ASH for raised beds

[kevin nee]

I would e to make some raised beds for Vegetables would Ash work?
I have green Ash. Any suggestions?

[Danny Hamsley]

It will work, but not the best choice. It will not stand up to the moisture very well. There are more long lasting choices like white oak and red cedar.

[Charles Bjorgen]

I made several raised bed containers from red cedar boards that are 1 1/8" thick and 7 1/2" wide. That was over 15 years ago and they are holding up very well. I doubt that ash would do that well although you'd probably get a few years service. I also have one box made from pine/fir and it is deteriorating now.

[Timothy Zotta]

I made mine out of rough cut 2x10 hemlock. I was originally thinking red cedar but couldnt locate the quantity that I needed plus hemlock was about a quarter of the cost. Hemlock was recommended by a professional carpenter friend of mine. He used hemlock for some planters he made for his wife 7 years ago and they are still holding up strong.
289853

[Yonak Hawkins]

I doubt you'd get even a few years' service from ash. I know of a guy who made a pick-up truck bed out of ash and I believe it was all rotted out before the year was over.

[John TenEyck]

BORG dimensional softwood lumber will last far longer than ash. Save the ash for some indoor use.

John

[kevin nee]

Thanks for the replies, Not what I wanted to hear, but what I thought in my mind.

[Wade Lippman]

I use PT. I know, I know... the chemicals leach into the ground, are absorbed by vegetables, and kill everyone. Except the amount that leaches out is negligible and has never been found to be absorbed by vegetables.

[Dale Murray]

I used pressure treated. Before doing so I did some research and learned current consumer PT wood is safe for gardening. Wood prior to 2003 was questionable.

I built mine with PT but intend to cover the visible sides facing our yard with cedar next year. No need to use expensive pretty wood where nobody is going to see it. I figure I can resaw 2x8 cedar to 3/4x8 as a veneer.

[Loren McDaniel]

Some will bash PT but I've been using it for years and have some very productive raised beds. The lumber lasts a long long time.

[Doug Garson]

Whatever material you use, line the inside (sides only not the bottom) with 6 mil poly. This avoids contact between the wet soil and the wood. Wrap it up over the top and then cover it with a horizontal board. If you separate the wood and soil the wood lasts longer and if it is PT no concern with contaminating the soil. I also set the bottom of the vertical boards on a row of small paving stones and use a sill plate gasket or wrap the poly under it to keep it from wicking moisture up from the ground. A little extra work but pays off in the long run.

[william watts]

Here's a link to info on rot resistant wood http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8144.pdf scroll down a few pages two see a chart, ash does not do very well in weather. I used Redwood graded "construction heart" 3 years ago for raised beds and their still in very nice shape. P/T is also very good.