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“So yes, modern day ‘cinder’ block might have fly ash in it.”. What about using the concrete beds for flowers rather than vegetables? Your question seems to be whether concrete will make nearby soil more alkaline. If it does anywhere near as well as last year, I will be digging up another smaller in-ground garden next year. Contaminated soil can affect us in several ways. Ultimately, this becomes a personal choice based on your comfort level. If you’re concerned, have the pH of your soil tested. If you’re unsure of the source of used materials, he recommends using new material. Hemp Oil from The Real Milk Paint Co. offers multiple benefits for use in sealing kidsâ toys and blocks. https://www.homedepot.com/p/16-in-x-8-in-x-6-in-Concrete-Block-30163601/100350201. Manus, Father of the Abyss is a boss in Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss. © 2015 Buffalo-Niagara Gardening. Just get a long concrete bit..it’s easy..I’m old lol so you all can do it. "Cement is made with calcined lime and clay. Raised beds are can be easier to work in if you have trouble bending or kneeling. x 8 in. "I hoped to use cinder blocks for gardening but learned that fly-ash (toxic) may be included in the blocks. Yes, there are obvious mechanical advantages to raised beds. The risk of using new treated lumber is low, but he still recommends using natural wood such as cedar to be safe. I've enlarged the garden, and the first thing I do is add sand, lots of sand. There is nothing easier to cure than clay. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Soil solarization is a preventive, organic method of killing weeds before weed seeds even sprout. I grow flowers in those raised beds and food in the cedar beds or ground. Just a thought to keep the blocks from being toxic to our food. The roots can get through the soil to grow and feed the plant and they can wrap around the clay to extract some of those excellent minerals. Labels do not give specific information on exactly what aggregate is used in the manufacture of the block. I respect your opinion. It was a lot of work, the soil was terribly clay-ish. It’s a quick and simple test. Or you can choose to use another material. And make sure you plant in the same places, keeping that clay around each plant. ), Pressure treated lumber in raised vegetable bed. Lloyd, I just re-read your comment. The only thing I had to buy was a few more 8′ and 10′ T-posts but that was minimal cost. This means they are bound to fill their channel with junk content given the nature of the beast that is youtube and content marketing. Ruth, that’s an interesting way to put the clay in your soil to use. It also contains fiberglass. Use drop cloths or tarps to protect surfaces from paint drips and spills. If the paint will be on exterior blocks, select a paint that is also weatherproof to prevent damage from the elements. Thanks! Which is why I wanted to make the new garden plot a raised bed, but funding prohibited it. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. The process of painting can be broken into 3 simple parts, including cleaning, priming, and painting. (Concrete doesn’t leech lime.) End of all clay soil problems, almost immediately. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Thanks. Is too high. But what you’re probably concerned about is whether plants in your yard will be damaged if they are planted near concrete. Chuckers, just because a video or blog gets a lot of views doesn’t mean it has helpful information. References It is mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel, and water to make concrete.". Your email address will not be published. This is in response to a post almost a year old, just now noticed: I had incredible problems due to clay soil. Not having the money to build a raised bed in that area, I just planted in-ground – my first in-ground garden. I would use just plain wood, then you wouldn’t have to worry about chemicals. So yes, modern day “cinder” block might have fly ash in it. If you are concerned, you could get your soil tested for heavy metals. Had soil tested and PH o I won’t use the cinder after carefully reading this thread, but still have hope for the red brick? Once dried, it will last quite a long while. Let the first coat of paint dry for 12 hours, then roll on another coat. At one time, arsenic was used in treated lumber, but isn’t any longer, he said. This website seems to support this theory. Someone, "Thank you. We might breathe in the dust.You can read more in the article “Is your garden soil contaminated? Most cinder blocks come in a gray color, but you can paint cinder blocks to match the color scheme of your home. If you have clay problems SAND is the immediate and lasting answer! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Alternatively, you can mix the masonry cleaner with water in a 1-to-1 mixture in a pressure washer and clean the surface of the cinder blocks with the pressurized mixture. Labels do not give specific information on exactly what aggregate is used in the manufacture of the block. It contains asphalt, which is a by-product of petroleum refining and, therefore, potentially toxic. The concrete shouldn’t have anything bad in it. I wanted to use cedar for my raised beds – but when I called the lumber yard for prices, the man said to me “Even if we had what you want in cedar, you couldn’t afford it!” I used treated lumber and 15 years everything is great. It makes sense to use untreated, natural wood, or try organically grown straw bales! Incorporate it and get some more! An older (than me) gentleman, he added six tons to a smaller area than mine and had a guy come in and rotor-till his new garden. I did a cinder block garden-2 blocks high fairly large garden. After the primer has dried for a full day, use a nap roller to apply an even coat of high-quality acrylic latex paint. You can normally scrub these off with water or paint over them without any problem. See more here. Which is also why the rest of my gardening spaces are all either raised beds or pots. Last Fall, I covered it with shredded leaves and other organic yard waste and I do not plan on removing any of the bad clay-ish soil, only putting good soil in the planting holes of my plants, just like I did last year. It made my growing season very short, now the ground is easy to work early. ", http://www.house-painting-info.com/articles/concrete-block/#.WpWJbxPwafQ, https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/feb/05/blog-diego-garden-art/#, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwtoHpWgbU, https://www.valsparpaint.com/en/how-to/interior/special-challenges/brick-and-rough-surfaces.html?preview=true, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Farfaglia also sent along this information from the University of Maryland Extension: Cement block, cinder block and concrete block, all are made with cement and fine aggregates such as sand or small stones. Thanks Connie – local brickie said it could be an issue! Now I do realize that this was just one year and maybe over the long run my in-ground garden may not do as well. Thank you in advance for any help or advice. Thanks to all the knowledgeable gardeners out there! Our exclusive formula makes it last longer than other products you might find for sale. For more on sand versus compost in clay, see this article and the comments under the article: Clay soil: compost is better than sand. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. Are you planting shrubs in the small holes of a cinder block? Everything else was very prolific, as well. For a smooth finish, run a razor over the applied caulk to flatten the joint and make it blend with the rest of the block. Phreatic eruptions took place here in 1926, forming Dallol Volcano; numerous other eruption craters dot the salt flats nearby. We always lined our planter boxes with tarpaper, but now my daughter is questioning whether tar or tarpaper can contaminate food plants. However, as it ages, its pH can go down to 8, which is almost neutral. If you’re concerned about your soil being contaminated, you can get your soil tested at the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. What you should know.”, information from the University of Maryland Extension. And if you really want to know the likelihood of lime being released from concrete when it rains, ask the Master Gardeners. Don’t worry about very small pieces that are still present after you remove most of the paint. concrete consists of aggregate of sand & stone (gravel) & Portland cement .they are durable & resist frost this trait allows them to be used below grade. Fly ash is a recycled green product and is requested from some builders because they have green criteria they would like to meet – LEED certification, reduce CO2 emissions, etc.’. I don’t like clay around my beds because what happens is that the rain washes the clay onto the good soil and creates an almost impenetrable layer on top of the good soil. Are you using leftover cinder blocks or are you going to plant in blocks that are part of your patio? Love the look of butcher-block countertops but don't know enough about them? After 24 hours, your cinderblocks should be completely dry. Keep breaking the clay up and keep mixing in leaves, compost, etc. I had a garden in 100% clay. For more help, like how to remove any old paint, read on. No problems with water build up or cracking. (Polymer paint is acrylic paint or latex paint.). You accidentally stumbled onto a really good tactic – how to keep your plants from drying out. To Ben: Clay + Sand = Cement <– be careful with this approach. information from the University of Maryland Extension: Please tell your gardening friends about Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, https://homeguides.sfgate.com/cement-kill-plants-93597.html, spread a layer of newspaper first, then apply the mulch, “Is your garden soil contaminated? I make sure I cut my grass often so that my grass does not contain no weed seeds (but I’m sure there are some). Everything grew very well. I will not deny that. Though I used to live in upstate NY I now live in Central Texas and my summers are very hot. Gerald, that’s true. But sometimes people want a raised bed that is deep, but not wide. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. To Chuckers: Clay tends to have a high mineral content which is great for plants. How big the risk is depends on many factors, including how high the concentration of the contaminant is, how often you eat the food and how you cook it. My second point is to day that maybe, instead of worrying about if this or that material is safe for using to build a raised bed, maybe you should consider and in-ground garden bed instead, if at all possible. Joe, thanks for the kind words. You can also plant in the bales if you like! Can you grow food plants in the hellstrip, the area between the street and sidewalk? If the pH in soil is too high, lime could be added to the soil to bring down the pH. In that case, test your soil that’s near the concrete for pH. Thoughts? I think that’s much more valuable than getting people excited over nonsense. Also, as far as youtube is concerned, well that’s a business. At the hardware store, purchase a half-gallon of extra paint in case you need to touch up the paint in the future. I haven’t heard of problems with cinder blocks raising the pH of the soil to a level that it harms plants, but I’m not an expert. Concrete, when it’s new, is alkaline. We might touch the soil and bring our hands to our mouth, ingesting the soil. Would it be better to cover the holes, fill the holes with dirt or leave open to keep it cooler? In that case, it’s good to have some kind of walls to hold the soil in place. During the pandemic, you may have to mail in a soil sample rather than have a test done at their office, during a garden walk or other event. The article says this happens especially with acid rain. Then, incorporate organic material. In my front (flower) garden, I use it around the ‘good’ soil to hold the water, and to hold the soil in place. I have a raised bed made of cinder blocks (3 blocks high so I can sit on it easily). x 6 in. Most all of the heavy hitters on Youtube have something to sell you and they have to constantly create content to stay popular. Then choose plants that work with that pH level, whether it is alkaline, acidic or neutral. Most plastic has BPA, and we don’t really know what other plastics will do over the long term. Fly ash is a byproduct of burning coal and so contains heavy metals and other hazardous waste. John Farfaglia looked into this more and said, “There probably needs to be more research on this topic. Now I’m wondering if that’s even safe to grow food in as one man said at the garden shop that it would be okay and it takes a long time to leech anything bad. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Cinder blocks are a common building material that can be used on both the interior and exterior of a home. You may have to replace the wood in 5- 10 years, but at least it will be safe for you and your family. What about tar? But as far as the widely held view that raised beds grow better plants, so far I have not personally seen that as scientifically proven in my own efforts and may appear that the opposite is true for me. Farfaglia said people often ask about using treated lumber for raised beds. To determine how much paint to buy, use the same area measurements that you used to purchase the primer. By using our site, you agree to our. He found universities recommending the use of concrete blocks in container gardens or raised beds. “In a lot of cases the risk is not high, but as a general practice, save that strip for ornamental plants,” he said. BUT, it is too early to tell and will take years. Required fields are marked *. Concrete is alkaline, which has a high pH. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Then, ask the sales associate for a recommendation on the amount of paint you should purchase based on the area. If you go to this product page at home depot for a 16 in. Your advice is always welcome, Chuckers, thanks for your information. Advised me what to purchase, how to use it and how long to leave it.". Joan, you could use polymer paints (acrylic or latex) on your cinder blocks. Looked like cement or clay. The materials may have been resting in soil that was contaminated with chemicals. Yes, using grass clippings as mulch can keep weeds down. Contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension in your area to find out how you can get a pH test. Itâs environmentally friendly, no VOC, and non toxic.Made from 100% organic material, safe for kids and pets. Watched a garden show where cinder blocks were used as a raised bed and coated with a “render” that had color added to it. Chuckers, I forgot to add that the advantages of raised beds include: weed control, ease of access, delineated and confined garden space, and for me the most important one – raising it high enough for me to be able to reach it. I am considering Lindseed /Flaxseed Oil (Raw takes forever, Boiled has chemicals in it)… and I am wondering if there is any other product which could protect the wood and still keep the garden as “organic” as possible. For more help, like how to remove any old paint, read on. x 6 in. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the soil is mostly clay, winters are long and harsh, the summers are hot, and the growing season is shorter. I happened to receive, free, 2 large rolls of chicken wire fencing a few years ago so that was great to keep most of the critters out. Leia, thanks for sharing. Raised beds certainly have their place, too. John Farfaglia looked into this more and said that there probably needs to be more research on this. What you should know.”. For me, raised beds, and containers are great because they warm up, and dry out, earlier in the spring. You can also use this method to seal cracks between individual cinder blocks and protect against water leakage. As added protection, when growing food in a raised bed, you can line the bed with plastic to act as a barrier from any chemicals that might leach into the soil from the building materials. I still add sand occasionally, I initially added four TONS to an area of approx. The problem with clay is that plant roots have a hard time penetrating it, thus the poor growing condition of pure clay. Fly ash is also often included. If you’re painting an area that has a water leakage issue, such as a basement, or painting blocks that are located outdoors, look for a waterproof primer. If you want to plant in blocks that are part of your structure, definitely listen to the advice of building experts. They were beautifully green but that’s it. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Answers to that & other soil safety questions. Awhile back, we told you about one local gardener who plants herbs in her hellstrip, the area between the road and sidewalk, but a reader commented that he would be wary of eating food planted there. You should also be wary of beds near the foundation of an older home that may be contaminated with lead from paint that flaked off and accumulated in the soil, he noted. The materials may have been resting in soil that was contaminated with chemicals. Just wondering what that render was. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you are attempting to waterproof your boxes, try painting the interiors with melted beeswax. Once dried, it ⦠I came into a wealth of unused brick and cinder blocks that were purchased likely some 25 to 35 years ago. I use information from experts such as growers, Master Gardeners, researchers and other academics. Chuckers, here’s something you may not have considered: Clay is valuable. Learn more... Cinder blocks are a common building material that can be used on both the interior and exterior of a home. Dallol is a cinder cone volcano in the Danakil Depression, northeast of the Erta Ale Range in Ethiopia.It was formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma into Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity. The clay content just cannot be too high. You should probably contact the garden show. If you push the plastic up against the sides but leave the bottom open, you could create a barrier against any leaching and still have good drainage. Anyhow, I can’t wait to see what happens with my in-ground garden this year. If all of the blocks aren’t dry after 4 hours, you should wait an additional hour before priming. Most cinder blocks come in a gray color, but you can paint cinder blocks to match the color scheme of your home. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/cement-kill-plants-93597.html. Part of the concern is that heavy metal might get into your food plants, but part of the concern is also that the heavy metals could get into the soil. That area can contain residues from salt and other chemicals used on the road, and there may be a higher concentration of lead still there from auto exhaust. John always has good, knowledgable and useful answers. Real Milk Paint® is a powdered, child safe paint that will give you a matte, velvet, chalky finish and sticks to a majority of surfaces without any priming or sanding. There aren’t any studies to show whether the heavy metals that may be contained in cinder blocks or concrete blocks can leach into the soil. Fly ash is a recycled green product and is requested from some builders because they have green criteria they would like to meet – LEED certification, reduce CO2 emissions, etc.” In raised beds, I never got a pepper plant more than 18 inches tall and that was my best – the average being probably around 12 inches. (Polymer paint is latex paint or acrylic paint. I hope that helps. Be sure to wait at least 12 hours before applying a third coat. Thank you Connie. Its pH can be around 13. Suggested tear down garden and rebuild with wood because the blocks put too much lime in soil. Where can I purchase some Bee’s wax to line my Cinder Block Garden with?? Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. To avoid future deposits after painting, locate the cause of the leak and. Didn’t do anything to it and grew terrific big carrots. Once the cinderblocks have been wiped clean, wash them with a pressure washer or garden hose and let them dry for 4 hours. One coat of primer will be plenty if you’re painting over with a different color. There is also little research data on this topic. When the straw rots, it adds nutrients to the soil. I have seen warnings on the Internet that cinder blocks or concrete blocks used in a garden might leach harmful chemicals into the soil and ultimately into your food plants. There is also little research data on this topic. Or you can choose to use another material. If you plan to use block as a raised bed material — and many people do – and you are concerned about potential risks, you could seal the blocks with polymer paint. If you’re going to use bricks for pathways, pressure washing the materials should be sufficient. I think for most gardeners, the default is to create a regular garden bed. If your soil is contaminated, or you think your soil might be contaminated, one recommendation is to use a raised bed. Are cinder blocks OK for vegetable gardens? Farfaglia also sent along information from the University of Maryland Extension: Cement block, cinder block and concrete block all are made with cement and fine aggregates such as sand or small stones. If so, how much?’, “The manufacturer responded with: ‘It may sometimes be included in the mixture. Very little weeds to pull as a result and I assume that the decaying grass will fertilize my soil over the years. Connie, you said lime doesn’t leach from cinder blocks. It costs between $50 and $150, with some tests cost extra. Paula, that’s a good point about drainage. Always paint in a well-ventilated area, and wear clothing that covers your skin for protection. Kat, since there isn’t a problem using new cinder blocks made of concrete, there shouldn’t be a problem using concrete for raised beds. And Is there a specific type of Bee’s wax that is used for gardens? x 8 in. Lloyd, no one has mentioned a problem with the blocks cracking. My garden is now 33 years old. If you have smaller areas that need to be painted, use a nylon polyester brush. However, if you break the clay up and add organic matter, then you get the best of both worlds. So my point is to say this. % of people told us that this article helped them. 16 X 45 feet. As such, makes it hard for water to penetrate the good soil when I water my plants, as it has to penetrate the clay film on top first. BTW: I’m in Zone 6a/6b so the large peper plants are not indicative of my grow zone because peppers aren’t the best crop in my Grow Zone, unless planted in a controlled environment like a greenhouse. Connie, you and Farfaglia are wrong – fly ash is still used in manufacturing “cinder” blocks, sometimes. If the pH is off, you can take steps to get your soil where you want it to be. For me, I try to add a lot of plant material to the clayish soil so that the soil drains well. I grew carrots in Michigan o e season in clay soil. In this case, 94% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. If you’re using materials for a vegetable garden, you would want to be more cautious. Remember a raised bed doesn’t have to have wood, block or anything. I would go back to the Master Gardeners in your area and see if they can help you puzzle through this problem. One friend way overdid it. My 2¢. Line a raised bed to protect against potential leaching. Third year in my garden vegetables didn’t grow and didn’t produce. Wendi, the best thing for you to do would be to contact the extension service in your area. If your soil is contaminated, rinsing your herbs or vegetables might not be enough to get rid of the contamination. UPDATE (8/13/2018): A reader left a comment, saying: “Connie, you and Farfaglia are wrong – fly ash is still used in manufacturing ‘cinder’ blocks, sometimes.