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Can I use old deck boards for raised beds?

Yes, you can. And as you can see from the image above I commonly do use decking boards to make my raised beds.

patientgardener.co.uk - Can you use decking boards for raised beds? - The Patient Gardener
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If you are planning on building your own raised beds then you have wondered if you can use decking boards for raised beds? well, let’s have a look and find out. Also while you are here you may find my really simple raised beds build guide useful.

can you use decking boards for raised beds?

Can you use decking boards for raised beds?

Yes, you can. And as you can see from the image above I commonly do use decking boards to make my raised beds.

So where does the confusion in relation to decking boards come from? Well as it turns out there is still some outdated information online telling you not to use decking boards for raised beds, so what gives?

Well the advice was sound at the time and still is in relation to old decking boards, what has changed is the decking boards themselves. Mainly I am talking about the treatments the boards receive in order to make them more resistant to the weather.

Dangerous Chemicals

It used to be that all pressure treated timber had lots of pretty nasty stuff in it. Stuff like arsenic and high levels of chromium. This has all changed now and the pressure-treating process now uses a copper-based treatment. The older process of using arsenic has been outright banned so you don’t have to worry about buying wood that has been treated in that way by accident. What this means is that any new decking board is safe to use for raised beds but won’t last as long as old decking boards used to. The new treatment, while safer, doesn’t provide as much protection.

Extending the life of decking boards

if you do build a raised bed out of decking boards and want to extend its life of it then consider using a plastic membrane behind the boards. This is just a layer of plastic sheeting that goes in between the decking board and your soil. It will stop the decking board from soaking up moisture from damp soil and make it last longer. If you do this and also extend the plastic membrane across the ground to work as a weed barrier then make sure you put some drainage holes in it! You don’t want to inadvertently make a muddy pond.

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How do you keep cut tree branches alive?

Keep your branches in a cool room (around 60°F) and away from bright light so they don't wither. Change the water daily until the buds begin to show color. Bring them out into brighter light, but not direct sun, with fresh water in the vase (change the water every other day).

womansday.com - How to Keep Cut Branches Fresh - Woman's Day

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Invite the beauty of flowering branches indoors. You can lengthen the life of a freshly-pruned arrangement by heeding the picking, prepping and arranging tips that follow.

1. Cut

Look for branches in your yard that have fat flower buds. Use sharp pruning shears to make a cut flush with an adjacent branch.

2. Smash

Once indoors, make a 1"–2" slit in each stem bottom with a sharp knife, then smash the slits with a hammer. This prevents resin from sealing the cut end, and lets water penetrate each branch.

3. Dunk

Remove any lower buds and set the branches in a deep tub of lukewarm water (keeping any remaining buds above the water line) for several hours. This will wash off any extra bits of bark and allow the branches to acclimate to warm, dry indoor air. Transfer them into a vase with at least 6" of lukewarm water.

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4. Store

Keep your branches in a cool room (around 60°F) and away from bright light so they don't wither. Change the water daily until the buds begin to show color.

5. Enjoy

Bring them out into brighter light, but not direct sun, with fresh water in the vase (change the water every other day). Some branches, like pussy willow, will open up in a few days. Others, like forsythia, witch hazel, lilacs, plums, Siberian dogwood, chokecherries, honeysuckle, flowering almond, apples or crab apples, could take a couple of weeks. The blooms will last about two weeks—the cooler the room, the longer they'll keep. Sonia Day's new book, Incredible Edibles: 43 Fun Things to Grow in the City, is available at .

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