good wood for planter box?

[overland]

I'd like to build two or three boxes for small trees or shrubs to sit on our back deck. The exterior will be 1" cedar. But what should the interior frame be made of?

[Steve N]

You might want to give dimensions if these are huge, otherwise in the "normal" sized planter box I wouldn't see a need for a frame.

[John Mihich]

Cedar is a good wood for contact with dirt. But I would just go with pressure treated on this. It's cheap and will last a long time. Of course you can go with lots of other woods - white oak, IPE, etc. But those cost more and since it's inside the box - who cares what it looks like.

If the box is just for flowers - pressure treated is fine. I don't know about the chemicals if the boxes will be used for veggies or herbs. I know the old stuff is a no-no but the new chemicals - some one else will speak on that. I know it suppose to leach less.

[PhilJoines]

I don't know how good PT is now. Since they broke Wolmanized's patents PT is no longer rated for ground contact.

[Steve N]

PhilJoines said:

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I don't know how good PT is now. Since they broke Wolmanized's patents PT is no longer rated for ground contact.

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Not true.

PT wood now is available in many formats is all. You buy the realllllly cheap stuff that is very pale green, and it is junk. You buy any with the label on it's end saying GC, which is ground contact and it will have a minimum 40 year life like it's had for ages.

Menards ad

Now I am talking about the United States. I have no idea what craziness the state of California may have going on. They have a habit of outlawing good products because they make the worms sick.

[vernonator]

I made a set this spring to grow herbs/lettuce on the deck. I found a couple of window boxes and built around them. You could do the same. Find a plastic container the size you like and build around it. Keeps the soil/moisture off the wood.

[shoottmx]

vernonator said:

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Find a plastic container the size you like and build around it. Keeps the soil/moisture off the wood.

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This^^^^^^

[Trusty Rusty]

^^^^^^^^ +2
Rusty

[PhilJoines]

"PT wood now is available in many formats is all. You buy the realllllly cheap stuff that is very pale green, and it is junk. You buy any with the label on it's end saying GC, which is ground contact and it will have a minimum 40 year life like it's had for ages."

Last time I checked Lowe's and HD they didn't have any GC.

[overland]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm building these to each accommodate a small tree or shrub; they'll probably be roughly 2 x 2 x 2. They need to be big enough so the plant will survive a Chicago winter. I like the look of cedar and will use it for the outside, oriented horizontally and with a narrow space between each board. I figured I would need a frame inside. I like the suggestion that I find a plastic container and build around that. Any suggestions where I could find such a thing?