What kind of Wood is required to Build a Planter Box?
The wood used to construct a planter must have certain characteristics that make it long-lasting, such as insect and decay resistance, and it has to appear appealing in your landscape. Many wood planters may also be sealed or treated to prevent fading or greying of the wood, so nearly any sort of wood may be utilized to construct a planter. But there are a handful of common woods that supply the all of the characteristics essential to make a permanent, attractive planter.
Teak
Teak is a commonly used wood for outdoor furniture and planters. This honey-colored wood is highly resistant to rot and decay, which makes it ideal for your moist environment required to develop plants. Teak produces natural oils that protect it from the elements, but it will turn into a weathered grey color if it isn’t sealed about once each year. Some gardeners prefer this aged look and it does not impact the integrity of the wood.
Cedar
Cedar is a planter material indigenous to North America that shares several attributes with teak. It is a lightweight, durable wood that resists splitting. Western Red Cedar is ideal as a planter wood, since it’s thermal coefficient, meaning that even on hot days, it’s cool, which is good for plant origins. Cedar can be naturally fungal and bacterial resistant and includes natural oils that preserve the wood even in humid climates. Cedar planters require little upkeep. A coat of sealant or stain will preserve the shade, but when left bare, cedar planters typically weather to an attractive silvery grey patina.
Redwood
Redwood is a fast species of wood, which makes it a readily available planter material. This wood is durable and resists weathering and rot, but requires redesigning to avoid splitting. Like cedar and teak, redwood left unsealed will also turn a grey color. In case your redwood planter has weathered, the rich red colour may be restored using a coloured redwood sealer. Clean the wood with soap and water and rinse thoroughly before applying sealers into redwood planters.
Cypress
The Cypress tree creates cypressine, which is a natural oil that serves as a preservative, which makes cypress planters durable and resistant to harsh weather conditions, insects and fungus. The shade of the wood varies, with hues of light to dark honey, and when planters are left outdoors, the wood takes on a light pewter shade over time. Cypress is lightweight, such as cedar, and it resists warping, splitting and splintering. Cypress heels match nearly any exterior fashion, and they require very little maintenance to keep on looking their finest. To keep the honey colour of the wood, seal it at least once each year using a product labeled for use on exterior cypress furniture.
Pine
Pressure-treated pine can be commonly utilized to construct pavers, but it has some drawbacks that natural woods don’t. Pressure-treated lumber is treated with chemical additives to make it rot, insect and weather resistant, but these are not ideal for vandalism which contain edible crops such as vegetables or herbs. Pressure-treated hardwood also tends to shrink over time and it doesn’t take paint or stain well unless the wood has dried out. Natural, untreated pine may also be used to construct pavers, but it has to be sealed to make it resistant to weathering, rot and fungus. Pine can also be soft, making it vulnerable to nicks, gouges and other damage.