A redwood raised garden bed however can last up to 20 years.
Untreated wood for garden beds.
It s time to get into some methods you can use to keep your raised garden bed from rotting.
Untreated lumber such as pine is the least durable and is not recommended.
I also use some pressure treated wood for various garden structures including large raised beds.
Yes untreated wood will decompose over time but because it is untreated you reduce the risk of potential toxins moving from your wooden beds into that organic veggie garden you re starting to keep your family fed well.
4 more ways to keep your raised garden bed from rotting.
Another alternative is to use a longer lasting untreated wood as mentioned earlier.
Wooden planters built out of untreated wood will probably last much longer than you think.
I built my very first raised garden beds using wood reclaimed from pallets.
The wood that people worry about leaching chemicals into the soil is cca chromated copper arsenate pressure treated wood or old railway ties.
It was a nightmare getting the planks off undamaged but we got there eventually.
Using pallets for raised garden beds.
A cedar frame can last up to 10 years but one made of douglas fir may last only 5 to 7 years.
The first 2 methods are useful if you have already built a raised garden bed out of wood.
This type of treated wood was banned years ago for household use.
You can read more about it below.
These materials will generally last 10 to 20 years in a raised bed garden.
The durability of untreated wood used for raised beds largely depends on the type of wood used.