Best Type Of Wood To Use For Raised Garden Beds

Planks over an inch 3cm in thickness will last longer and the best wood for raised garden beds is hard wood.

Best type of wood to use for raised garden beds.

It s also the most affordable option. I also use some pressure treated wood for various garden structures including large raised beds. Pressure treated lumber has been a controversial topic for many years. Amazon this wood makes perfect raised garden beds.

Best wood for raised garden beds redwood. Juniper 6x6 landscaping timbers used for retaining wall raised beds and stairs. The main reason is that redwood is naturally rot resistant. The wood that people worry about leaching chemicals into the soil is cca chromated copper arsenate pressure treated wood or old railway ties.

Best wood to make raised garden beds redwood expensive but long lasting redwood raised garden bed. This naturally rot resistant wood is the best wood for raised garden beds due to its superior durability. Great materials to use for raised beds cedar or redwood. Resting raised cedar beds on gravel instead of soil is a smart move because the gravel will drain water quickly away from the cedar and does not retain moisture.

Organic raised garden beds. The lifespan data above is derived in part from an ongoing study at osu that tracks the durability of treated and untreated posts in ground contact applications. Hence you can use redwood without having to treat it or apply any finish. Hemlock fir and pine are suitable materials for raised beds but aren t very long lasting.

Redwood has been known to last for up to 20 years. The con is that it s also expensive around 2 3 times the cost of cheaper wood. Douglas fir douglas fir can last 5 7 years and is the cheapest of the types of wood used for raised garden boxes. When considering wood you could use whole logs or more commonly planks.

The purpose for chemical pressure treatment is to protect wood from rot decay and wood ingesting insects. This type of treated wood was banned years ago for household use. You can read more about it below. Other lumber such as black walnut white oak and locust wood are dense making them long lasting.

The oils in red cedar yew and redwood lumber make it naturally resistant to rot. It is more expensive than others but worth the cost if you consider it can last up to 20 years. Both cedar and redwood add a beautiful look to your raised bed garden while also employing a natural resistance to moisture bugs and rot. The best of the best is cedar since it s naturally rot resistant doesn t require chemical treatments looks great and will last for 10 20 years.

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