Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadback[_3_]
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.
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Boards on allotments seem to be a relatively new thing, and from what I've seen tend to be used to separate the beds and the paths. You can make pretty patterns with them.. The beds developed don't appear to be seriously raised. just the looseness of the soil raising it above the path level. I no longer have an allotment but the whole plot was dug as one bed with a couple of planks used to walk on between the rows. My vegetable garden at home is a different matter with raised beds being the objective. I used concrete breeze blocks 4" thick. My first bed was 12" deep, 5 sq. m. and used 99 blocks. At that time the cost was Just under £50. The blocks were laid flat and space not wasted because l grow some things in large pots which stand on top. They enable me to go a lot higher if necessary without the use of cement, and of course the shape can easily be changed. They build houses with them so they are not likely to rot. I think a good long term investment for a garden but not an allotment.