What are raised railway sleeper flower beds?
Raised railway sleeper flower beds are an ideal way to grow a wide variety of plants, fruits and vegetables. They are excellent at improving drainage, increasing soil temperature, growing plants in a different soil type, enhancing root health and improving ease of access and management, particularly if you have restricted mobility as they reduce the need to bend.
You can grow almost any plants in raised beds and they can be built at any time, with minimal tools required. When building a raised bed, it is important to consider 3 main factors:
• How big your raised bed needs to be and where you need it;
• Which railway sleepers and tools are most suitable for the job at-hand;
• Which soil type is best for the plants, fruits or vegetables you are looking to grow.
What are the best railway sleepers for raised flower beds?
Softwood is generally a more affordable option than oak sleepers and once tanalised (treated), will have long-lasting protection against damp and rot, making softwood sleepers a great option for raised beds.
Can you put sleepers on soil?
Yes you can. If you’re only creating a structure that’s one or two sleepers in height you don’t necessarily need foundations, which means you can lay your railway sleepers onto the soil. Though you’ll want to make sure you use some kind of waterproof membrane so that sleepers don’t soak up water from the soil.
Should I line my sleeper raised bed?
Although raised beds are usually constructed on free-draining soil, we recommend lining the bottom of your bed with a generous drainage layer of hardcore, stones or coarse gravel.
What screws to use for sleepers?
We recommend in-dex timber screws as an alternative to traditional coach screws and can be used in a number of timber to timber applications. One of the most popular uses for in-dex timber screws is fixing timber sleepers together. we offer multiple size timber screws to suit all your needs.
