Soldato
Where would you recommend that I get wood for my allotment, I'm looking to make a pathway and some raised beds, but cant find anyone selling old scaffold boards locally in cornwall.
any other ideas?
any other ideas?
wood planks for allotment
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Soldato
Yeah railway sleepers for raised beds. Made some about 5 years ago and they look awesome even now. Just go to the usual building supply merchants and order what you need. We got all ours delivered to the door. Very easy to put together.
Pro tip: Get some jenga blocks to plan out your borders. The sleepers we got came in 1.2m or 2.4m which made designing things simple. Plus we got to play jenga!
Pro tip: Get some jenga blocks to plan out your borders. The sleepers we got came in 1.2m or 2.4m which made designing things simple. Plus we got to play jenga!
Try gumtree as well for scaffold boards. Could also try timber gravel boards.
If there is nowhere locally selling them you might have to suck up delivery or drive somewhere but there might be places one ebay selling them with a reasonable delivery cost.
If there is nowhere locally selling them you might have to suck up delivery or drive somewhere but there might be places one ebay selling them with a reasonable delivery cost.
Soldato
I wouldn't go as high as scaff boards anyway. I have raised beds. 2 types gravel boards and decking boards.
The problem with gravel boards is they are fairly thin, so once loaded with earth they can struggle to hold the weight, not initially but over time they start to warp out, and as soon as some rot sets in they will fail. Effective life probably around 4-5 years.
The decking ones as they are thicker seem to handle the weight better, whether they will last as long i cant say, mine are 2 years in and looking ok so far. The gravel boards I inherited second hand and found out when they were put up by previous plot owner.
The reason I say to avoid going too high is purely water. Raised beds are drier. So they do suit things such as garlic that are happier with, in fact prefer a bit drier later in the season. However things like beans are a bit more of a pain as they are water hungry and don't root that deep. Just means more frequent water required. Certainly the people near me at the allotment who grow at ground level do not need to water quite as much.
One advantage of the raised beds is they warm faster in the spring so you do get a benefit from that angle.
The problem with gravel boards is they are fairly thin, so once loaded with earth they can struggle to hold the weight, not initially but over time they start to warp out, and as soon as some rot sets in they will fail. Effective life probably around 4-5 years.
The decking ones as they are thicker seem to handle the weight better, whether they will last as long i cant say, mine are 2 years in and looking ok so far. The gravel boards I inherited second hand and found out when they were put up by previous plot owner.
The reason I say to avoid going too high is purely water. Raised beds are drier. So they do suit things such as garlic that are happier with, in fact prefer a bit drier later in the season. However things like beans are a bit more of a pain as they are water hungry and don't root that deep. Just means more frequent water required. Certainly the people near me at the allotment who grow at ground level do not need to water quite as much.
One advantage of the raised beds is they warm faster in the spring so you do get a benefit from that angle.
Associate
You could also try wooden pallets.
I have been collecting pallets from work, and making planters out of them.
Just make sure they are stamped with ht - (heat treated) which means they are safe for using in the garden.
Best thing, they are free.
I have been collecting pallets from work, and making planters out of them.
Just make sure they are stamped with ht - (heat treated) which means they are safe for using in the garden.
Best thing, they are free.
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 May 2003
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Reclamation yards can also be a source of secondhand boards. Personally I have bought 2 by 8 in the past for raised beds, even new from good timber yards they can be fairly competitive.
thanks for the recommendations. I had already chosen not to go with railway sleepers as far too bulky for what Im looking at, plus lots of tar leaching into the soil isnt great. 2x8 is a good shout. Ive also just been given a load of pallets heat treated so will make some kind of box out of them...will take some effort but they are free so will be worth it.
oh yes..looking forward to seeing what I can make.
oh yes..looking forward to seeing what I can make.
Soldato
I got something similar to these for my garden.
https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Incised-Treated-Timber-Sleeper-100mm-x-200mm-x-2400mm/p/9000147439
They come as bare treated wood.
https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Incised-Treated-Timber-Sleeper-100mm-x-200mm-x-2400mm/p/9000147439
They come as bare treated wood.
They look awesome but a bit expensive for an allotment. getting 2 pallets delivered this weekend..will dismantle and see what I can make.
Soldato
Yeah one of the issues for sure with an allotment is avoiding spending more on the running of it than the value of what you grow is
I think I need to run mine for about another 5 years to pay back on the wood, shed, 2x poly tunnel, 13x10M cage (wood plus chicken wire)
I found I had to classify it as my hobby to stop myself thinking on what I had spent
I think I need to run mine for about another 5 years to pay back on the wood, shed, 2x poly tunnel, 13x10M cage (wood plus chicken wire)
I found I had to classify it as my hobby to stop myself thinking on what I had spent