Finishing Cedar?

[kmmcrafts]

So, for those that seen my last topic about my bucket garden stand. I made a planter box now out of Cedar picket fence board. Many say that Cedar doesn't need a finish.. I'm not sure if that is true or not so I thought I'd get some opinions from some of you all. The reason I'm not too sure about that is because Menards and like stores sell the picket fence board with or without sealer.. I got just the plain old Cedar. 

I mounted a post in the middle to install some hangers on for either some hanging plants or solar lights. I think mine will have solar lights but I'm making one for my son and another for a friend and not sure what they will hang on the post just yet. I wanted to use a Cedar post so it'd match but and $35 increase in price I opted for treated post and treated 2x4 to mount the post in the box. I'm thinking I might paint the post but I'm not sure about painting treated lumber.. so maybe it'll just be what it is. 

If you all think that the wood should have a sealer on it I think I might just spray a couple coats of Spar since I have a couple extra cans left from a CNC sign project I did a year ago that was going to be out in the weather. Probably the deck sealer stuff would be better but I'm not looking to spend much money on this stuff and rather just use up stuff I have around here. 

Edited April 30 by kmmcrafts

[Dave Monk]

I've got a cedar privacy fence that I haven't done a thing to and it has weathered to a grey color that I don't mind the looks of.  I think it depends on how you want it to look. A Thompson sealer wouldn't be a bad choice. 

[Joe W.]

Just now, Dave Monk said:

I've got a cedar privacy fence that I haven't done a thing to and it has weathered to a grey color that I don't mind the looks of.  I think it depends on how you want it to look. A Thompson sealer wouldn't be a bad choice. 

Last summer I helped a friend build a cedar privacy wall for a deck.  My friend told the homeowner - once you touch it with stain or paint you have to keep touching it (in a few years) to make it look the same.     

[kmmcrafts]

I should have mentioned that I knew it'd turn grey.. was just worried more about the longevity of the structure, especially inside where the moist dirt will be. Then come to think of it..this is what many raised bed gardens are made from... and bird houses etc. 

 

[Scrappile]

Unless you will set it where the sprinklers hit it,  probably no need.  I would be tempted to do the inside of the box with something, because that is where it will get moist and not get a chance to completely dry.  Maybe line it with tar paper, plastic sheeting... Not a gardener, least not successful one here.  I cannot even get an avocado seed going. 

[Bill WIlson]

Wood's resistance to rot will vary depending on circumstances.  Being exposed to occasional rain/snow is much different than being in constant contact with moist dirt.  I think treated lumber comes in 2 different types.  One for general outdoor applications (cheaper) and one for ground contact (more expensive).  The cheaper type will not hold up to ground contact for very long without some sort of coating/sealant.

Natural cedar may hold up better than the cheaper type of treated lumber, but if it is in constant contact with wet dirt, then I doubt anything you apply once will last very much longer than doing nothing.  

[kmmcrafts]

54 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Unless you will set it where the sprinklers hit it,  probably no need.  I would be tempted to do the inside of the box with something, because that is where it will get moist and not get a chance to completely dry.  Maybe line it with tar paper, plastic sheeting... Not a gardener, least not successful one here.  I cannot even get an avocado seed going. 

I've tried several times too.. anything my wife plants does great but anytime I try planing a $20 bill tree it just rots and then I'm out $20... too cheap to try $50's or 100's.. maybe coins grow better. Heck, even if I could get some car parts to grow.. Now I'm getting so broke I'm thinking I need to try growing hamburgers.. getting kinda hungry.. 

These here that I made will be for flowers since i used treated lumber for the post and the post mounting 2x4's. They say the chemicals in treated wood will leach into the soil and make you grow poison veggies.. so just putting flowers in these.  

[Bill WIlson]

2 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

I've tried several times too.. anything my wife plants does great but anytime I try planing a $20 bill tree it just rots and then I'm out $20... too cheap to try $50's or 100's.. maybe coins grow better. Heck, even if I could get some car parts to grow.. Now I'm getting so broke I'm thinking I need to try growing hamburgers.. getting kinda hungry.. 

These here that I made will be for flowers since i used treated lumber for the post and the post mounting 2x4's. They say the chemicals in treated wood will leach into the soil and make you grow poison veggies.. so just putting flowers in these.  

Personally I think that risk has always been overblown, but what do I know.

Treated lumber (CCA) from 30 years ago was potentially more harmful because one of the chemicals used in the treatment was arsenic.  That was banned back in the early 2000's, if I recall correctly.  The replacement (ACQ) was supposed to be far less toxic, but if it isn't absolutely 100% food safe, able to be drank straight from the bottle, then it will always be suspect in some circles.  I think the reality is that most of the transfer of any toxicity from the treated lumber to the actual produce growing is hypothetical rather than scientifically observed, and even if it was transferred, is it in any amount that would be considered harmful? 

Disclaimer:  I'm just ranting here.  I'm not a chemical engineer, so I really have no idea, so don't take anything I say as fact or sound advice.  

[kmmcrafts]

56 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

Personally I think that risk has always been overblown, but what do I know.

Treated lumber (CCA) from 30 years ago was potentially more harmful because one of the chemicals used in the treatment was arsenic.  That was banned back in the early 2000's, if I recall correctly.  The replacement (ACQ) was supposed to be far less toxic, but if it isn't absolutely 100% food safe, able to be drank straight from the bottle, then it will always be suspect in some circles.  I think the reality is that most of the transfer of any toxicity from the treated lumber to the actual produce growing is hypothetical rather than scientifically observed, and even if it was transferred, is it in any amount that would be considered harmful? 

Disclaimer:  I'm just ranting here.  I'm not a chemical engineer, so I really have no idea, so don't take anything I say as fact or sound advice.  

Totally agree but I'm not wanting the be the guinea pig to try it either, LOL... IF I was going to make them for veggies I'd probably have just spent the extra $35 for the Cedar post.. next year they'll probably come out saying Cedar is toxic and you need to spend $100 per board for some new engineered something that isn't toxic,  and probably just something new that they can invest in without any science behind it..

[Roberta Moreton]

If you line the insert with heavy plastic, you should be ok.  I don’t think you can put anything on treated lumber until it dries out.