Best Material for Long Life

GuyGP10 6/8/2013, 11:16 am

My 4 x 4 box will have to be replaced this fall - rotted out in the conners. It was built with 2 x 4 pine. I need suggestions on what
lumber I should use to insure for longer life. I assume I sould not use treated pine. Would like to keep the cost down. Guy

Triciasgarden 6/8/2013, 11:22 am

Welcome to the forum Guy! My beds are made out of pine also because it was inexpensive. Maybe try Craigslist and keep your eyes open for someone getting rid of scraps of redwood. There is a chance that someone may be taking out their deck and have it for free or very inexpensive.

boffer 6/8/2013, 11:34 am

I'm in the minority, but all my garden wood is pressure treated.

brainchasm 6/8/2013, 11:42 am

(14) 16x8x8 cinder blocks will get you a 4x4 bed, 8" deep.

I think cinder blocks are around a buck a piece?

Also, along with your 4x4 main bed, you have holes in the blocks that you can also grow things in!

boffer 6/8/2013, 11:54 am

$1.17 per block at my local Home Depot

$8.97 for 2x6x8' PT

I think cinder blocks would be a good choice in LA's climate, if you like the look, and they meet your building needs.

Triciasgarden 6/8/2013, 12:02 pm

With the blocks also you can make the beds any size you want.

**donnainzone5** 6/8/2013, 12:06 pm

I recently used these blocks to construct a blueberry bed. However, I'd hesitate to build a 4'x4' with them, since the 4'x4' would become 64" wide--a bit too wide to reach in comfortably.

brainchasm 6/8/2013, 12:11 pm

donnainzone10 wrote:I recently used these blocks to construct a blueberry bed. However, I'd hesitate to build a 4'x4' with them, since the 4'x4' would become 64" wide--a bit too wide to reach in comfortably.

Two sides are only three bricks long, and the other two sides are four bricks long. 48" x 48" (actually about 47", because the blocks aren't perfect/they expected mortar).

Don't worry, it works. Wink

Best Material for Long Life 8555697538_0ef18ae7c8_c

cindre2000 6/8/2013, 12:35 pm

Did you treat your wood? I treat all my beds w/ boiled linseed oil to help them last longer.

**sanderson** 6/8/2013, 12:47 pm

From what I've read, raw linseed oil is food safe, but boiled linseed is toxic. ??

cindre2000 6/8/2013, 4:31 pm

According to Wiki most 'boiled linseed oil' is "raw linseed oil, petroleum-based solvent, and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying)". The metallic dryers make the mix inedible but are at levels too low to cause harm in a garden. I have seen a increase in the lifespan of boards when using this though the boards still eventually rot.

Frenchbean 6/8/2013, 4:55 pm

Me to Boffer my TT's are pressure treated Very Happy

yolos 6/8/2013, 5:03 pm

cindre2000 wrote:According to Wiki most 'boiled linseed oil' is "raw linseed oil, petroleum-based solvent, and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying)". The metallic dryers make the mix inedible but are at levels too low to cause harm in a garden. I have seen a increase in the lifespan of boards when using this though the boards still eventually rot.

My research showed that the boiled linseed oil had the dryers added but the raw linseed oil did not. Due to this fact, the raw linseed oil takes a lot longer to dry than the boiled linseed oil (or so they say).

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