Best Material For Raised Garden Beds: - Our Top Picks 2024

The best way to grow a garden is with raised beds. Their advantages outweigh their disadvantages for us. It is possible to grow food, flowers, herbs, and more in raised beds because they are more resistant to pests and weeds, are more comfortable to work in, and can be filled with the ideal soil. They also give the landscape a dynamic and interesting look. The term "raised beds" conjures up images of wood planter boxes for most people. Wooden garden beds are very common, and for good reason. However, you can also build raised garden beds out of a variety of other materials!

What kind of material should I use to build raised garden beds, then? That depends on your personal style, budget, climate, and available materials. Let's see what we can do!

A variety of materials, such as wood, metal, concrete, and more, are commonly used to construct raised garden beds. We'll talk about things like durability and safety, as well as the differences between different kinds of lumber, when it comes to making material selections. You should also check out our list of raised bed materials that are not recommended for organic gardening.

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Any material that is capable of holding soil and plants could be used as a foundation for a raised garden bed! With a kiddie pool, old tires, and scrap wood, the possibilities are seemingly endless. A number of factors must be taken into account when deciding which materials to use. You can't judge a book by its cover!

Materials

Cedar or Redwood

Raised bed gardens made of cedar or redwood have a natural resistance to moisture, insects, and rot. Even though these materials will eventually degrade, a properly constructed cedar or redwood bed will easily last five years or more, with some even lasting a decade or more depending on the climate.

Untreated Wood

For rustic-looking raised beds, untreated wood is an excellent choice. The only drawback to using these products is that they will degrade much more quickly than alternatives. Even with untreated wood, raised beds can last three or more years before sections need to be replaced, making it a great economical option for those looking for solutions with temporary cheap and easy raised beds while you slowly add more longstanding beds to your garden over time.

Rock

Make use of the natural rock on your property by constructing a raised natural bed from it. While you'll get a workout moving the rocks to your garden site, the effort will pay off in the long run with rock-raised beds that will last nearly indefinitely with minimal upkeep. In order to get the desired height on the walls, you will most likely need to use some sort of mortar.

If you don't already have rocks on your property, this isn't a very cost-effective option and isn't recommended unless you're trying to match the look of your property rather than simply function.

Upcycled Materials

Toxic substances can be leached from recycled tires and railroad ties, so we advise against using them to build raised beds. Using old wooden pallets may be fine, but they may be contaminated by the materials that were stacked on them in the past, making them a risky option. Pallets may also have been treated with preservatives and/or insecticides, but it's impossible to tell if one has been.

Wood Composites

Composite Woods Composites, which are made from a mixture of wood particles and a synthetic material like polyethylene, are more durable than natural wood raised beds because they resist rot. In some cases, composites can mimic the beauty of real wood without the need for staining or oiling because of their unique surface textures and patterns. In addition, recycled wood is used in the production of some composites, making them an especially eco-friendly option.

Longevity

If you want your raised garden beds to last, choose materials that are strong and durable. Garden beds, after all, are subject to near-constant moisture, the elements, and insects or pests like termites. In addition, soil is cumbersome, especially when wet. When there is a lot of soil mass, such as in a raised garden bed, there is a lot of pressure exerted on the bed walls. Thin wood, on the other hand, is more susceptible to bowing or rot. Concrete or metal beds will outlive even the best wood raised beds. We'll go into more detail about the best wood for raised beds in the following section.

Cost

Cost is frequently (but not always!) correlated with long-term usefulness. Quality materials that cost more can last for decades or longer if they are properly cared for. The lifespan of your raised bed may be compromised if you choose to save money up front and use less expensive materials. Reclaimed pallets or soft pine wood, for example, may not last as long as a planter box made of premium lumber. Large stones or concrete blocks, on the other hand, will cost more than straw bales, but will last a lifetime in comparison!

There's no need to shell out a fortune on raised garden beds, though! If you're renting your current home or only setting up a temporary garden space, you may be willing to sacrifice a little lifespan in order to save money up front. There are a slew of other methods for scrounging up a good deal. You can scavenge through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, junkyards, and more to find materials. If you have easy access to large felled logs, you can even build a bed that is both extremely durable and reasonably priced..

Remember to shop around for the best deals. Landscape supply companies in the area can offer great deals on stones, blocks, gravel, bulk soil and mulch (and a wider variety of materials). When compared to big-box hardware stores, buying lumber from a small-town shop has proven to be prohibitively expensive.

Safety

Creative and inexpensive raised garden bed "hacks" can be found all over the internet, but I strongly encourage you to use common sense! For example, I'd think twice before building an edible garden bed out of painted or treated salvaged wood. It's even worse if the origin and age of the object are unknown! It's possible that the wood is contaminated with toxic chemicals like lead, arsenic, or other heavy metals, which can contaminate your soil and food. Despite the fact that modern pressure-treated wood is less toxic than older versions, I still do not recommend using it for any construction purposes.

 

I've seen people use styrofoam coolers (made of polystyrene, a suspected carcinogen) or old car ties to build garden beds. (contain benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and a host of other substances that are toxic to human health). There is nothing wrong with recycling, but I don't think it's worth the risk to me. Materials to avoid are listed in the following section.

FAQS

Are galvanized steel garden beds safe?

They are absolutely safe to grow food in galvanized steel garden beds! The emphasis here is on quality, so look for products with excellent reputations and reviews! Iron and carbon combine to form steel, a common building material. When a layer of zinc is applied to steel, it effectively seals and protects it from corrosion. Zinc from the coating is extremely unlikely to leach into your soil in significant amounts. A galvanized zinc coating can only be broken down under extremely acidic conditions and over an extremely long period of time.

Even so, zinc isn't a bad guy. Plants need zinc, which is a mineral that occurs naturally in soil and is, therefore, an important micronutrient. Zinc is required by plants for a variety of physiological processes, including root development, cold resistance, and the production of phytochemicals like chlorophyll. If, on the other hand, the interior of your galvanized steel beds begins to corrode, it is best to replace them.

Are concrete blocks or cinder blocks safe for gardening?

When using pavers, bricks, or cinder block materials to build raised garden beds, fly ash is a common concern. It's common to use fly ash as a masonry additive that contains heavy metals, such as radium and arsenic. The amount of scientific evidence on whether or not these heavy metals are readily leached into the soil around them is extremely limited. It's best to buy your materials from a reliable source where you can verify whether or not they contain any fly ash by asking specific questions and looking at the specifications.

Conclusion

This concludes our look at the most common materials for raised garden beds. Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions or need any help deciding what is best for your garden now that you've read through the information presented here. Maybe you'll mix and match different looks? Whatever happens, I'm confident everything will turn out perfectly!

Check out this article on how to fill raised garden beds with the "perfect" organic garden soil mixture once you've got your beds up and running. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below, and if you found this article helpful, please share it!

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