On 28/11/2015 18:21, David Hill wrote:
On 26/11/2015 17:26, john west wrote:
At our Allotment there is the general attempt by members to place
scaffolding boards around the edge of their planting areas and also to
lay down plastic sheet covered with wood-chip on the surrounding paths.

This keeps the loose earth contained behind the boards at the edge and
the paths free of wet mud.

These scaffolding boards are about £13 each and after a few years partly
buried in the ground start to rot away.

Is there a cheaper and more durable alternative to the scaffolding
boards, to do this job ?

I have in mind perhaps something like overlapping imitation roof slates?

Grateful for any *inexpensive* alternatives to scaffolding boards.
Thanks.


I'd have thought that if you treated the upper part of the boards in the
summer when they were dry and then turned the boards in the autumn so
that the part under the soil was brought to the surface then the boards
would last many years, and keeping in mind that you can easily cut them
to size they would be your best bet.
Not as heavy as concrete and deeper that most of the possible alternatives.
I used second hand sleepers, they lasted years, just got rid of them a
year ago, and the gardener took them to use elsewhere.