Building Raised Beds for the Polycrub and Tips on Making Raised Beds Last Longer

[@LizZorab]

What a great idea to seal the beds. I wish I'd seen this before I made all our our new raised beds!

[@Lovelygreens]

Clever, isn't it? There's been zero moisture coming through the gaps so far too 🙌😁

[@scottprather5645]

Polly crub is a game changer for sure

[@shanebep3135]

your energy continues to flow!

[@davidthescottishvegan]

The raised beds having Maggie's approval. Excellent job on the raised beds Joshua and now It's great to see the pepper's and tomatoes planted into the raised beds by Tanya. Always look forward to seeing your video's.

[@Lovelygreens]

But before then comes the care and irrigation phase 🙌 Maggie is going to have her own jungle

[@rebeccazody1278]

Love your new beds. Josh did so great on them. What a joyful time for you.

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm so happy! Thank you 😊

[@mothball4179]

superb next step cup of tea and a chair and admire your fine efforts.

[@the_green_anna]

Clever! Great way to make my compost-bins last longer. Thank you!

[@stevendowden2579]

all coming along nicely tanya

[@simplifygardening]

Great video Tanya. Ive used that silicone for years when building vivarium when I had an exotic pets business before I was on the gardening channel. Its great stuff and is a great tip

[@Lovelygreens]

I'd have never known! 🦎 As for this application, I'm pretty excited about it! In my old raised beds I'd notice moisture sometimes leaking through the side planks. They are perfectly dry and watertight now 👌 Looking forward to the wood lasting longer too!

[@simplifygardening]

It’s a great tip

[@slrw82]

Awesome work, Team Lovely Greens! Wow, 42 wheelbarrow loads... We built a miniature version in our little greenhouse and that felt like a big job. With the Polycrub and now these beds, you have an outstanding piece of infrastructure for many years of growing and eating. Thanks again for another fantastic video and enjoy the Polycrub :-)

[@Lovelygreens]

Hard work pays off, whether a big structure or a smaller version! Thanks, Sam :)

[@thereseboogades8498]

I'm binging on your videos - again! 😅 I've been building raised beds on a slope; plenty of extra work there! Still, it's such a joy to work outdoors on our projects. I'm eager to watch this one on how you choose to build. All the best to you & hello, again, to you from across the pond in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the east coast, USA. 😊❤.

[@Lovelygreens]

All the best to you, too! Sounds like you're having a great time working outside 👍

[@emmalampka55]

Really great guidance. Great to see Comet and Maggie. We are building outside bed so will be using all your tips.

[@jennyjohnson9012]

So lovely to see it all coming together with the planting! Such hard work. So glad Josh has recovered, sciatica is horrible. I see Maggie has made herself at home lol. Its nice and warm in there for her!

[@Lovelygreens]

All the cats love it 😹 Sciatica IS horrible! Thank goodness he's seeing the other side of it 💚

[@janenewley6539]

I have made a large tall raised bed on my allottment…but did put logs and brush and leaves in the base…like hugelkultur…before filling the top half with soil, homemade compost and leaf mould…it is working well tho I did need to top up with more compost etc at the start of this season😀

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm not sold on it for permanent raised beds. While the wood is breaking down it would give lots of lovely places for ants, slugs, and other critters to live. Fine in a true Hugelkultur mound outdoors though.

[@brionyhall4250]

Here in Shetland a lot of us fill the base with sheep wool

[@Lovelygreens]

I'd try that too! Makes a lot of sense and the wool will eventually break down 👌

[@lesliesolwayboyd689]

wow....what a great space!!!!

[@francineh.7825]

The raised beds look beautiful! Glad to hear Josh is feeling better. What a great space and look forward to seeing what else you will be planting in there. Oh that's so awesome you started a Patreon page!

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm really excited about it too! There will be livestreams, Q&As and all sorts of fun going on over on Patreon :) Josh was in SUCH pain when it set in...plus numbness and pins and needles. So glad that he's recovered now. Took a couple of weeks though 💚

[@lindaswedenlifestyle]

Such a lovely and huge green house.. tomatoes looking great🥰 nice watching how you put the celecon & staff..have a great day a head👍🥰

[@Lovelygreens]

You as well, Linda :) thank you

[@BlessingsfromNorthIdaho]

Hello from Idaho👋🏻. Congratulations on your new polycrub! You both did a great job on it, it looks great. I love seeing Maggie. It looked like she was smiling as she was sunning herself. ❤️

[@Lovelygreens]

Thank you! Yes, she's a very happy kit-cat 💚

[@BubbleTeaKristin]

Great video! Thank you so much for sharing everything step by step with us! P.s. Neil said that was a genius idea to get the aquatic sealant! 😉👍🏼

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm glad that I found it! I'm sure ordinary silicone would be fine but aquatic sealant gives me more peace of mind :)

[@michelleadams2997]

Wow! Love your poly rub, great work

[@ufoman4468]

Hello Tanya Lovely Greens, Well, Its all taking shape isnt it? You must both be knackered wheeling barrows of soil up and down. But it sure looks like the graft is going to pay off handsomely. Now for the care and attention of nurturing those lovely fruits and veggies to harvest time .

[@Lovelygreens]

Absolutely! Can't wait for harvest time :)

[@papacos4745]

I've seen people use a pond liner in wood raised beds for bottom watering SIP CONTAINER. Or you could purchase Birdies Raised beds made out of coated zinc over the metal. Will last over 20 years. Even check out Earth Boxes, there is a guy on utube that filled his whole backyard with them. Just giving more options for people. I think at the end of the day it depends on your budget & how much time you want put into building raised beds. And for people in wheel chairs need beds or containers that are raised off the ground to garden better with less of hassle. Happy growing ✌️🌎

[@TimosGarden]

One important thing to know when you use vermiculite or perlite from the building industry is that it has to be completely untreated! sometimes they have it treated with chemicals to boost the insulation value

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm pretty sure that the majority is -- it's worth reading the information on the packaging and asking customer services though :)

[@katemadgwick4520]

Hi Tanya. Your polycrub is amazing! Thank you for all your great tips. You're very inspiring 😁 How wide are your raised beds along the sides of the polycrub? How wide are the paths? Can you fit a wheelbarrow in between them?

[@fergusdangerfield156]

Lovely job, great video xx.

[@MrMonero]

Amazing. I am hoping to have my piece of land here in the Highlands of Scotland soon. Will be looking forward to building my PolyCrub the moment we have the land 😊

[@papacos4745]

Love your Greenhouse,🙌

[@tiffcat1100]

Well done both,👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 such a lot of work, it will be well worth it. I am now on the first rung of a ladder with, say, 100 rungs to becoming a gardener 💖😊💖 ps sympathy re the sciatica, prevent recurrence by: sleeping on tum/using pillow between the knees if lying on side/use lumbar roll behind lower back (can be a stuffed toy or rolled up towel) when sitting or driving 🥰 oh and gentle back stretches :)

[@Lovelygreens]

Thank you 😊

[@MIck1-10]

Great raised beds.

[@Carl_from_plot_to_plate]

Absolutely brilliant job !!’ I have binged watched you building this incredible structure… great tips and advice … thank you for sharing just subbed can’t understood why I have only found your channel recently!!!

[@Lovelygreens]

Thank you and welcome!

[@ladyjinyxx]

I recommend sealing the screws as well.

[@graces1227]

Thank you for sharing. How deep were the beds ?

[@altheab.8907]

Lots of great information, Tanya. So happy to see the polycrub coming together. Plants are nice and healthy. Will you be able harvest all winter without needing heat in your area? That will be wonderful if you can. You have accomplished so much since moving in. 😊❤️

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm hoping so, but we'll see! Excited for the year ahead 😁

[@lindabuchan5855]

I have polycrub envy Tania, I have a polytunnel with 2 beds, wished it was wide enough for 3 beds, glad Josh is ok now, I have had sciatica, it’s the worse pain ever.

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm glad too...it seemed so bad! 💚

[@helenrichardson1361]

Great informative video, many thanks Tanya. Great job on the raise beds and poly tunnel hybrid. I too have a very stoney, rocky ground and want to build raisebeds outside. Can you advise on what to put at the bottom of the raise bed? I have weeds growing also. Thanks H

[@Lovelygreens]

You're welcome! A layer of cardboard at the bottom is probably all you need. It breaks down over time but not before smothering the plants underneath.

[@donnamatthews4250]

Do you think that aquarium sealant would seal a large crack in the side of a large plastic container used for container gardening?

[@danlit7018]

Go on Tan, check you out. Just watched a little documentary about hempcrete. A company in Sweden that has lime in the area produces it like lego blocks. No need for mortar or glues, just stacks. Great for building eds. I stayed at am Eco village about 20 years ago In Ireland the whole place was made of it. Innovative. Near Cork.

[@Lovelygreens]

Ooh, not heard of it before. Sounds like an intriguing building material 👌

[@susanjennings3844]

New to your channel. Love the concept. How do you keep the gap between the raised bed & the poly rub clean?

[@Lovelygreens]

I tend to pull whatever dried leaves I can from places that I can reach and not worry about the rest.

[@keithbennettphotography4362]

loving the tunnel, can I ask please what the black tubing structure is, is it pvc pipe, thanks!

[@Lovelygreens]

It's recycled plastic pipe formerly used in a fish nursery.

[@TraceyRobinson-uz6tr]

Hi Tanya, we have finished our 5x4 Polycrub in North Cornwall and are just getting ready to build the raised beds. I'd love to know how you rate the aquatic sealant 2 years on? It's great it doesn't have fungicide or solvent in it but I did read it smells really strong so guess it must have some other strong chemicals in it even though suitable for reptiles/fish. Be great to hear your thoughts now some time has passed and if you'd do anything differently re. construction/layout. Hope you're having a great growing year! I can't wait to get planting in mine 😊

[@Lovelygreens]

I've been very pleased with it! The beds are doing great and filled with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, aubergines, peppers, and more at the moment. Congratulations on your new Polycrub!

[@ecogrrrl23]

Hi Tanya, This is great! Thanks for sharing. I'm looking into building my own raised beds/ planters in my front garden. I'm interested to know if you lined the bottoms with anything, or left them as they are? If you've left them, does soil not leak out when you water? Would you not want to keep it contained? Thanks for the content! Xx

[@tracymantovani9659]

Hi, does anyone have any idea where to get the required timber from (UK)? As soon as you you type in anything related to food safe or veg beds, all you get are extortionately priced kits but I need to make my own for the space I have. Thanks for any help 😊

[@nobblynobody]

Bit late now maybe, but in addition to the silicone trick, for bigger gaps have a look at black waterfall foam, ie it's expanding poly foam, likewise safe for aquatics etc.

[@Lovelygreens]

Interesting, and sounds worth looking into!

[@philtaylor9038]

Tanya, Glad to hear Josh is getting better, this was a really interesting one I suspect you will use the OLLA system as shown by a fantastic person " I wonder who that might be". or are you doing something different. Will the roof on the underside build up with moisture once water is introduced into the beds?

[@Lovelygreens]

Ollas will definitely be making an appearance 😁🙌

[@christiannemacintyre6877]

This was very informative -- thank you ! One question about the wood : I was under the impression that pressure-treated wood was not appropriate for garden beds unless one uses a plastic liner. I'm in Canada so maybe North American PT wood is different fron what you get in Europe, maybe ? If you give an insight on this, that would be great. Thank you so much. 🙏🙏

[@Lovelygreens]

I think pressure treated has had a bad reputation since it used to be treated with really poisonous chemicals. Things have changed since then here and I'm sure N. America too. Pressure treated wood here is treated with compounds that have been given the green light by our leading organic association, the Soil Association

[@jeanneamato8278]

Do you have pressure treated wood that doesn’t leach poisons into the soil? We only use PT wood if it’s for benches or fences not near edibles.

[@Lovelygreens]

Pressure-treated wood used to have arsenic in the past but it no longer does anywhere in the world (that I'm aware of). It got a bad reputation, for good reason, but is much safer now. The material that's used in most applications now in the UK is called Tanalith E. It's a material made of copper and biocides that only affect insects/animals if they start burrowing into the wood. According to the UK's Soil Association (the equivalent of USDA Organic), an accepted treatment for organic raised beds, and won't leach poisons into the soil.

[@juliemcgugan1244]

I used to keep and breed ornamental fish and shrimp that were very sensitive to any sort of chemical, so I can guarantee that aquarium silicon will be 110% safe for your raised beds. Could not even paint the walls in the room where I kept my fish tanks, as the mould-killing chemical in the paint would dissolve into the water from the air and kill the sensitive critters!

[@Lovelygreens]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@eliev7844]

What an exciting video! Absolutely love your raised beds, Tanya. I too plan to grow veggies in raised beds in my new greenhouse. Ive never done that before so your video came at a very opportune moment. My only concern is about the need to change the soil annually after growing things like tomatoes. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think it’s absolutely necessary? Regards from Cheshire x

[@Lovelygreens]

I get the concern -- you want to avoid nutrient deficiencies, pests, and disease if planting the same crops in a raised bed every year. I'm not changing the soil each year but I am planning on an annual top-up of compost and planting each future plant with even more. These beds will get top-ups of liquid plant feed too and any plant issues would be closely monitored :)

[@NataBo_ru]

Also I wanted to ask if you use biochar in your garden beds?

[@Lovelygreens]

I use ashes and charcoal leftover from our wood burner, but not specifically made biochar. I've heard good things, though, especially in poor soils.

[@nooie99]

Wont be long before all your hard will have paid off and in a few weeks youll be lharvesting produce. Id be tempted to put some quick crops in between peppers & Toms. .

[@Lovelygreens]

Absolutely!

[@dollyperry3020]

I love your channel and I respect you greatly. But I personally won't ever use pressure-treated lumber and silicon sealer in my raised beds. I don't want anything to touch the soil that I wouldn't want touching my food. I know the dissenters will say that the new pressure treated wood is completely safe. I would tell them that they used to think that the old pressure-treated wood was safe at one time as well. I prefer to be extreme in my choices on the side of safety. I do love the Polycrub and the design of the raised beds.

[@Lovelygreens]

I've looked into it and have even spoken to a manufacturer of the substance used to pressure treat wood here. I'm completely at ease with using it in raised beds, as I am with using the silicone. The latter is completely inert 👌 Go with what you feel comfortable with though :)

[@weedfreer]

where'd you find the curved support beams...are they specially made or are there folk selling them like that?

[@Lovelygreens]

Polycrubs are designed with them :)

[@weedfreer]

@@Lovelygreens I was thinking about getting, maybe, 1 then cutting it in half and using it for a small half tunnel maybe….with a flat wall at the rear

[@TheMrWoodsman]

Hi Tanya, is it worth lining the inside of the bed with plastic to keep the wet soil off the wood? Paul

[@Lovelygreens]

I'm not worried about soil contact with the wood. It's safe :) plastic lined wood generally leads to a slug problem, here. I wouldn't do it.

[@adysveggarden]

@@Lovelygreens Hello Tanya, please check these look like green pressure treated wood so CCA (Copper chrome arsenic) at (4:17 time of the video ) the end of the bed bottom panel shows the residue from this. I have lined all mine because of this.

[@JBW78133]

Noticed when you planted you didn't touch the roots. I was taught to spread them, cut them, etc., instead of leaving them wrapped around the root ball. Either way OK? Love your tube & beds!

[@Lovelygreens]

Hi JBW and thanks :) You tend to only do that if the plant roots are starting to circle and become a bit pot bound -- it's to stop the roots from continuing to grow that way and to spread out. No need to do it if the plant roots aren't showing congestion.

[@RFabs89]

'Pressure treated wood' - hm, arent they also treated by all matters of chemicals? And if so, is it wise to use those for growing food?

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[@einsteinscat1591]

I'd have one tomorrow if I could, just without the cat. As a cat myself I know exactly what that one's looking for.

[@mathewgreen9663]

Instead of using silicone could you have lined the raised beds with a membrane?

[@Lovelygreens]

I've used weed membrane in the past but it does not stop moisture from creeping into the nooks and crannies. If you're meaning solid plastic (like the visqueen I use for clearing land kzbin.info/www/bejne/fV6ci5eCdt18aqs ) then it could lead to two problems. Moisture collecting in the space between the plastic and wood, from watering, rain, and other factors. Then slugs and insects finding a nice home between the wood and the plastic. That's why I'm SO excited about the silicone. The fact that an eco-conscious raised bed installer has been successfully using the method for decades says a lot too.

[@ursulakeydavis7638]

For your next bed couldn’t you put all the ingredients together in the mixer to save you having to mix by hand. It looks like the compost mixer we have at work.

[@Lovelygreens]

Thanks Ursula :) It would add more work and time moving the compost to the sieve then moving it back. The soil and compost are in different places!

[@csimon8400]

I am moving to wales and is considering getting a PC what size is your PC

[@Lovelygreens]

Mine is 4x7m...Great size 🙌

[@jolantadurasiewicz1281]

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[@valdemirbernardoborges1609]

Boa tarde

[@johnzugg8340]

All is well except for the treated wood. Because it is treated, you should cover all around the wood with plastic. The treatment in the wood will Leitch into the soil

[@Lovelygreens]

I looked into this and it's not true. The types of pressurised wood treatments used now in Britain are approved for use in organic vegetable beds.

[@goupigoupi6953]

I'm here for the cat.

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[@NP7_16]

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