good wood for a raised garden?

[Loren Hedahl]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned one of the "plastic woods" that are being sold for decking at the local home centers.

Loren

[Stephen Hibbs]

Thank guys, there's a local supplier of redwoood that has the stuff pretty cheap, so i think we'll go with that or cedar.

[Mike Hill]

Stephen: My neighbor is a big time gardener and home improvement guy and he just put together 3 large raised flower gardens (also growing tomato's). They are about 6X3 foot. He used treated landscape timbers. Not the green color, but rather something that is light colored wood. I might also suggest cedar posts. They are sold around here and are basically small trees stripped of their bark. Not sure how long they would last, but everyone is using them to build outdoor furniture.
Mike

[Eric Heinz]

I seem to remember that redwood sapwood or western red cedar are expected to last 15 years but that redwood heartwood should last 20 years.

I used 2x12s for the sides with four by fours in the corners extending six inches into the ground. I based it on a pattern in Sunset magazine that used 2x6's. The pattern in Sunset is very fancy, with holders for bird netting and tomato stakes.

I bought my redwood from two different J&W stores in San Diego. I think that the El Cajon store stocks a cheaper rougher grade than is carried by the Sorrento Valley store. The rougher grade is fine.

The raised beds are great. My plants grow much better in raised bed than in these hard clay mesas in San Diego.

[Jack Roest]

I just made a set 3ft X 9ft for my daughter . I used Eastern white cedar. I have yet to deliver and install. This week I hope to start on a set of Aderondock folding chairs. Jack

[Andrew Williams]

What about bricks? Face them with wood.

[Eric Lewis]

I'm with the folks recommending you avoid chemically treated lumber. It just makes sense with so many other options.

[Alexandra Pop]

Redwood and rosewood look awesome. I'd recommend them.

[John Piwaron]

I built some from PT landscape timbers I got at HD. I glued them together with gorilla glue and then primed them, sealed all gaps with caulk and then painted them brown. The goal was to protect them as much as possible from the SE Wisconsin weather and make them last a long time. That works for me here.

[Wade Lippman]

I built one 5 years ago and found everyone said PT was poisonous, but that was based on the old stuff that isn't available anymore. The new stuff is okay. (unless something else has come up in the last 5 years!)

[Trevor Howard]

Not to point out the obvious, but this thread is over 10 years old

[lowell holmes]

White oak is my hands down choice. I've had good luck with it in the Texas gulf coast area (Galveston County).

[Lee Schierer]

Thank guys, there's a local supplier of redwoood that has the stuff pretty cheap, so i think we'll go with that or cedar.

Most plastic woods don't have enough stiffness to hold back 2 feet of dirt. However, the orange borg carries or can get thermally modified wood that will last 25 years exposed to the weather. There are no added chemicals in it.

Thermally modified wood is wood that has been modified by a controlled pyrolysis process of wood being heated (> 180 °C) in absence of oxygen inducing some chemical changes to the chemical structures of cell wall components (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) in the wood in order to increase its durability. Low oxygen content prevents the wood from burning at these high temperatures. The main reason thermo-treated wood is durable and stable for 25 years is the molecular changes that occur when wood undergoes the targeted temperatures during the process. More specifically, 95% of the polysaccharides (sugar for fungi) are removed during this high temperature stage, which dramatically increases durability (more than 25 times than original wood. Also, the wood substantially reducing moisture related shrinking and swelling.

Increased dimensional stability - Moisture related shrinkage and swelling is reduced by 5-15 times
Enhanced Visually - the finished product has an even brown color consistent to the center of the wood and the grain structure is beautifully accented.
100% chemically free - it is a 100% “Green” product and “Green” technology

[Bill Dufour]

Rubbermaid plastic stock troughs. Great for Zucchinis since you do not have to bend over to pick or weed. Buried halfway they make a nice fishpond with the brick terracing blocks.
Bill D

https://jet.com/product/detail/fc527...9-16eb2e71862e

[John K Jordan]

Rubbermaid plastic stock troughs. Great for Zucchinis since you do not have to bend over to pick or weed. Buried halfway they make a nice fishpond with the brick terracing blocks.
Bill D
...]

Interesting use. For a planter I'd cut drainage holes in the bottom (or just cut the bottom out if sitting on the ground - I sliced one of these in half with a sawzall to make a chick-raising tub plus an alpaca wading pool.)

BTW, the price is typically 1/2 of that shown in the link given. Try a farner's co-op, Southern States, Tractor Supply, etc.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...0-gal-capacity

JKJ