Protect wooden raised beds against rot
Not only the film provides good protection against rot, but also a protective coating with non-toxic paints or linseed oil.
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- Which is better in the raised bed: fleece or foil?
- Which foil should you use for the raised bed?
- Is there a foil for the raised bed without harmful substances?
Wood protection with foil
The pond or dimpled sheet is stapled or nailed to the frame of the raised bed from the inside. In this way you prevent the moist soil from coming into direct contact with the wood. When choosing the film, be careful not to use the cheapest film. Instead, look for one with no toxic ingredients and most importantly avoid emollients. You should also place the corner posts of the raised bed on stones so that they do not come into contact with the ground. This also allows the water to run off better and the wood to last longer.
Glazes and protective coatings
You can paint the outside of the raised bed with an environmentally friendly glaze or wood protection paint to protect it from rot and fungal attack. Such products are available both colorless and in many shades. Of course, poisonous colors have no place in a kitchen garden.
What is better for the raised bed: pond or bubble wrap?
Pond liner is a waterproof liner that is normally used to line an artificially created garden pond. The dimpled sheet is also called drainage sheet. It is equipped with knobs on one side and is attached with the knobbed side facing outwards (i.e. in the direction of the wood) inside the bed. The structure of the film enables additional drainage by immediately draining off excess water. Basically, however, this is completely unnecessary, at least if the bed is in contact with the ground and has a thick drainage layer. A good, thin pond liner is cheaper than special dimpled liner and serves the same purpose.
Tips
It is much more important that you choose a non-toxic film. PVC pond liners often contain harmful plasticizers and should therefore not be used. So-called EPDM foils (rubber foils) are non-toxic and do not evaporate harmful substances.
