Howdy to all. New here but not new to the idea of
growing healthy and wise.
I live next to a large undeveloped area that offers me an unending supply of moles, mice, Norway rats, rabbits and squirrels. I have lost countless
potatoes to the rats that invade the mole and mice tunnels. Not to mention what they do to my compost bin. Our cats manage to keep the rabbits down and the squirrels don't caws much difficulty. I am planing on replacing my raised beds.
I am a self admitted tightwad. If I can do it cheaper then that's what I will do. At Home depot if you look in the lumber dept in the back close to the saw that they use to cut wood for customers you will find "Cull Lumber" stuff that will not sell that has been cut in half and then sold for 50 cents to a buck. So $1 for a 4 ft pressure treated 4x4 not bad but short on the size. Most dummies know you cant use that for a planter bed and call it healthy.
I have tried pavers put down under the beds to keep down the rodents tunneling with little success. I was thinking of using Concrete board placed inside of the pressure treated 4x4 (like building a short fence except using the concrete board rather than vertical fence boards) My thoughts are that it may last a number of years. My concerns are that the pressure treated wood ingredients may leach through the concrete board or that the board it's self may have unwanted toxins. I need to place some 2 ft tall retaining walls as well as the planter beds.
Any thoughts or ideas please. Keep in mind I have a community well on my property and can not and will not use chemicals.
Thanks, Ziggy