Are Cedar Planters Safe for Gardening?
Yes! Natural, untreated, cedar wood is completely safe for growing vegetables or other edible plants.
Why Use Untreated Cedar?
We do not use any chemical treatments on our products, because we want you to know that anything you grow in one of our planters is going to be safe to eat.
Be careful about buying a planter box that you can’t tell whether, or how, the wood is treated if you plan to grow plants for eating.
Should Planter Boxes Be Treated, Painted or Stained?
We believe cedar is best left untreated and allowed to age gracefully, but we also know many people want to keep the warm cedar glow of the wood as long as possible. Others want to stain the wood to make the planter blend in with their color scheme. Untreated cedar can be stained, painted or treated in whatever way you want.
If you choose to treat the wood on your planters, we recommend using only natural products such as pure mineral, Tung or orange oils.
What Happens To the Wood If I Don’t Stain or Treat My Cedar Planter?
Our research suggests adding some sort of treatment doesn’t really extend the life of the wood. Natural redwood cedar ages to a silver/gray color within a year or two.
Considering the trade off between cost of treatment, prep and finish time vs. replacement cost of the planter, it may be easier to just enjoy your planters in their natural state as long as possible.
How Long Should a Planter Box Last?
It’s really hard to project how long a cedar planter will last, because so much depends on how you use the planter, where the planter is located in relation to sun, wind and other elements, and how you tend to your plants and soil.
Because we only use natural cedar and stainless steel hardware that doesn’t rust, we anticipate our planters will be functional for up to 7 – 10 years (potentially longer) under normal use and care.
Lining material can be replaced as well or, as it wears out, simply removed. The planters are fine when used without lining or as container planters. If replacing a lining, we recommend only using linings specifically made for gardening containers and that allow for air and water flow.
Why You Can Trust CedarSchemes’ Planters
CedarSchemes believes in building planters that reflect our commitment to quality, beauty and use of only natural products that are safe for growing edibles and non-edibles alike.