My husband built two raised beds last fall. He bought plastic tarp from a big box store and tacked it on the inside of the wood to help preserve it. They are filled. Now I am concerned that the plastic will leach toxins into the vegetables. I am in Wisconsin and it is not planting season yet. It would be a big project to get that tarp out now. Just wondering about the safety. I'm not sure what kind of plastic it is.
Landscape fabric may have been safer, plus it allows water through. Here's an article that addresses plastic lining:
https://ecologycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RaisedBeds.pdf
Should you brush Raw linseed oil on inside and outside of raised garden beds and line them with landscape fabric,? Also, can you brush stain on top of the raw linseed oil, on the outside of the raised garden beds?
Yes, raw linseed oil does not have any additives that would be harmful. So you can use it. And you can use a landscape liner to protect the wood further and keep dirt from washing out.
There are conflicting concerns about using stains, so be sure if you use one that it is labeled as safe for garden beds.
I have 2 new 2' X 4' raised garden beds made of fir wood. WOndering if I should seal them with anything before planting to prolong life of wood but don't want to use anything that might be unsafe around vegetables. What would you recommend? Also wondering if I need to add any additional drainage materials to bed before adding soil/compost mix? Beds have drainage holes and landscape fabric liner. Thanks so much for your help and advice!
Untreated wood (which is best) will definitely rot away eventually. We don't recommend specific products, but I know there is some natural sealant on the market made from juniper oil that is supposed to be safe for vegetable gardening. Try looking online for this, or talk with your local garden center. It should be easy to find. It sounds like you don't need anything more for drainage.
is it ok to put grass clippings in the bottom of a new bed as filler?
Yes, it should decompose and enrich the soil.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-bed-soil-depth.htm
We have 4 large rectangular plastic walls left over from a plastic garden shed—maybe From Suncast Company. Would they be safe to make into a raised bed? How can I find out about the plastic used in them?
You'll need to contact the company to find out whether there's any toxicity in this plastic. If not, the only problem I could see is that there isn't much porosity in plastic, so water may pool or not evaporate as well with a wood or stone structure. It may be a good idea to put holes in the material. I hope this works out for you.
You may enjoy this article: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-vegetable-gardens.htm
Steel garden bed is best or wooden?
Steel will rust, unless it is galvanized or stainless. Those are common choices, though. Wood is best as long as it is untreated, but it will rot at some point. Natural elements, like rocks, are wonderful, as they do not degrade much over time. The same can be said for concrete.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-vegetable-gardens.htm
ABOUT ALUZINC STEEL Aluzinc steel is a super material compared with regular Galvanized Steel. Aluzinc is a coating material formed from a mixture of Aluminum (55%), Zinc (43.4%) and Silicon (1.6%).
Far from it, unfortunately. Aluminum and zinc, at those concentrations will leach into the soil, once that coating protector fades. I took a look at the safety data for the coating, and found that in studies where aluminum was able to become part of the soil, the soil became toxic. Plants exhibited a build up of cadmium and zinc after extended periods of exposure.
This material should be replaced with a standard, zinc coated, steel. Unfortunately, the aluminum in the coating can create quite an imbalance.
Here is a study produced, where aluminum levels in the soil were studied:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31822411/
Here is an article that will help you to know what are good raised bed materials:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/raised-vegetable-gardens.htm