Edging veg beds...

Hello. I'm wondering if anyone has any good ideas for cheap - ideally free - veg bed edging. The purpose is purely as a barrier to stop the weeds (primarily couch grass) invading from all sides, as I'm not making raised beds.

I'd prefer not to use wood and have been looking on freecyle for large roof slates (won't rot, decent depth, easy to rearrange as the allotment beds develop etc), but no luck so far. I have a couple of strips of the cheapo plastic lawn edging that comes on a roll that I picked up at boot sales, so will use those, but would ideally like something a bit deeper. I'm trying to think laterally! Any suggestions?

 

Hi Mapgirl
I would, and do just till the soil away from the grass making like a small trench all round the beds , if any weeds try to break away just hand weed.
Just skim round once a week.
Job done and free...........

 

Thanks for the reply. This is what I have been doing until now, but I have a large plot with two sides adjacent to the 'wild' areas of the site and on those sides in particular this has been a losing strategy!

 

I'd also be interested in an answer to this as I've just taken over an allotment which has previously had wooden edging which is almost entirely rotten now... I am considering just replacing like for like but I'd rather not be in the same position 3 years down the road

 

Plastic red/white reflective barrier planks like these don't rot if used for raised bed edgings.

 

I'm a glutton for punishment (and skint) so I have earth paths in the veggie plot which are a pain to keep weed free BUT down the long side where I sowed the rhubarb and planted red bergamot it's pretty well weed free most of the time.
In the past I've grown nasturtiums along one side and that kept weeds at bay and looked good. In my dreams I have huge raised beds with paths that have a weed membrane covered with wood chippings. And yes that is about a billion dandelion heads you see in the field next door.

 

i am debating this very thought, ????