Hop Garden Materials

I'm looking at added a wooden decorative box around my 12'x4' hop garden and I'm not sure what materials to use. Ideally I would like to use Cedar but I don't see that being an option. I'm concerned with using basic pine boards 2x8's as I fear that they will breakdown and I will have to redo this billed each year or every other. My concern with pressure treated lumber is obviously the chemicals.

So what does everyone recommend?

Redwood is rot resistant. I can't remember if it's as resistant as cedar, but it's pretty good. I used it for a raised bed vegetable garden at my old house. I didn't treat it with any chemicals and when I sold the house it was still pretty solid (after 3+ years). I used it for a hop trellis I just built because it was about half the price of cedar.

Sorry to borrow the thread...but was curious what risks are involved with using pressure treated pine...if you wouldn't mind...

You can't use pine, or most other woods. Redwood or Ceder are good, and some more exotic rainforest ones.

I don't think there are really any risks for the PT, but that is your call. Standard PT is done with ACQ and you need to use heavily galvanized or stainless steel fasteners, but wiki didn't mention health concerns about it.

Which leaves one more option - painted pine, you buy the pine and heaving paint it. The problem with that is that it will require the most maintence.

If this is a box, and needs no strength of its own, you could see if there are composite (read mostly plastic based) materials that you could use. But I doubt it, I've seen the composites for decking, but not for structure type members.

SAMPLER said:

I'm looking at added a wooden decorative box around my 12'x4' hop garden and I'm not sure what materials to use. Ideally I would like to use Cedar but I don't see that being an option. I'm concerned with using basic pine boards 2x8's as I fear that they will breakdown and I will have to redo this billed each year or every other. My concern with pressure treated lumber is obviously the chemicals.

So what does everyone recommend?

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What about the newer plastic decking, like Trex?

The concern with pressure treated is that the chemicals tend to leach into the soil where they can be absorbed by plants, so theoretically they could end up in your brew in trace amounts. The stuff they use nowadays is much safer than a few years ago, but there's still a lot of people that don't think you should use it around food crops. That said, there's probably just as many people that think it's safe, so you kind of have to decide for yourself. I was going to use PT on my hop trellis but the redwood just looks so much nicer and accepts stain better. Also PT tends to twist and warp as it dries out.

ACbrewer said:

You can't use pine

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Why not?

It will rot super quick. And, it's like a termite magnet.

Dwain said:

It will rot super quick. And, it's like a termite magnet.

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So if I just built two raised boxes out of pressure treated, standard pine...am I screwed? Again, sorry to be using your thread...this is my last question re: the topic...

I just built 3 planter boxes today using cedar and this link.

I modified them just a bit just to beef them up in case the kids mess with them.

pine rots fast? depends on which kind. Larch is readily available in my area from the amish will last 10 times longer than pt redwood or cedar and is pine.

kbuzz said:

So if I just built two raised boxes out of pressure treated, standard pine...am I screwed? Again, sorry to be using your thread...this is my last question re: the topic...

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No regular pine is bad you stated that you used pressure treated. You should be ok. Everything about pressure treated said here applies to you

Most big box hardware stores also carry corrugated sheet metal (roofing) panels. Not as purdy as cedar but will last as long or longer.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Most big box hardware stores also carry corrugated sheet metal (roofing) panels. Not as purdy as cedar but will last as long or longer.

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Great idea but not great for the kids

pine rots fast? depends on which kind. Larch is readily available in my area from the amish will last 10 times longer than pt redwood or cedar and is pine.

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Welll, cedar is actually in the pine family also. Whenever I've heard of someone talk about pine, they meant Southern Yellow or White Pine unless otherwise specified. But Larch is in the pine family and has great rot resistance. With the pressure treatment, any of the lumber should last a long time. - Dwain

SAMPLER said:

Great idea but not great for the kids

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How so?

I have an 18" raised bed. 4 foot deep by 50 foot long. Corrugated sheet metal and steel stakes at every joint (I utilize the stakes for critter fencing or shade screen as needed.

Been there for nearly 5 years. I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. Neither have sustained any injury from the sheet metal.

And worse case, use a plier to roll the edge over.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Been there for nearly 5 years. I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. Neither have sustained any injury from the sheet metal.

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Apparently you don't know my kids. I have a 6 year old that can manage to get injured in room filled with pillows. Not sure but it is possible.

SAMPLER said:

Apparently you don't know my kids. I have a 6 year old that can manage to get injured in room filled with pillows. Not sure but it is possible.

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Consider the sharp edges a built in security system.

Or a free ticket to divorce court

My neighbors liked my cedar boxes soo much that I built 5 more of them and made $100!

Now that my rhizomes are in the ground I need to come up with some strong, stable, tall and inexpensive uprights for the trellis.

SAMPLER said:

Or a free ticket to divorce court

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More money for better bedsides.

One suggestion I head for the trellis or as a pole was using bamboo. Very useful if You can cut some out of your yard or similar for free.