Raised beds, building and wood preserves.

Hi Guys, just starting work on my kitchen garden. Space being cleared for a trio of 8x4ft raised beds. Thinking of trying this method, any good? Perhaps planting squashes, marrow in one, beans, toms, onions etc in another and perhaps potatoes in the last.

http://www.urbanfoodgarden.org/main/vegetable-patch-design/vegetable-patch-design--building-raised-bed.htm

I was going to dig the base ground over and add in manure first, then layering as above.

Also, I've read that there can be issues with the use of wood preserves used in the timber of a raised bed leaching into the soil. I have read that bitumious paint is a good alternative. I have a large drum of Evostik Prufe-It that I'm thinking of using to paint up some old scaffold boards.

What do you guys think.

 

I have two small raised beds and I think they're a great way to grow veg for those of us with small gardens. I used pressure treated decking timbers that were 150mm X 47mm. I know in theory the preservative could leach into the soil but I think the health risk is very small because;

heavy rain will wash away any leached preservative (it seems to do that with my fertilisers!!)

I only grow a very small percentage of the veg I eat in a whole year (more's the pity)

If you're really worried about it, you could line the insides of your raised beds' walls with plastic

 

Given the age of railway sleepers, they've been replacing them with concrete ones for decades, I don't think there's likely to be much left on the surface which will adversely affect the soil. They're ideal for making raised beds.