When deciding to buy a raised gaeden bed its important to understand the
6 types of raised garden beds and the pros and cons of each.

 

buy raised garden bed online

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Below are the 6 main types of raised garden beds and a detailed strengths and weaknesses comparison including an editor’s rating.

Its intended at a shoppers guide to help you buy the right garden beds suitable for your needs.

These reviews cover UV resistance, chemical related issues, durability of materials used and the ease of receiving and setting up the raised garden bed you may purchase.

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1. Buying Timber Raised Garden Beds

Strengths: timber garden beds

  • Timber is naturally UV resistant and certain species and also natrually rot resistant.
  • It’s a natural product that decomposes to enrich your soil.
  • Timber promotes beneficial microbial growth within the soil.
  • Timber is typically a solid material and will stay in place.

    Weaknesses:

  • Timber will have a limited life time, certain timber is prone to cracking if it’s not seasoned correctly or of a species that often cracks.
  • Timber garden beds are usually heavy and if you buy a timber raised garden bed delivery is not cheap.
  • If you have one made locally it may be quite expensive.
  • Timber may attract certain pests such as termites, wood borers and fungi.
  • It’s important to choose timbers naturally rot and pest resistant - A good example of this is Cypress.

    Overall rating: 5/10 stars

    Additional Comments: Not all timber raised garden beds for sale are created equally, make sure you get a timber with a high durability rating that is pest and rot resistant. It’s also important to avoid chemical treatments as arsenic commonly used in treated timber is a poisonous heavy metal that accumulates in the both the vegetables and the human body leading to hair loss among a host of other issues. Chromium in the form used in treated timber also is likely to cause cancer. --Best to avoid--

     

    2. Buying Sleeper Raised Garden Beds

    Strengths:

  • Sleepers come in a range of different forms there are railway sleepers which may be reclaimed or recycled and are typically made form hard wood.
  • You must be careful when selecting these as some will be treated with toxic chemicals to improve there longevity.
  • Chemical pressure treated sleepers made from timbers should also be avoided.
  • If you find a clean quality hardwood timber it will last up to 40 years outside.
  • As mentioned before timber is a UV resistant material unlike most plastics.
  • As sleepers decompose they add nutrition to the soil and provided they are chemical preservative free will be beneficial for the vegetables and the grower (you).
  • Sleepers are quite cheap and ecconomical.

    Weaknesses: sleeper garden bed

  • Sleepers are very heavy.
  • The majority of sleepers available are treated.

    Overall rating: 5/10 stars

    Additional Comments: sleepers vary in size; if you plan to use them in a garden bed make sure you join them properly if you screw into the timber grain they won’t hold, if you drill across the timber grain it will hold together well. This is why many professional raised garden beds use corner stumps. So when buying a sleeper raised garden bed such as this or getting one made ensure it has inner corner pieces.

     

    3. Buying Treated Wood Raised Garden Beds

    Strengths:

  • High pest and rot durability.
  • Lighter weight than hardwood timber.
  • Cheap product.

    Weaknesses:

  • Chemical treatment make it unsuitable for vegetable gardens. chemical treated raised garden bed cca
  • If growing flowers in them dispose of cuttings, don’t compost trimmings as they will contain heavy metal poisons that will not decompose in the compost.

    Overall rating: 2/10 stars

    Additional Comments: Only suitable for non food garden beds. Do not grow food crops near it. Keep out of reach of children. Treatment poison can rub off onto children’s hands where they may then adsorb or consume the dangerous poisons. Ttry to buy safer timber for your home and family.

     

    4. Buying Corrugated Metal Raised Garden Beds / Corrugated Iron Raised Garden Beds

    Strengths: growing vegetables in a garden bed

  • Light weight.
  • Uniform finish.
  • Does not crack like timber.
  • Does not weather like timber.
  • Affordable delivery due to light weight construction.
  • Available in different colors.
  • UV resistant, water resistant.
  • Recyclable.
  • Available in do it yourself kit form.

    Weaknesses:

  • Will rust after a cretin time, this varies depending on quality of steel, and if it’s been sealed away from moisture and also the ph of the soil held in the garden bed.
  • It may have sharp edges.
  • Surface may be scratched and damaged if not cared for.

    Overall rating: 8/10

    Additional Comments: There is now innovative timber and corrugated iron raised garden beds available which benefit from the best of both worlds. Beware of some cheap Chinese garden beds which do not seal the corrugation ends and are prone to rusting rapidly. Corrugated iron should meet US standards and garden bed should not leak soil from the sides.

     

    5. Buying Composite Plastic Raised Garden Bedsplastic raised garden bed

    Strengths:

  • Light weight.
  • Insulative.
  • Cheap for delivery.
  • Easy to assemble.
  • Easy to move.

    Weaknesses:

  • Plastic can deteriorate in the sun if not well stabilized with UV stabelisers;
  • Plastic composites may also melt or bow in hot sunny conditions.
  • Recycled plastic may contain poisonous chemical depending on the origin and therefore not safe for food propagation or consumption.

    Overall rating: 6/10

    Additional Comments: Once again it comes down to finding the right plastic in the right garden bed. Another thing to keep in mind when deciding what raised garden bed to buy is the aesthetics, plastic may not be that appealing in the garden.

     

    6. Buying Brick Raised Garden Beds

    Strengths:

  • Bricks are durable and will have an unlimited lifetime,
  • Generally brick constructions are Permanente and not easily brick raised garden bedmoved.
  • There are many types of bricks available to suit many homes and gardens.
  • Bricks are fire resistant, rot proof, pest proof and UV proof.

    Weaknesses:

  • Bricks are quite heavy so delivery is out of the question.
  • Kits are also not available in brick form.
  • Construction can be very expansive.

    Overall rating: 8/10

    Additional Comments: Bricks are generally free from any chemicals so make a good alternative to treated timbers. Recycled bricks are also quite easy to come by at a good price.

     

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    We have put together this buyer’s guide to help you make an informed decision when you decide to buy a raised garden bed.

    Here are a number of different types of raised garden beds for sale, each has their own strengths and weaknesses and will suit different people in different ways.

    The aim of this website is to help you decide which raised garden bed to purchase and the benefits and weaknesses of each available so you know you will get the right one for you weather your buying it for the purpose of growing vegetable or if you’re buying you’re raised garden bed for an ornamental garden.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Thanks for reading this buyers guide to help you find the right raised garden bed for your needs.