I always find it amusing when people worry about the Birdies beds getting too hot in the Summer. They're made in Queensland, Australia by an Australian company, and are designed to withstand the extremes of Australian conditions. There are not many places in the world that get harsher and hotter.
I have both metal and wooden raised beds. I'm growing more fond of the metal beds over the wooden ones. Primary reason being the aesthetic. The wooden beds look so good their 1st and 2nd year but now they are showing some wear and tear. The metal beds look just as good as the day I assembled them. I did cedar wood and it was so expensive. It's disappointing to think of how much I spent. However, they are still functional and that's ultimately the most important thing
I'm glad you stipulated the wood cost over the "short term" as that was my biggest deciding factor when I built my new beds starting in 2020 and still more today as I will NOT be replacing them so it ruled wood out completely. There is a 3rd "permanent" option not covered which is what I did in 2020 when lumber prices got so high was a Concrete Cinder Block raised bed (now prices are a bit high there). In 2020 I built 2--- 4x32 foot 3 blocks high concrete block raised beds at the time 400 concrete blocks was actually cheaper than the lumber costs at the time I didn't even know the metal raised beds existed. After wearing myself out by moving 400 concrete blocks I learned about the metal raised beds and I went with Vego brand raised beds because they included the brace support rods with each bed as well as the not scratch your hand nuts for the top 2 rows of nuts. Also they have a rewards program that earns you cash back to use on future purchases. I now have 16 Vego beds (3 were free with points) and several other free gifts like worm composters, storage boxes that hang on the beds for your garden tools, Hori Kori knifes, solar lights, etc. They also have a frost/shade/bug netting that bolts to the beds that I will be looking at to keep bugs from squash.
I also have Vego beds, Love them. I only have three but they’re inside a greenhouse and I wanted to make them a certain size to maximize the amount of (very expensive) planting space. I was able to make a unique configuration by taking parts from the second kit and adding it to the third. So once you buy a few beds of the same height, the shapes and sizes are more numerous even than advertised!
I had both....treated lumber which rotted after many years. The cedar I thought was rotting actually had termites. Burn, baby burn. I have stock tanks and they're not too hot in our zone 5 weather but I would like to try the Birdie's.
I built very low cost raised wooden beds with cedar fencing for the horizontal pieces and redwood 2x4s for vertical securing posts. Both rot resistant woods. I’m very happy with them. 👨🌾
Another advantage of metal over wood is how thin the walls are, which is a pretty big deal if you’re putting them in a restricted space. I do most of my gardening in a greenhouse due to the zone 3 climate & the wild animals here, so every inch counts. I would think the same would be true on a patio or balcony.
What amazes me is how short they got the beds. I can bend just fine, but I’m planning to get the 32 inch tall thinking of the future when I can no longer or don’t want to bend. I always think of how long I’ll be using any investment.
I am a beginner trying to grow Detroit red beets . Can you advise me about the soil, fertilizer and so on. I can only grow in pots. I live in Scarborough.
Wood just doesn't last. I'd never use treated lumber, go to the lumber manufacturer and they will state in plain black and white not to be used with edible plants.
Man, these sponsored videos are too much. Yes, we get it, you have an affiliate code, and profiteering of people buying Birdies. So distasteful when people just come for simple information
