Food safe sleeper beds

[livpoksoc]

I have just cut up some UC4 treated sleepers fo make some raised beds ready to grow veg in. But a friend said that even treated sleepers will rot if soil is left up against them, and he recommended lining them with plastic - but I was wondering if that was a safe material that won't leach bad things into the soil?

In terms of drainage, I was planning on laying a plastic membrane on the dug out ground, them pea gravel on top, then placing the sleepers on that, potentially just wrapping the inner walls and feet with something to protect them, but can't find any clear guidance on a safe material to use

 

[Poacher]

Butyl pond liner?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Ime, eventually all wood rots, actually, it becomes compost, so all good.
No worries, it takes years, I have a planter made of pallets that still stands strong after 10 years, not rotted yet.
Every time I have used plastic in the garden I came to regret it, eventually it shreds, rips, bits of plastic allover the place.
Weeds grow through the plastic, their roots become embedded, hard to remove, shredding the plastic while one tries to remove the weeds.

 

[88robb]

Right, just line the inside walls with thick polythene to stop the soil touching the sleepers. Poke plenty of holes in it at the bottom for drainage, but don't put any plastic under the soil or your plants will drown.

 

[T4tomo]

You will almost certainly die before the sleepers rot. I wouldn't bother lining them with anything.

 

[Alex321]

We haven't used sleepers, but have used regular softwood treated for outdoor use for our beds.

We line the sides with old compost bags, cut open, stapled to the top and then just held against the base by soil.

 

[mistyoptic]

We made raised beds using this range of products. Been very pleased with them

https://www.solwayrecycling.co.uk/shop/home-garden-communities/raised-beds/standard-raised-bed

 

[Drago]

I blagged some new scaffold boards rrom the builders.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

If you have no plastic on the bed base, to prevent flooding, don't you risk chemicals in the sleepers leeching into the water and then being absorbed by the plants? Only a potential issue if you're growing edible plants.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

If you have no plastic on the bed base, to prevent flooding, don't you risk chemicals in the sleepers leeching into the water and then being absorbed by the plants? Only a potential issue if you're growing edible plants.

One must use HT treated pallets, the wood is safe for growing food.
I guess it's the same for sleepers, or any kind of wood used for growing.
If it's sold for making raised beds it will be safe.
I made some lovely raised beds by using logs and long branches left behind by the tree surgeon.