Western Red Cedar is an excellent choice for your raised beds and typically the most common choice for new raised beds. The wood naturally resists rot, is strong, and most wood in general allows air to reach plant roots (important!), looks great, is a locally-sourced product, and,…it smells nice!
We tend to source our locally-milled cedar from a supplier right here in Powell River. We can build using one inch lumber (ex. 1″x6″), two inch (ex. 2″x8″), true two inch lumber or even 4 inch (4″ square posts). Generally, the more material used the higher the cost.
Expect your cedar raised bed to last 12-15 years or more.
A note on treated lumber. West Coast Foodscapes does not utilize treated lumber in our wooden raised garden beds. The chemicals used in the treatment of this wood are known to leach into the surrounding soil and be harmful to human and animal health and soil health. Some people advise using plastic or other barriers on the inside of the garden box to prevent this. We say, why risk it! Even handling treated lumber during construction is a hazardous. Both cedar and treated lumber are more expensive than untreated wood but to us, cedar wins out because of all the reasons previously noted and there’s no fussing with internal barriers to keep the soil from contamination and in turn making you sick! So, yay cedar!
West Coast Foodscapes 