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Brendan starts with ... Hi All, For what it's worth, have a look at Don Burkes site: http://burkesbackyard.com.au/article.php?id=6079 He may be right or may be wrong? | About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 5th April 2010 7:32am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author sydney 6th April 2010 11:11am #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Brendan says... Hi kert, Yeah, I have to agree. Most info on treated pine seems to be about 50 / 50. http://web.extension.illinois.edu/greenline/i1295_384.html Someone suggested painting the cca sleepers on all sides, that 'might' help? | About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 7th April 2010 8:58am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
Wayne says... I don't have a problem with treated pine for garden beds, and I have been working with timber all my life. All the timber in your homes are treated for termites etc, the pines you use in the gardens are just treated against rot as well which is basically copper [which we use in our gardens at times]. People say that the poison leaches out and you will get poisoned, rubbish, the treatment is designed to stay within the timber otherwise it wouldn't last. Besides, if you have CCA pine garden edges and you water the garden, which way would think it would leach? As for Kerts comment, I'm afraid I disagree simply because there is no conclusive documentation to say otherwise other than an opinion | About the Author Wayne Mackay QLD 8th April 2010 5:03pm #UserID: 338 Posts: 908 View All Wayne's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 8th April 2010 5:04pm | |
Charles cant spell says... Its a largely irrelevant issue and discussion. People use what ever they have access to, can afford and/or what makes them comfortable. Besser blocks could be contaminated and have pH issues, corrugated iron has as much toxic metals as treated pine, old bricks are cheap and nasty, brick/block beds are more permanent (advantage or disadvantage??) jarrah train tracks sleepers are usually oiled and get eaten/rot and are very heavy and garden space consuming. There are issues and benefits with all methods. People mulch/compost with paper and cardboard I personally think that would add far more toxins than any garden bed edging etc. People also use toxic sprays and artificial fertilizers. How you garden is your choice, the level of grass rootsyness is also. While its great to get peoples help and read forums and get hints/ideas, one only becomes a good/happy gardener through local trial and error and learning. So enjoy your plants and your gardens rather than than listening to purists and knockers and I will stop my rant. I just reflect on being thankful I have the land and the ability to grow stuff at all :) | About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 8th April 2010 10:06pm #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 8th April 2010 10:20pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Charles cant spell says... In my opinion not suitable for a urban backyard really. Bale of hay 1/2m x 2 approx a meter of bed edge that you cant walk on/plant etc. Hence for 4 raised beds your looking at 3meter extra of bed edge. Additionally to reach into you 1.5 meter bed you have to reach over or sit on etc the extra 0.5m of bale on each side. I find I now walk on my sleepers and my pathways have become perennial herb beds. That's how tight my space is getting. Just my thoughts though as usual. | About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 8th April 2010 10:54pm #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 8th April 2010 10:55pm | |
amanda says... hey again Charles - yup - space needed. Friends of mine market a product called "super-board" (I think..) and it's made of the same stuff as the great wall of China (and it's quarried and made there) It's used in building and fences. This is such an untouched market - sometime soon someone will come up with a brilliant idea/product. There are UV-stabilised recycled plastic products - but once again - for fences - not veggie beds. A cheap, interlocking, DIY, natural looking product is the go for the burbs - I can get away with ugly n bulky here - but I understand different needs and concerns. It amazes me it hasn't been invented yet!? | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 8th April 2010 11:08pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
gus says... I couldn't agree more Amanda. Have been toying with all sorts of ideas for a raised garden myself and everytime I decide on something It gets canned for one reason or another. I can't beleive either that there isn't more options. I reckon a good plastic bed would be perfect.. light, durable and relatively cheap. | About the Author gus2 Innaloo 8th April 2010 11:38pm #UserID: 3405 Posts: 37 View All gus2's Edible Fruit Trees |
Charles cant spell says... wicking bed is your friend...as i said before its the only real choice for me now. Plastic lined, do what you want on the outside your food is growing in a plastic liner. One site is just using star pickets chicken wire and the plastic to do fully raised beds. Come over and have a look Gus or wait a few months and they will be cropping better as all the beds are under 2 months old atm. As far as I can tell corragated beds seem to be wining the sale pitch at the moment and for good reasons, they look both rustic and flash can be made nice and high and can be converted easily to wicking beds, no dig, etc. You just need to make your own so they are not so small and expensive. Bluescopes website so theoretically direct. RRP (incl. GST) =Slimline 575 575w x 1400l x 810h $249 Slimline 870 870w x 2300l x 810h $359 Slimline 1175 1175w x 2800l x 810h $439 Crazy so not only do you need to fill it with a 800mm of soil depth, my beds are lucky to be 600 after wicking conversion and mulch, but a normal size bed costs $440, if you run crop rotation so 5 beds that's $2k plus on beds without even filling them, retic or plants etc. CRAZY !!! So many people out there with more money than brains. | About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 9th April 2010 1:04am #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 9th April 2010 1:16am | |
Brendan says... Hi All, I've seen these concrete sleepers down south, but they are H-E-A-V-Y! http://www.realcrete.com.au/index.php?page=concrete-sleepers Something like this, but lighter, would be good. | About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 9th April 2010 8:11am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
BJ says... How about those recycled plastic sleepers? I've been thinking about them since seeing them used as a retaining wall on dry spell gardening and just did a quick goole search and they have them here http://cossets.rtrk.com.au/?scid=45684&kw=4542440&pub_cr_id=5186522943 No idea about the pricing though. But I wont be setting up my main beds until next year... | About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas Brisbane 9th April 2010 9:45am #UserID: 3270 Posts: 1552 View All Theposterformerlyknownas's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 9th April 2010 11:57am #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author gus2 Innaloo 10th April 2010 2:23am #UserID: 3405 Posts: 37 View All gus2's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 10th April 2010 2:15pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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gus says... Thanks Amanda Check out this site: http://gettankedinwa.com.au/Raised-Garden-Beds.php have emailed for prices but nothing yet. | About the Author gus2 Innaloo 10th April 2010 11:58pm #UserID: 3405 Posts: 37 View All gus2's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 11th April 2010 10:59pm #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author gus Innaloo 12th April 2010 2:04pm #UserID: 3596 Posts: 216 View All gus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Charles cant spell says... Appart from price, (multiple small beds are more expensive for same area) a larger bed is not always better if you have limited space and are going for raised beds. I would say you would be better with 3-4 beds than 1-2 large ones. This would allow better rotation etc. Also due to shading and other issues (corn/broadbeans/capsiciums etc) you might be limiting yourself with a single large bed unless you locate it east west. Theoretically should be looking at 6-8 beds if you want a species based rotation, companion herbs and green manure beds etc, but that is generally excessive in an urban backyard. And certainly at 300$ plus a bed. I find myself always hung-up on the cost of the commercial options and would only really see them being justified in a very exposed school yard type environment where everything needs to be safe and neat. BTW that plastic is easy to cut so just find a rainwater tank maker, or commercial foodgrade tank maker and evaluate cutting a 2-3m high tank into 3 segments. | About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 12th April 2010 2:28pm #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 12th April 2010 2:30pm | |
gus says... It is a price issue as I was looking at making 4x (3m x 1.5m). I also considered cutting up a tank, but first wanted to see if it was possible to buy them in this size. I emailed a company who made corrugated zincalume tanks and was surprised when they told me that their beds would last up to 10 years. I didn't think that was very long. I think they look great but are very expensive as you previously said, especially if you fork out 2k and only get a few years out of them. I just dont understand why the plastic ones aren't more popular? I would assume they would be cheaper to make aswell. Anyway, unless plastic is an option I am leaning towards wicker worm, like you have suggested, with timber surrounds. The wicker worm beds are very interesting, but are they any good for growing root vegetables? | About the Author gus2 Innaloo 12th April 2010 10:10pm #UserID: 3405 Posts: 37 View All gus2's Edible Fruit Trees |
Charles cant spell says... haha well i cant personally say yes, but I have heard and read of people growing carrots, turnips, beet, etc so I assume yes. If you read this blog also, its should give lots of insight. http://scarecrowsgarden.blogspot.com/ The issue is really the water is only meant to wick 300ml so that kind of limits soil depth if you stick to upwards wicking method. I will find out in a few months, but its easy enough to work around it, maybe put an extra layer of no dig mulch at the top, and do a surface watering instead of via the pipe. I recon that would work fine, and still be low on water usage. You would also be doing this for your spuds anyway as you mound up around the shoots. I also measured my beds when I was setting up some new wicking beds (converting old sleeper beds). My beds are 1-1.2meters wide soil wise. 1.5 might be a little excessive as you cant put any weight in the wicking bed. (well i try not to and my daughter walks on them, but your not meant to). So yeah I wouldn't go much wider than 1.2m. If they are 800mm high it would be ok but mine are only a sleeper up from ground level so i fall in if its to wide. | About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1 Perth Innaloo 13th April 2010 11:11am #UserID: 2742 Posts: 411 View All Charlesstillcantspell1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 13th April 2010 11:16am | |
Brendan says... Hi All, I found this garden edge system in the latest ABC Gardening Australia mag. It looks fairly good, but a bit expensive for me. It's made out of recycled printer cartridges. Check this site: http://www.best-solutions.com.au/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=13&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=82 Also, I'm not too keen on the black colour, way too hot for up here:-( One plus tho, they come in a flat-pak. | About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 20th April 2010 8:27am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author Jaejae Perth WA 2nd April 2012 12:31pm #UserID: 6732 Posts: 5 View All Jaejae's Edible Fruit Trees |
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gus says... I used these guys http://www.plasticrecyclers.com.au/products.htm they sent out stuff to perth, and although they are not super fancy, I think they look good and after a couple of years are still going strong. | About the Author gus 2nd April 2012 7:58pm #UserID: 3596 Posts: 216 View All gus's Edible Fruit Trees |
Jaejae says... gus says... Is the product you used the same as found at: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kardinya/backyard-bbq/raised-garden-beds-recycled-plastic/359417025 I contacted the WA rep for Cossets and I am able to purchase their raised garden beds. Cost is: 2m x 1m 400mm = $344.73 1m x 1m x 400mm = $235.79 There are also other sizes/dimensions but these were the ones that I was interested in. | About the Author Jaejae Perth WA 3rd April 2012 2:51pm #UserID: 6732 Posts: 5 View All Jaejae's Edible Fruit Trees |
gus says... No, I beleive they are different. The ones I got are sold at bunnings in flat packs, so you can actually go in and check them out. I bought them direct from the supplier as I wanted longer boards than the ones you get from bunnings. To be honest, I think the Cossets ones are probably nicer quality, but perhaps a little more expensive. | About the Author gus 3rd April 2012 11:04pm #UserID: 3596 Posts: 216 View All gus's Edible Fruit Trees |
| About the Author Jaejae Perth WA 5th April 2012 1:14pm #UserID: 6732 Posts: 5 View All Jaejae's Edible Fruit Trees |
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