3 Ways to Make Raised Beds Last Longer • Gardenary (2024)

Wood Is a Great Raised Bed Material

Even as the cost of lumber rises, wood is still one of the least expensive raised bed materials. Building your own wood raised bed is an easy way to get started with your kitchen garden.

Unfortunately, wood will never have the durability of other building materials like stone and steel. It's a bummer to think of going through all the work to build a raised bed only to have it degrade and rot in a couple of years.

The best way to prolong the enjoyment of your wood garden bed is to pick the right type of lumber and to follow my three tips to add extra durability.

The Best Types of Wood for Raised Beds

It's best to use untreated wood to build your raised garden beds, preferably a type of wood that won’t decay quickly, such as cedar, redwood, or hemlock.

Both the type of wood that you might find for sale and its affordability will vary based on where you live. The best choice for you will differ based on your geographical location, so be sure to find the most locally sourced wood you can.

Here are the best types to use for your wood raised beds:

• Cedar
• Cypress
• Hemlock
• Juniper
• Redwood
• Pine*

Again, some of these might not be available in your area.

*Pine is an affordable alternative to more expensive types of wood and easy to find in most hardware stores. Keep in mind, however, that pine will have a much shorter life expectancy in your garden than cedar and redwood.

Cedar is often considered the golden standard for building raised beds, and it's my favorite option. It's naturally resistant to rot and pests thanks to its natural tannins. (Pine, by the way, has a lower level of these tannins, so it's not naturally protected from rot and pests.)

Cedar does not contain harmful chemicals. It's also an incredibly durable and long-lasting timber. You can expect to garden in your cedar raised bed for at least 10 years before it starts to degrade.

The downside is that cedar has, unfortunately, become more and more expensive over the years. Redwood has the same benefits as cedar, but it's also been priced out of many gardeners' budgets.

The worst type of wood you could use for your raised beds would be anything that's pressure-treated and likely to leach chemicals into the soil (and then into the plants that you're going to eat).

All right, let's look at the 3 different ways to increase the longevity of your raised beds once you've selected the best type of lumber.

Use the Thickest Piece of Wood You Can Afford to Build the Sides of Your Raised Beds

When you're shopping for boards to build the body of your raised bed, I recommend buying the thickest board you can afford to maximize durability. I use 2"-thick boards.

I know that 1"-thick boards are a fraction of the cost, but you'll get so much more life out of your raised beds and be able to enjoy them for longer if you avoid the temptation of buying something thinner and cheaper.

It's best to shop for these boards in person so that you can check each one. Take time to look them over for discoloration and any defects. You'll also want to assess boards for straightness and select the straightest ones. The longer they are, the more likely they'll curve slightly.

You can also use trim to protect the edges of your boards. These trim pieces don't need to be 2" thick. Whether or not you use trim, you'll want to keep these edges of your bed free of debris and dirt. That's why I consider a little broom an essential gardening tool.

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Use a Safe Wood Treatment on the Inside of the Beds

A good-quality, environmentally friendly wood sealant will improve the durability of your wooden raised bed by protecting it from the elements, particularly the moist soil on the inside.

I use a mineral powder made by Eco Wood Treatment. It's composed of 100 percent natural and organic substances, so it won't leave any harmful residue in the soil. It also won't fade, wear off, or peel.

All you have to do is dilute the powder with water and paint it directly onto the wood on the inside of your bed with a brush or roller. You only have to apply it once to get years of protection for your raised beds. One 2-ounce packet will cover about 150 square feet of wood.

Some other non-toxic options include Valhalla Wood Preservative and Hope's 100% Pure Tung Oil, a natural wood sealer.

These treatments penetrate wood fibers to improve the durability of the structure, and they're considered safe for plants, animals, and people, even when coming into direct contact with garden soil on the interior of your raised garden bed.

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Made from naturally occurring plant and mineral extracts, this wood preservative penetrates wood fibers to provide protection from sun and water. A single application results in a long-lasting, maintenance-free surface. Will not wear off, peel or fade; treated wood develops a beautiful patina. This plant- and mineral-based formula is based on a special family recipe and has been used for 60 years.

Place Your Raised Bed on Gravel to Protect the Bottom Boards

I consider the pathway around your beds to be one of the most important components of a kitchen garden. Not only does a well-planned pathway improve access to your garden, it can also protect your raised bed material from prolonged exposure to wet grass or mud.

The best material to put around and underneath the edges of your raised beds to increase their durability is gravel. You could also use stone or concrete slabs.

Gravel dries quickly after being rained on and provides great drainage for excess moisture. Being on a dry surface will, in turn, help your raised bed material dry faster. That means less wear after each storm. This is especially important if you live in a humid climate, where grass lawns can stay wet for long periods of time.

It's also not a good idea to have your raised beds sitting directly on grass because their sides can easily be scraped, scratched, and dented every time you mow.

Many gardeners use mulch around their raised beds. I've found that mulch stays wet way too long after rain. Raised beds that come into direct contact with mulch will rot and decay much faster than beds placed on an aggregate like gravel.

(Learn more about creating a kitchen garden pathway.)

Check out the resources above if you need help building your raised bed without having to use a lot of power tools.

Once you've got your raised garden beds installed and filled with good soil, they will be a gardening game changer!

Here’s to your raised beds lasting a very long time!