How to treat wood for planters

d0nkeyk0ng

I want to build a few planters for some strawberry plants. I’m concerned about chemicals leaching into the soil and into the berries.

Originally I was just going to use some redwood timber from Wickes. But what could I use to preserve it and keep it looking good?

Davesnave

Nothing.

The pressure treated wood that may be bought nowadays is different from that used years ago and probably safer than dabbing unknown liquids onto the wood's surface in the hope of 'preserving' it....a fruitless task at the best of times, unless you use a petrochemical product, and even then it won't last terribly well.

So, you either buy untreated timber and accept that rotting will happen, you use pressure treated wood (which will still rot eventually) or you look for a different material altogether, like recycled plastic decking boards...which aren't cheap.


Looking good is in the eye of the beholder. My Jacksons' fencing at the last house lasted well over 20 years and never received a drop of treatment. I liked the weathered grey look, which seemed to me far more natural than the orange stuff near neighbours plastered on theirs.

getmore4less

What about some liners from good membrane it will help protect from rot and insects

You can then lift out the contents to inspect the insides of the chosen wood.

Exterior I find Cuprinol Shades is robust but a little pricey I get it on sale at the end of season(wilko often the cheapest) and have stock.

d0nkeyk0ng

I was looking at untreated timber (whatever I can get my hands on from wickes) and then painting or apply preservative stain. I was definitely using liners anyway.

-taff

get some scaffold boards instead, they'll last longer. Ask scaffolding companies if they have ones that don't want anymore.

d0nkeyk0ng

I’ve used scaffold boards for my raised vegetable beds. But they’re too thick and wide for what I need and I don’t have the tools to resize them.

I need 1x6 and 1x3 timber.

Apodemus

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

I was looking at untreated timber (whatever I can get my hands on from wickes) and then painting or apply preservative stain. I was definitely using liners anyway.

I’d go with the pressure treated, anything you dab on the surface won’t be absorbed nearly as well and won’t be as protective. Although I am in the “waste engine oil and diesel” camp, when it comes to preserving fences etc!

Davesnave

Apodemus wrote: »

I’d go with the pressure treated, anything you dab on the surface won’t be absorbed nearly as well and won’t be as protective. Although I am in the “waste engine oil and diesel” camp, when it comes to preserving fences etc!

Creosote man here, so I find this sort of conversation 'difficult,' but I only use it on my resting chicken house, not on my deep beds! :rotfl:

However, if I was worried about using treated boards, I might find a plastic trough container to build around, or, as that would drive up the cost, just use ordinary rough cut and accept the need to replace every 3 years or so.

I agree, Garden Shades make wooden containers look good, but that's for the outside.

getmore4less

Wilko have an offer on their equivalent of garden shades.
Wicks have 241 on deck boards but put the price up.