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Tried using old pallet wood for a raised garden bed... ended up with splinters everywhere and the whole thing fell apart after 2 rains. Now I just buy cedar from the lumber yard.
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skyler_johnson321mo ago
Cedar is usually good for closer to 10 years if you build it right and get the thicker stuff. 2x6 is fine for shallow beds but if you want root crops like carrots, 2x8 makes a big difference in how deep the soil sits. Rot sets in faster with 2x6 since there's less wood to hold up against the damp ground.
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craig.olivia9d ago
Hold up, is it really that deep though? Like yeah pallets can be sketchy but I've seen people slap together some janky beds out of free wood that lasted years. Feels like everyone gets real precious about lumber when you can just toss some cheap treated pine in there and call it a day before it rots out in 3 or 4 summers.
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iris_thomas851mo ago
Yeah I learned that lesson too. Pallets can have toxic chemicals or just rot out fast like you saw. Cedar is way more expensive but for a 4x8 bed it lasts 5-7 years easy. Did you go with 2x6 or 2x8 boards?
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