Hallson Gardens

I am putting in some nursey beds this spring, to hold plants until I know where to put them, and to hold cuttings and plants that take awhile to mature. Does anyone else use these ?
Looking for ideas, do's and don'ts.
Is treated lumber OK for flowers, I have heard it is bad in the veggie garden.
Thankyou in advance.

When I first starting helping with our plant swap, I'd take left overs and throw them in a 'test' garden I roto'd up the first time. It was late sept and hated to see them put in the dumpster at the park, so i'd bring them home and throw them in this plot and let em be. If they made it fine, if not, all the better to know.

Anywho.......it was in an area with sun & shade I wasn't using and was behind some spruce so it didn't matter that they were just dropped in and not attended to. The next spring I'd see who'd made it and transplant some. But it was a small area maybe 10'X 10' and worked great right inthe ground.

Never heard treated was bad for plants (except veggies), so I think it'd be fine. But then they aren't selling the extreme toxic stuff any more are they?

I use 'em. I have three raised beds, each 4'x8'x8", edged in treated lumber. They were here when I bought the place seven years ago, and the lumber has been in ground contact long enough to need replacing this year. They are in a sunnier spot than most of my garden beds, but here that means sun from maybe 8 to 2 in July. I will probably rebuild them with whatever is being sold as decking lumber these days.

Anyway, I put lots of things in there. One holds mail order plants for the first year, some in pots sunk in the soil, some planted directly. One holds things that I bought without knowing where I was going to put them (happens too often I'm afraid). Sometimes those even get moved to a permanant home! And one holds things that I have either moved from someplace else on the property (found in the woods or taken out of another bed) or that need coddling for a season or two.

The beds are easy to cover for late or early frosts or snow storms (common), heat up earlier in the spring (I'm in zone 4), drain faster during mud season (now), and are of a size that is workable without walking on the soil (I'm vertically challenged ). They are also a very convenient size to build (especially since I can transport 8-foot goods in my vehicle and not have to pay delivery costs). The only problem I have is remembering that they are supposed to be TEMPORARY homes for some of those plants!!

All in all, I wouldn't be without them. Does that help you any?

You both convinced me, I was swaying a little, it's off to the lumber yard.

I left 12 raised nursery beds behind when we moved. Eight were 4x8, four were 4x10. I would never be without a nursery bed. I double dug the beds so the root run overall was about 1 1/2' deep. The plants loved it and so did I!!

They are great to have for putting fresh divisions in, a temporary holding area until you can figure out where to plant what you just drug home, tucking the bulbs that you never got planted into..........I miss my raised beds!

Built O.C. 2 raised beds last year, out of treated lumber, that have now become a beautiful shade garden for him, because he forgot to take into consideration that trees LEAF out. Had no trouble with the beds lat year at all. Will
probably build another one this year for just the purposes you have suggested. I probably won't do it until this fall,
but next spring I will use it to place divided Hosta in, untill they are big enough to plant in the beds.

That FUNNY and very FRIENDLY Old Coot named John, REALLY enjoying being outside again....now that it is Springtime in Zone 7b, Rock Hill, S.C.