What kind of paint for a cedar flower box?

[bigelow965]

I've made a nice 48 x 10 x 8 deep flower box out of cedar and I need to know what kind of paint to use to help preserve the wood but also wouldn't interfere with the plants or leech anything into the soil. Or since it's made of cedar would it be ok just to leave it unpainted (and a little less protected from the outside elements)?


Any ideas?

[rainbowgardener]

The reason people use cedar is that it is very rot resistant. I think it would be better to leave it un-painted. It will weather that way, eventually turning a silvery gray. If you are OK with that, you don't need to paint.

[GardeningCook]

With cedar - & if you don't care for the grey "weathered" look - I'd be more inclined to use a clear sealant or light stain rather than paint. If you visit your local home improvement stores & ask or do some label-reading, I'm sure you'll find a number of products perfectly safe for use on planters. Plant, pet, & child-safe sealants, stains, (& paints) have quite a large market.

[imafan26]

There are low VOC sealants based on plant oils. Linseed and mineral oil are natural preservatives so are soy based sealers. But they take a long time to cure.

Lining the bottom of the raised bed planters with hardware cloth will help keep out gophers and moles.


https://www.ehow.com/way_5601653_eco_saf ... -beds.html

Cedar is naturally rot resistant and should last 20 years at least even uncoated.

For a longer lasting raised bed, especially in wet climates, hollow tile blocks work better as raised bed material or trex which is made from recycled plastic containers and wood fibers.