Raised bed building- query

lgraham2812

Hi everyone 😊,

We spent today building a raised bed, and would so appreciate being able to check our thinking with you in case we are about to go very wrong...

The raised bed is made from softwood sleepers, pressure treated, and built on top of geotextile fabric. We have also placed slabs at each corner, so the wood is not touching the geotextile fabric. We were considering lining the walls of the bed with old cut up IKEA bags (waterproof plastic) to protect the wood further. Is this a good idea...?

Drainage should hopefully be ok, we plan to put a lot of large stones at the bottom of the planter

Many thanks!

Lisa

Ladybird4

Hi Lisa. That is a fantastic raised bed and I think from your description that you have everything covered. As well as the bags you mention, you can also use old compost bags. This is a good idea as it will protect the wood.

nick615

Just a word of caution, lgraham2812 , you ought to remember that individual pieces of plastic material, even if overlapped, will gradually allow moisture to seep along the joins and get to your timber.  With the style and materials you've got, you've almost certainly got it as good as it can get - but it's not 100%, I'm afraid.

lgraham2812

Thank you both very much for the reassurance! It's a shame water will seep in eventually, but at least I can manage my expectations around this.

Will get on with lining it, once this rain has passed! 

KeenOnGreen

Try to keep plants from overhanging the top of the wood, especially low-growing, creeping plants, as this will encourage rot.  The more air and sun you can keep on the top of the planter will help it to last longer.  Looks very sturdy, nice job.

Ladybird4

Working from the bottom upwards with the lining Lisa, makes it easier to have the second level of lining overlap the first - a bit like on a tiled roof - so restricting and reducing any possible water seepage. This will give your raised bed a nice long life. Well done and happy planting!

lgraham2812

Thank you both for highlighting these considerations, I will certainly overlap the bags in this way and will try to figure out my planting so the veg doesn't overhang too much!

Lisa