Raised bed - would these boxes work?

[CynicalSurvival]

Hi all,

I would like to get growing come springtime, and the main two ways will be greenhouse (I need to patch it up but it's basically ok) and outdoor veg e.g. potatoes.

In my old house I had a good veg patch but since I moved I don't have anything... but there is a large, pretty empty border that I have cleared, around 1 metre deep and 6-7 metres long.

I was thinking of using raised beds - simpler than digging into the soil and easier to weed and to cover. Does anyone have much experience of forming new raised beds? I was looking at these wooden compost boxes:
http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-9.html?adt ... Ato98P8HAQ

For the price it looks ok (compared to just buying timber which could cost just as much and be more work to cut etc) and I was thinking that if I invest in maybe 6 I could use 2 for compost and the others to grow in. Does that look possible do you think? Obviously I'd need to do something with the sloping slats, maybe just line it with plastic...

[ForgeCorvus]

Is there a reason you're not buying their raised beds?

[CynicalSurvival]

Hmm..good question! Yeah I thought they were a bit shallow especially for something like potatoes and not that much cheaper. Potatoes grow well here and when stuff is half-composted then it is fine to grow in it, so I thought I might switch over between compost and growing in the same type of container.

Added: these look awesome
http://www.railwaysleepers.com/projects ... arden-beds
Maybe I should just buy some railway sleepers and lash them together...

[ForgeCorvus]

We went with wooden troughs, they have the advantage that I could shift them around.
I used recycled pallet boards

Word to the wise, even a 2x4x1 1/2 foot box takes a lot of filling material.

[CynicalSurvival]

Word to the wise, even a 2x4x1 1/2 foot box takes a lot of filling material.

Thanks Yeah I was looking at a delivery of 1 tonne of mushroom compost to get started, that did not look too expensive, and after that top up with composted stuff from the garden.

[Arzosah]

Pricewise, primrose look really good. I sold a couple of railway sleepers a few years ago on ebay, and they went for £30 (collection only ).

[featherstick]

BOxes of that size would work for people with mobility problems or wheelchair users, or for growing on hardstand or contaminated land. Those particular boxes won't work for very long as the weight of a ton or so of earth, plus another ton of water, will push them apart very quickly. They are only meant to keep a lightweight compost heap together.

Raised beds don't need to be skyscrapers. You are trying to increase the depth of soil by a few inches, and also define an area that is easier to weed, keep fertile, cover over with crop protection etc. Scaffold boards are very good for making raised beds.

[featherstick]

Double post, sorry.

[grenfell]

If cost is an issue and aesthetics less of an issue have you considered the one ton builders sacks. They are nearly always thrown away , so common to find in skips, and laid out in rows make decent raised beds.

[CynicalSurvival]

Those particular boxes won't work for very long as the weight of a ton or so of earth, plus another ton of water, will push them apart very quickly. They are only meant to keep a lightweight compost heap together.

ok! thanks so much that is a very useful point. Yes perhaps they are a bit too flimsy for growing in.

I guess I will go with a couple of compost piles (to rotate) and more of a standard height, 30cm or so, for the beds. Railway sleepers might be good if I can get them for an ok price. @grenfell Cool idea but the wife would not go for that! Basically the garden is my domain but she wouldn't be happy if it was ugly