Building a Raised garden Bed/Planter box

Steph83

Hello, I am wanting to build a raised garden bed for a vegetable garden down the side of my house. I have some Batu decking left over than I was hoping to use, but was wondering if I would have problems with wood rot? Is there a way to avoid this such as lining the box with plastic, or using a sealer? (I dont think I would be able to recoat on the interior surface for obvious reasons)

The garden is on the West side of my house so will only get afternoon sun (southern hemishpere), one of the sides will be up against the fence so it will never see the sun. There is no cover at all so the whole structure will get wet in the rain.
Help is much appreciated

chrisn

Unless it is pressure treated wood, I would guess it is going to rot away no matter what you put on it.

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HDNewf

Hello Steph83.

For any area that you will be growing food, pressure treated wood is not a good idea.

Batu decking is a kiln dried natural wood product. It is not treated with preservative copper or arsenic, and thus is a safe product to use for your purpose. It will eventually turn grey and begin to rot but will have a longer life than most wood. Although expensive, since your decking is unused surplus I imagine that this is as good of a use for it as any.

You will want the planter box to drain. Lining the box will not prolong the life of the wood, but would keep the water on plant roots and rot them.
Sealers will introduce chemicals to your garden soil.

I would just build the box and enjoy it for a few years. You may be surprised how long it lasts.

I hope this helps,
HDNewf

biggles

check these articals for direction http://www.ehow.com/way_5601653_eco_...ised-beds.html