds. We got pine sleepers from our local garden centre. The were basically big planks of pine in the same sizes and shapes of the traditional sleepers. They worked a treat!If you pm me I can give you details of the garcden centre. It is outside Drogheda. You could ring them and find out who their supplier is. The supplier could tell you then if there is anyone near you selling them!

[nanonano]

I made my raised beds from scaffolding planks. You can find them everywhere at building sites. Just ask nicely.

[livinglightly1]

Thanks for the tips

Are the scoffolding boards untreated? I was told for veggies you need to get untreated wood.

Someone mentioned larch wood but I can't get that in the measurements I need

[nanonano]

As far as I know they are untreated. If you do a search on gardenplansireland.com/forum you'll find loads more info.
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/

[Knecht]

Hi, I have also used scaffolding planks for raised beds, they were not treated. I have read somewhere that you should line them with the weedguard stuff before you fill them, not sure why, but I didn't do it. Maybe if you have stables near you they would let you have some manure or a local farm?

[jennie]

for the compost ask nicely to the peat factory in Rathowen!

[livinglightly1]

Hi All

Thanks so much for your help. I have managed to get the wood we need and i'll start chasing up the compost tomorrow

Cheers for all the help

[sidhe.eire]

if anyone is going by the beach grab some seaweed its full of nutrients for your soil.

[hannahbanana]

Hi LivingLightly1,

I am looking for wood to start my raised beds too. Would you like to share where you got the wood etc please? I have heard of somewhere in Ballina but I don't have the details yet! Thanks, HB

[4eyes]

someone on jt were giving railway sleepers away they are ideal for your project.
Get used mushroom compost and it will be FREE

Also look for FREE top soil, someone will be glad to get rid of it

[sidhe.eire]

These would be perfect as long as their not treated, as a lot of them are, and the rain water washes the creosote into the soil and thus into your vegetables...

[bluecurlygirl]

How helpful are the people on this site? I hope you get lots more wonderful tips. This site is my bible - now I just gotta put everything into action!

[frantasia]

I have one raised bed made with old wood - I do two other raised beds just by heaping up the soil and tidying the sides. It's true they sag a bit in the winter but they can be easily re-done when you're adding new compost or manure, or by adding more soil.

The bed that's made with the wood is of course better, but this is just to say that even if you don't have any suitable material to hand, the raised bed can be made by 'earthing up' without external sides.

A few weeks ago Lidl were selling a cold frame type thingy with a cover, which could be used as the support for a raised bed - they were €34.99 each. I didn't buy them, but would love to know if anyone has tried them and how they are going for them.

[4eyes]

If by any chance you know somebody who keeps horses and get some of the manure, only snag is you need to keep it for best part of a year to let it rot down, it will be just like bought compost, and they are glad to get rid of it.

[livinglightly1]

Hi All

Well the beds are built and I have to say thanks so much for all the suggestions. In the end we went for old scoffolding planks and we covered them in decking wood (on the outside) to make a nice effect and they turned out great.

Now we are waiting for our compost to arrive and all will be well with the beds.

Thanks to everyone for all your help.

[vodkasoda]

... as somebody has already asked, could you please let us know how / where you sourced the scaffolding planks ?!?

I need to do this myself, being unemployed I have the time but no real cash, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance ...

[daigo75]

+1 to question asked by Vodkasoda. I'm also looking for free planks for a raised bed, but no luck so far...

[Ian]

so these guys ask for and receive generous support for their project and then when asked to reciprocate with some small bit of info to add to the knowledge base here they are no where to be seen, take what you can get and then bugger off, to make a programme about community living! In all my days I have never met a mean spirited gardener, gardeners you are not jumbletowners you will never be. I hope your tv programme is the success you deserve.