Green timber raised beds made from flitching

[deblobbie]

Hello.I have made some bed frames from the edge of pine trunks with bark on. They look a bit like a log cabin. They are made from green timber so I think they may need some sort of treatment to stop them splitting and warping excessively? I don't want the treatment to taint the soil though. Any old fashioned techniques that anyone knows of would be great.
Any thoughts (not including make them out of something else)?

[ElizabethB]

You did not say where you live. Makes a difference. I live in south Louisiana. It really doesn't matter what I use on my square foot boxes - treated - untreated - 5 years is about the max I can expect. I have pushed it to 6 years but it really doesn't matter what I use. I just figure on redoing my boxes every 5 years. I have been using landscape timbers 2 high and 2 wide. I find that a little restrictive as I get older. Harder for me to work with. I have a plan for a new garden that G is digging his heels in about doing. Love my man but sometimes want to strangle him. All OK I WILL get my way. I ramble - as usual. Your climate dictates how long your wood will last. If you are using pine do have a periodic (every 2 years) soil test done. There is the possibility of the pine lowering the pH of your soil. I have a soil test done every 2 years just because. I rarely have any issues but I feel reassured by having the lab test done.


Ow well - I do tend to ramble on. Good luck with your project.

[deblobbie]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Am in England, central. Very wet recently but usually moderate. Interesting about the effect of pine on soil. Luckily the beds are not that big so maybe the addition of compost occassionally will help on that front. I am not clued up on such techy things, just made the beds as a christmas present for my dad and wanted to find a way to help them last.
Since posting I looked up some stuff on the internet and surprisingly butumin is looking promising.

[DoubleDogFarm]