Below is a paste from the link below. fwiw - my untreated beds are over 8yrs now. I would do it all over again. I never added anything but compost & mulch either. Just put the frames right on the soil.

What I do is go to Home Depot (HD) lumber section where they have scrap wood. They call it cull wood. Not sure if Lowes does the same. Cull wood usually has some defect. Where it is warped, nicked, chipped, split, cracked, used, or just generally less than perfect. Who cares, just going in the garden anyway. The store I go to cuts the wood into 4ft. lengths (perfect) other stores 3 or 5ft. The wood is usually kept on a cart somewhere in the lumber dept. Ask if you don't see it, it will saves lots of time. HD colors codes the price for these pieces. Green (51 cents), Yellow $1.01, Orange $2.01, and Red $4.01. I have noticed some stores think their scrap is priceless. The guy at my store keeps the wood moving by painting it green. Needless to say I generally wait for the best price :-). I check everyday cause it moves fast, esp. the green. What is there in the AM won't likely be there in the PM. The wood varies but could be anywhere from 1"x2" to 2"x12", or 2x4ft plywood (I made many shelves from the plywood), could be pressure treated (they don't use arsenic anymore but copper and that is another discussion) or the composite used for decks (tho the composite IS more $$, and heavy too).

I can get in & out of the store in less than 5min IF they don't have any green. Sometimes the length varies but I grab one of their tape measures so I know what I am getting. I don't like to have to cut. The 4 ft lengths will fit nicely into the back seat of most cars and are far lighter than cinder blocks (less expensive too).

To illustrate an example, say they have 4 2x6's painted green. You look them over decide they will work and pay .51x4=$2.04 plus .13 (6%)tax = $2.17
Not bad. Now you have to add the cost of the hardware. I use some 3.5x3 inch angle brackets I have had laying around for some 20+ yrs. and 2 sheet-rock screws in each side of the bracket (4x4=16 screws). You can use nails, 3in sheet-rock screws, buy some angle brackets, or whatever you have on hand. So you want to make your beds 12" deep? Grab 4 more 2x6's and lay it on top & use a scrap piece to screw or nail the top to the bottom or don't bother. Cost= $4.34 plus whatever you use for hardware. You can paint them or just leave them. Even pine is likely to last 5yrs or more untreated. Anchor them? I don't bother, haven't seen one walk away yet. If you need to move it, just grab one end move it inches or feet. Level it? Well kinda anyway.

The down side. Well it won't be a perfect 48x48 inches. It may come out to be 45x48in depending on the thickness of the lumber you use. I don't sweat it. To make a perfect 48x48 with 2x lumber, you will need 2 lengths of 51 inch and 2 at 48 inch.

So what happens if you have to pay full price? A 2"x6"x8ft piece of Douglas fir (cheap stuff) cost $5.27 plus .32 tax= $5.59 You get one free cut per board (cut to 4ft length making it easier to transport even in a Honda Civic). You will need 16ft so double the cost =$11.18. Of course if you don't want to build your bed up, you could use 2x4's (little over $6 for 2-8ft lengths), use 1x2's, or simply use string or rope tied to some stakes pounded into the corners to mark the perimeter. Or simply get creative. The whole idea, NOT to walk on the planting surface. So think outside the box, just don't walk in the box.

Will untreated wood last as long as cinder blocks? No. Does it look as nice? Maybe, if you paint or otherwise decorate it. Then it may last as long. Is wood cheaper than cinder? Definitely. Easier to move? YES. Consider a cinder block is 8 inches wide. 2x8=16 inches off your planting area. That is 48-16=32, unless you choose to reach across a width of 48+16=64 inches. That is 5ft 4in. if my math is right. Quite the stretch.

I prefer to avoid cinders, rocks, or anything slugs can hide under.
I use leaves, pine needles, cardboard, newspapers, or something that will decompose and attract earthworms in the aisles to keep the weeds to a minimum.

That's MY story and I'm sticking to it. Hope it helps.

Life consist of a series of choices and seems to be a learning process.

Wishing you happiness,
Gumby

Do a search for more discussions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Borders for Bed Gardening

Thanks you so much Gumby, that helped a ton! I was really surprised to see that Mel's book didn't talk a lot about the materials to make the actual box out of.

I'm trying to make a list of materials that I need. I'm thinking of make a 4x4 (veggies) and 2-2x2 (one for lettuces and one for herbs). I have a small backyard so I don't have a whole lot of room to work in.

What do you find to be the best on the sides 6" or 12"? Are your boxes raised? Did you put some kind of weed barrier under the box?

My next mission is trying to find some vermiculite at an affordable price. I didn't even realize that would be an issue until I stumbled upon this site.

TIA, Renee

Hi Renee,

I used hemlock for my beds; it's weather-resistant like redwood, but plentiful here in Vermont. I would guess it grows in Michigan too. The wood for our new 4' x 8' bed cost $23, about $8 per board (they were 2"x10"x8'). We got it at a local sawmill.

As you may have guessed by my measurements, my beds are 10 inches deep. I covered the bottom of the box with cardboard before filling with Mel's Mix. There are pictures in my blog (link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: Northeast Kingdom Localvores (my blog)

hey newby going along with gumby said menards has cull wood also,dont know how far menard stores go north though. good scroungeing

Renee, use the wood you can get - if you need a higher bed add another frame on top.

I forgot to say before - if you have weeds or grass where a new bed is going, knowing what I know now you can put down a layer of cardboard or newspaper but something that will decompose. I would avoid landscape fabric cuz it will NOT decompose and just lingers for yrs. to come.

Then, no matter what I did - I would do a quasi lasagna bed. Don't ask what is that just google it if you don't know. Suffice it to say you want to add plenty of organic matter to the bed. So if lasagna is not timely then just add compost. But consider the lasagna method for any new beds.

HTH

http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/sept04/pg1.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Lasagna Gardening 101

Hi, Menards has the whole box ready to assemble for around $35. Sides, corner pieces and all. If I was going to start from scratch, and not sure if I'd like it, that's what I'd use.

Have Fun!
Karen

Last year I built my first SFG. I used 1 x 6's, but would strongly recommend using a 2" thickness of whatever wood you decide on. The 1 x 6's did not hold up well and the corners were coming apart by the end of the season. I ended up rebuilding with 2 x 6's this year. I guess if I had used corner posts to screw the 1 x 6's into it may have held up. Just my 2 cents for what its worth :)

I used both 2by & 1by lumber - all are untreated & over 8yrs now. I pre-drilled the 1by to avoid splitting and used 2.5in sheetrock screws which are still in place. To extend the life you could flip the side in contact with the soil, once or twice a year if you like. I would avoid using plastic which would trap moisture next to the wood.

Here's a paste from an old post -
Anyone Use 1' instead of 2' lumber?
I have...
but I do NOT use 4x4 posts either, I just screw the corners together. Tho with 1x's it is be better to pre-drill the holes to avoid splitting the wood. As for bowing - most of my frames are 4x4 with no noticeable bowing. I doubt that 6ft will bow that much but if you are worried about it try screwing a 3ft piece of 1x2 in the center of the long side (with the 1" side to the board).

I would imagine if you cut the sides down to 6 or 8 inches high you could save more. I would say unless you are having trouble bending over 12" is a bit overkill.

If you are willing to do it twice the below link may save you a few more pennies.

Good Luck,
Gumby_CT

The entire post is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Anyone Use 1' instead of 2' lumber?