sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

KarenC 4/14/2010, 12:42 pm

I'm building my first SFG boxes and was wondering if I should seal them in some way to help them last? I would like to maintain the color but I'm especially concerned about the cedar splitting/cracking over time. I really want these boxes to last as long as possible... Should I seal them somehow? If I do how often would I have to reapply?

And if I do seal them, would leaching of chemicals into the soil be a concern? I would seal only the outside so my instinct is that this would be fine but could use some reassurance.

Thanks,
Karen.

boffer 4/14/2010, 1:31 pm

You may find some ideas in this thread:

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/general-sfg-talk-f5/sealing-sfg-box-wood-recommendations-t389.htm?highlight=sealing+box

I would seal the wood inside and out including ends. If potential leaching is a concern, line the inside of the box with plastic.

KarenC 4/14/2010, 9:21 pm

Thanks for the link boffer. I'd searched a little but I guess I hadn't been using the right key words. Found other good info as well...

I'll probably have to look around at my local hardware store to see what's available. The brands suggested don't seem to be available where I live (Canada) but I'm sure we have something reasonably similar that would be safe.

Although now that I've started digging around the forums a bit more I've seen a lot of pictures of boxes that look wayyyy better than mine. Maybe I should forget about making mine last and instead hope they rot really quick so I'll have an excuse to replace them with something nicer! LOL!

Thanks,
Kasren.

boffer 4/14/2010, 9:30 pm

LOL I make my boxes as cheap as possible-the veggies don't care.

Don't forget to look at pics in the gallery, both the public pix and members pix for more ideas. I admit, it is fun to have a pretty box.

Sponsored content

sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

Re: sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

Re: sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

Re: sealing and caring for cedar boxes??

Re: sealing and caring for cedar boxes??


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.