Are you looking for planter design ideas or easy garden ideas for home grown fresh vegetables? Planter boxes or raised beds are common in urban gardens owing to space limitations. If you are a gardener or a newbie in gardening asking yourselves which type of wood is good for the construction of planter box or raised garden beds, then we have got you covered. In our article, we highlight the best type of wood for raised gardens that are long lasting and sustainable.
So, let's get into the article.
Benefits Of Using Raised Garden Beds/Planter Boxes
1. Less compaction
Planter boxes ensure minimal interaction with the soil; you cannot stop the plants and cause soil erosion.
2. Less tilling
You will till your garden less since the raised garden can last up to a year after pouring your soil. This makes it the best idea for indoor gardening, making your home eco-friendly.
3. Less weed growth
Raised garden boxes do not promote the growth of weeds that grow using rhizomes so that it will cut the cost of pruning and weeding.
4. Use square-foot gardening
Plant plants close to each other instead of in rows. This is because planter boxes increase the nutrient density of the soil composition. Also, the boxes can handle the proximity of planting, making it easier to grow your garden bed. Let us look at some of the best wood for planter boxes.
Our Top Picks
1. Pressure Treated Wood
Your question seems to be, is pressure treated wood better for garden beds, and the answer is yes! Planting vegetables in pressure-treated wood is perfectly safe. Depending on your needs, your pocket and region, then you can use these types of wood in constructing your planter boxes.
It is important to use pressure-treated wood because it has a better resistance to rotting and termite attacks. Furthermore, the chemical treatment of the wooden used for the construction of the garden deter fungi, insects, and bacteria which most gardens host. If you use untreated timber it will rot over the first year of usage or storage.
Pressure-treated lumber is the best since they are treated using preservatives such as CCA and micronized copper azole; these are the most common treatments for residual lumber.
Pressure heat-treated woods are more economical than other alternatives. If you purchase them, you must practice the following safety precautions before using them.
- Test your soil regularly for the existence of heavy metals.
- Use plastic sheets to line your garden's interior to prevent direct contact with wood and soil.
- Pock drainage holes to ensure free water flow and balance the quality of your garden.
However, while purchasing these types of wood, ensure you get ones with a label indicating that the wood is safe for ground contact use. In addition, you can get safety data sheets from reputable building supply retailers. These data sheets will give you more information about the chemicals used to treat the wood.
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2. Cedar Wood
When it comes to material there is no better choice than cedar when considering the construction of planter boxes. If you want to have a lively home then you can incorporate it into your flower bed ideas. Cedar is a non-deciduous and does not need chemicals for preservation against rotting. It can be used under any weather and has a longevity of more than two calendar years.
Cedar becomes beautiful with age; when you leave cedar outside for more than a year, the material transforms into beautiful silver or grey shade. Fortunately, the color improves its aesthetic view, making it more attractive.
It highly resists water making it a suitable wood material for outdoor garden boxes. Western red cedar naturally resists insect attacks via its chemical oil.
Cedar is a strong wood with high dimensional stability. It can last up to 40 years, making it a durable option for a planter box.
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3. Redwood
Redwood is popular in most garden-raised beds. It makes high-quality garden beds that last up to a decade. It is naturally decay-resistant. A raised garden bed made using redwood can withstand insect attacks and weathering. The quality makes it a durable option for planter boxes.
It is also rot-resistant as it naturally produces an oil that prevents it from rotting. This makes its raised beds last up to 20 years.
Even though it is a softwood, it has natural tannins that make it highly durable. It can repel rot and termites. In addition, its tannin content makes it possible to last longer than a cedar planter box.
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4. Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir is the most suitable material for making raised beds. It does not contain harmful chemicals, thus an eco-friendly option for making raised garden boxes. It is an affordable option for making a raised garden bed. If you are new to gardening, You can use the best gardening plants for beginners with this wood.
Douglas Fir garden boxes can last up to 10 years, making them more durable than other softwoods. It is not toxic to human skin and the outdoor environment. It does not release any chemicals that may harm the outside environment.
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5. Teak
Of all the types of wood, teak is the most used to create planter boxes. As for the weather it has natural oils that make it have natural resistance to all kinds of weather.
Because teak is a hardwood it can easily last over a decade. If it is not coated with color-retaining sealer it does alter the color of the wood but it does not otherwise decrease or impair its characteristics.
It has rot-resistant properties that make it ideal for growing plants that need moist environments.
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6. Cypress
If you are looking for an alternative to cedar or pine, you should try cypress. Cypress is great for garden beds since it adds a rustic elegance to your garden. It is also considered a top-tier wood since it naturally resists rot and has more heartwood than pine and cedar wood. In addition, it contains natural oils that protect it from harsh outdoor elements.
Cypress-raised beds last over a decade. They are water resistant and can withstand attacks from insects and pests.
It is fun and easy to work with cypress as it is good for nailing, gluing, and sanding. Any beginner in woodworking can catch up with the techniques of using it. Its wood pieces fit tightly without any gaps and make beautiful well-finished garden beds with minimal effort.
It also has good finishing qualities, as paint and stains hold well on its wooden surface.
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7. Black Locust
Black locust is a dense wood with the best qualities that fit a planter box. It is a medium-sized hardwood that is highly durable. In addition, it is resistant to environmental elements like moisture, humidity, and insect attacks. Planter boxes made of black locusts can last up to 3 decades.
Black locust planter boxes are weather resistant and environmentally friendly. In addition, the wood has a high concentration of anti-fungal compounds like taxifolin and flavonoids that prevent it from rotting and protects it against insect attacks.
It also resists decay, making it last for decades. In addition, it has a high amount of calcium oxalate that contributes to its decay resistance.
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8. Pine
Pinewood is the most suitable wood for making planter boxes. Although pine is softwood with attractive wood grain and other unique features, it is also affordable. Most people use pinewood as an alternative to cedar and redwood. However, if you are planning to create a large number of garden beds, you should consider the cost of the wood. Pinewood also has exceptional qualities that make it the best for outdoor projects.
It has good stability, making it useful in making garden beds. It can easily be manipulated with lather, saw, and routers.
Since it is stable, it makes it easier to keep garden bed frames steady for sanding, drilling, or screwing.
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9. White Oak
White oak is the best material for planter boxes since it is naturally rot-resistant and is 50% to 100% stronger than other woods. In addition, it has a beautiful grain that makes its planter boxes more attractive. It also has a natural texture that does not get ruined while applying stain or any other transparent finisher.
White oak which is among the best durable wood types that is recommended for construction of garden boxes. It is however, not very prone to denting, scratching or warping. The material is also anti-rotting and other prevalent factors that affect organic make structures. Due to this it is suitable for most of the outdoor woodworking jobs since the wood lasts for about ten to twenty years.
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10. Spruce
If you want the best wood for making planter boxes and have in mind transportability and cost, your choice is the spruce. It is affordable and Integration is lightweight. Besides, it is somewhat more manageable than hardwoods in operations hence has additional advantages to these types of timber.
Because spruce is a softwood, its garden like attracts insects and pests can easily attack the trees in the garden. We advise you to pressure treat your spruce woods to avoid such attacks before you use it to make this planter box.
Other than that, spruce is a cheaper wood option for making garden beds that last between 7-10 years. So, it is worth its price. It allows you to make raised beds using less money and gain the finest wood quality.
It also has a bright color that changes to yellow-brown after a long time. So you can easily recognize gardens made of spruce wood since they have an attractive aesthetic color. Spruce wood has a clear surface with excellent structural striped grains.
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Frequently Asked Question on the Best Wood for Planter Boxes
1. Which wood options should you avoid?
You should avoid the following wood options while looking for the best wood for planter boxes
- Old woods
- Reclaimed woods
- Recycled woods
- Old pressure-treated wood
Instead, look out for the following qualities in a wood,
- Safe for soil
- Safe for food crops
- Rot-resistant
- Locally sourced
- FSC-certified
- Sustainable
- Long-lasting
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