What kind of wood (untreated) do you suggest I use for an outdoor raised bed?
Answer
You need a rot-resistant wood like locust but boards of this are difficult to find. Some people use 6x6's but they are expensive and hard to transport. There is a product on the internet but I haven't used it so can't recommend it. We used Trex. We couldn't find any indication that Trex was bad for raised beds. My bed is 8x8x12"...always need more space! Just regular brackets with stainless or galvanized screws were at the corners. Then we will staple landscape cloth only around the edges and about a foot into the bed to keep the soil in. Then we will cover the soil with 3 layers of newspapers to smother the weeds below before putting the soil in. We were also advised to put 18" rebars in the outside center of each side to keep boards from bending out from the weight of the soil. Happy Gardening! And don't forget to enter the PHS City Gardens Contest! ep