As you might have read in my other posts, I’ll be trying to grow veggies this year and wanted cedar planter boxes to grow them in. I’ll have a few buckets and plastic pots as well, but needed something larger and cedar planters seem perfect and versatile.
I have a backyard, but there are reasons I can’t/won’t plant directly in the ground just yet, or even in a raised garden bed. The biggest reason is that I want a movable planter box for flexibility and so that I don’t have to stress about placement or any fixed irrigation or watering setup.
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Simply put, I feel that pots and planter boxes will be easier for me.
I plan to build a planter box out of cedar lumber, and also some stands for my pots and buckets.
I came across this Greenes elevated garden bed when I started my online-shopping for supplies, and it seemed like a good idea. I figured that I’d buy this 2′ x 4′ elevated planter kit and it’ll serve as a good baseline.
I ordered my Greenes cedar planter box from Gardener’s Supply for $127.50 after coupon. It arrived directly from Greenes Fence Co. The box looked a little rough and was missing 2 top caps and the screws to secure them. (I contacted Greenes’ and the replacement parts are said to be on the way.)
The first planter box assembled very easily.
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I actually hadn’t intended to assemble it so quickly, but Home Depot had this planter on sale on 4/2/20, and maybe I’d like it so much I’d want another? I pounded it together, was pleased with the assembly, and ran to a computer to order a second planter from Home Depot for $109 plus tax.
What you see above is the mostly-assembled second planter box, with the top caps and most bottom platform boards not yet in place. The planter also comes with a fabric insert.
This box also arrived directly from Greenes, and quite fast too.
As with the first planter box, only a rubber mallet was needed for assembly, although this unit required more elbow grease to put together. It seems that maybe one of the legs is warped, or one of the horizontal supports too long, because that side was tough to assemble, requiring me to squeeze two legs together in order to get the panels to slide in.
Maybe the leg shifted when the dovetail groove was being cut, to where the sliding dovetail angle is slightly off, and that’s why the leg spreads outwards a bit at the top,
That second unit was also wobbly on level ground. I pounded the sides down with the rubber mallet and put some body weight on the posts, and it seemed to adjust itself.
I’m surprised that the assembly experience was so different between the first and second cedar planter box kits. If I had received the second unit before the first, I probably wouldn’t have purchased any more. I guess some variability in the user experience is to be expected.
I can’t pinpoint a defect, and so I won’t be reaching out to Greenes for advice or potential replacement parts. Besides, what would the desired resolution be? A replacement leg and cross-brace? That doesn’t seem necessary to me.
The instructions sheet for the second unit were laid out in a more simplified manner, unlike the more formal-looking instructions I received with the first unit, but I don’t know what this means. There were no other differences I could tell between this kit and the first one, to indicate that the product sold by Home Depot was any better or lesser than the one I ordered from Gardener’s.
Greenes uses sliding dovetails for assembly, and it seems fairly strong. Still, for peace of mind, I might reinforce the corners with metal brackets, or something similar. Maybe aluminum angles across the bottom? That second unit has me a little hesitant, knowing that one of the sides is under stress.
(Perhaps something like galvanized steel brackets like this one from McMaster could work for just-in-case reinforcement, but would it impede any wood movement?)
I didn’t expect the shipment from Home Depot to arrive so quickly, and so I didn’t make room for the box. It was a nice evening and so I assembled it quickly while there was still light out.
It’s of course too early to tell how things will work out. Right now, I plan for one planter to be used unmodified, and the other might be used as a wicking planter. For the wicking/sub-irrigated planter (SIP), I’d install a rubber pond liner, self-drainage piping, and small drain and fill pipes, and will see how that goes.
I’m not quite sure yet if I’ll make this into a SIP planter box. Stock, the planter box measures 24″ x 48″ x 31″, with the internal garden bed measuring 23.75″ x 47″ x 9.6″. With a traditional SIP planter design, you have your perforated water container lining most of the bottom layer. In this case, though, taking 4″ off the 9.6″ depth is not a good idea given that I want to grow veggies in this box.
By veggies, I mean mostly hot peppers and pickling cucumbers, but I’m going to also try for carrots, dill, basil, and some flowers as deer deterrents.
A nearly 10″ planting depth would work well for most of my ideas. So, what I might do is only place a couple of perforated drainage tubes in the base, rather than nearly full-width, so that there’s still space for deeper roots to grow if needed.
Or, maybe I’ll use the second stand to hold a couple of bucket planters or grow bags, but that’s only if my desire to experiment lessens over the course of the next month.
Another idea for experimentation purposes would be for me to bury two terracotta watering pots (an olla), which would take up lateral space in the planter box, but not any of its depth. Ollas are basically wicking watering reservoirs that hydrate the soil or potting mix around them. Small ones are said to have up to 24″ watering circles. I have two on order, intended for large grow bags, but I can’t get more since the two brands I’m looking at are sold out everywhere.
Why am I so focused on watering solutions right now? Two years ago I planted sunflowers in large 18″ or 20″ pots, and I couldn’t water them enough in the summer. There were times I had to water them twice a day. I’ll have more plants to water this season, and am very eager for solutions that either let me go longer between waterings or provide greater stability and consistent moisture for the plants.
If or when I have a raised garden or designated garden area, I can work out a drip irrigation system or similar. But right now, I’m looking at manual watering and wicking/self-watering/sub-irrigated methods.
As for the cedar planter, I think what I received is at least fair for the price. Greenes also offers a “premium” version, with thicker boards and each side panels is made up of 2 boards instead of 3. But, I hope to be making my own fancier-looking planters this year (and hopefully next year as well), and so I’m fine going with the more economical version.
My short but satisfactory assembly of the first one prompted me to buy a second at Home Depot’s deal of the day pricing. $109 including shipping seemed too good to pass up. I’m a little hesitant about the build quality of the second planter, and so what I might do is load it up and see how it handles over the next month before the last frost and I can set up any plants.
Long story short, I think these planter boxes are worth recommending. I expect to get a few seasons out of them, either on the driveway or on deck.
- Reasonable quality for the money
- Easy assembly
- Few tools required for assembly
- Rubber mallet for coaxing boards into place
- Screwdriver for top cap screws, pre-drilling recommended
- Tweezers for inevitable splinter or two (or wear gloves)
- Made in the USA
- Customer service was fast to respond about parts lost during shipping
Price: $150, less if you catch it on sale
Model number: RCEV2448
Buy Now via Amazon
Buy Now via Home Depot
Buy Now via Gardener’s Supply
More Info via Greenes Fence Co
Other sizes are available – 32″ x 16″ and 16″ x 16″, both with the same 31″ height. There’s also a “premium” version with thicker boards and fewer sidewall panels.
Misty
Is it 100% cedar or are some parts a different type of wood?
Stuart
They say it’s cedar, and it looks to be call cedar to me. The only non-cedar parts are the fabric liner and screws for the decorative top caps.
David
I bought a couple of the ground-based raised bet setups, and found that the sides rotted out and failed far faster than I would have expected with cedar. Previous higher quality cedar raised bed units I had purchased that did not use the dovetail setup held up better and didn’t burst open over time, despite being older.
As I lived with those raised beds and learned from them, I opted to replace them with beds built using rough cut cedar 2x material. It was a good deal more expensive, but was far, far better.
Now that I have moved, I’m considering how I’d like to build new raised beds, and while some point to modern pressure treated lumber being ok, especially when combined with a plastic liner, I’m leaning back towards cedar 2x material when we’re all out of isolation mode and hand selecting lumber at the local (ish) Menards makes sense again.
Stuart
I considered adding a finish to the planters to prolong their life, but figured while it’ll be worth the expense on my eventual DIY planters, it might not be worth it for these.
My hope is to get at least 2 seasons out of them.
Ideally I’d make more of my own this year. There was no guarantee I’d get good cedar sight-unseen*, and so I found the “planter kit in a box” idea highly appealing.
*As a non-essential, I’ve been ordering supplies online instead of in-store, which.
For in-ground, I might look at galvanized steel, but cedar still seems like the better choice.
This is the cedar I ordered: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/cedar-boards-for-raised-beds-set-of-2/8594285VS.html . If I were to buy 2 pairs of 2x6x6, it would come out to be 24′ at $5 per foot. A regional hardwood supplier has S4S 2×6 knotty kiln dried cedar for $3.36 per foot, but that doesn’t include any truck or freight fees. Seeing as how they’re a 90-min round trip away, delivery won’t be cheap on small orders.
David
I got 3ish years out of the similar setup I had, with the lower boards touching the ground failing first. I’ll be curious to see where your failures are. With the taller setup, I think I’d be tempted to do a plastic liner to make it last longer.
The planter in a box setup made similar sense to me when I started, and I wish the Suncast setup I had originally was still available (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Suncast-48-in-W-x-48-in-L-x-48-in-H-Unstained-Cedar-Raised-Garden-Bed/3333746). They held up better than the others by far.
I really liked the enormous raised bed setup that April Wilkerson recently built https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb12934hIrw&t=3s, and if I had more space I’d replicate it. As it is, I’m considering how to translate some of the ideas to keep the local deer from using my garden as free salad bar.
Stuart
I’m hoping my flowers deter the deer, and also that they don’t like cucumbers or hot peppers.
I might try garlic spray.
I had to build enclosures for my sunflowers after rabbits or deer decimated my seedlings a few times.
If needed this year, I’ll attach wood or PVC to the sides of my planters and deer netting around, with access on one side somehow.
If this was in the ground, rather than on the driveway and deck, I’d build a 4′ fence with deer netting. There a bunch of ready-made solutions for inspiration.
I hadn’t seen April’s planter projects – thanks!
Brandon
I don’t know about where you live, but deer in Alabama (at least around my house) will eat hot peppers.
Stuart
I have some cages which will hopefully help protect the plants when smaller.
My backup plan is for deer netting on 3 sides for the larger planters. Or, I’ll find a way to create weighted (but moveable) posts to create a 4′ x 10′ fence in the driveway, but that doesn’t seem very convenient.
I figure there’s more time to sort that out and I have a stack of project-grade pine and 2x pine I can rip into a support frame.
Tom
What are you using for your soil mix? I have had a great experience using the Square Foot Garden method of mixing equal parts peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. Sourcing vermiculite can be almost as tough as finding cedar.
Stuart
I ordered that from Gardener’s too – potting mix and self-watering potting mix.
I ordered a bag of Miracle Grow from Ace as part of a small order, they never sent it and haven’t responded to my emails yet.
Home Depot and Lowe’s require in-store pickup, in-store purchase, or hefty express delivery fees. It’s understandable, but a hassle.
I’m sure local garden centers have supplies, but mine has been crowded when I drive by. I figure I’ll check with them on a slow day.
Home Depot has peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite, but getting it without driving to the store (given the “don’t travel for non-essentials orders) is pricey.
Ideally, I’d make my own mix, but right now there are so many things I’m trying for the first time, and given the challenges in sourcing everything, I just want one less thing to worry about.
Frank D
Those boxes look quite deep and thus heavy to move. Our DIY lettuce tables – plain pine 2x and 1x – have about 4” of dirt and are hard to move when loaded and wet. We also made our own raised beds out of standard 2x lumber. Cheap. Seems to hold up fine.
Stuart
I figured that if needed I’d find a way to move them with dollies. I was more concerned with moving them prior to plant transplants, or between seasons if I wanted to experiment with different placement next year.
Ray CR
Bought a “Cedar” dog house two years.ago from.Amazon. It was a Chinese type of “cedar”/which did not hold up like North American Wood.
A few years prior I also made the mistake of ordering 2 -50 gallon rain catchment plastic barrels from G S.. They did not even put a piece of cardboard on the bottom.for shipping. It looked like the big brown truck.dragged.them.from their point of shipment to New Jersey. I called G.S. since.they.both leaked from instant wear on the bottom. although brand new.
They did not want to pay for return shipping which was substantial so.I.just apply marine tex-epoxy on the bottom to make them.water tight.
However, in the.event.of.emergency you could no longer not use it as drinking water safe.
Ross
It looks nice, though I wouldn’t trust anything less than 2x to be very long lasting past a couple years. A planter is basically a small retaining wall, the wood is in constant contact with dirt and water. 2x should last a few years at least. The kit called “original cedar” looks like it’s not even 3/4, it says “rough cut 11/16”
I don’t know if I would consider it all that portable, unless you take the dirt out it will weight hundreds of pounds. And, if not placed on a patio or gravel, I would put some flat blocks under it so that the feet don’t sink into the ground.
Greg
I recently ordered several raised garden bed kits from https://www.frameitall.com/ . They use composite boards that they claim “boards will not rot, splinter or disintegrate”. So we’ll see. Home depot’s website also carries some of this brand’s stuff, and might be the smarter choice, shipping expense wise, if you are doing a small order, the company offers free shipping, but only if your order is over $300.
I’m interested to see how this will survive the winters here, time will tell.
Stuart
Thanks! There are some good ideas there. (I’m looking at the stainless tubing animal barrier, which is unfortunately sized for 4′ gradens.)
Ray CR
After researching I then found out that Cunninghamia lanceolata is Chinese cedar. It is not in the genus of North American Cedar.
Jason S.
I find that these kit’s are all pieces of crap. Thin wood that will only last a couple seasons. For less than $150 you can use cedar dimensional lumber and a handful of deck screws. I built my 4′ x 8″ garden box 7 years ago and it still looks completely solid (no rot, no bowing, and it sits on the ground). I have stained it 3 times, but more for appearance.
If this purchased kit lasts two years, I would be amazed.
Robert
Yes, that’s always my concern with these prefab kits. I built mine out of cedar fence pickets and 2x cedar and it’s a tank with no rot for the last 3 years. Dry rot is always the concern with a planter, so if the wood can drain properly, it goes a long way in longevity.
Michael
I built mine with treated lumber for the legs and an open frame. Then I used galvanized hardware cloth over the open frame. Covered the hardware cloth with landscape fabric and then built a 3×6 box of cedar pickets that sits one top of the fabric. Excellent drainage and seems to be holding up well.
Paul
As a builder of planter boxes and a lifelong gardener I agree with the idea that thicker is better. I also would shy away from the dovetail connecting method. Wet soil is heavy and exerts strong, constant pressure. It has been my experience that wood, especially “cedar”, that has been cut to such a small joint size will fail with time. I agree that reinforcing the joint with braces and/or screws will be a big help.
Definitely install a drip system! Especially as your gardening area grows in size. It is so much better for you and especially better for the plants. You will not need to try to remember to water and the plants get the water they need when they need it, whether you remember to turn the tap on or not. And I guarantee you that you will forget!
Simple drip systems are cheap and easy to put together. Buy the parts separately from reputable manufacturers, not the chintzy kits from the big box stores. In this way you will know your own system from the inside out, it will perform better, will last longer, be easier to modify or repair and your garden will be better for it.
Most importantly, have fun with this! Involve your kids, your family and your neighbors. It’s a wonderful way to connect with both Mother Nature and the folks around you. It’s almost as if it was meant to be that way!
Planegrain
I guess my concern would be having it collapse after a few seasons. Having a kid crawl under it, then the dog jumps on it and down it goes. Maybe stack some cement blocks under it. Or perhaps add some extra 4×4 legs. Or add some boards to extend the box to the ground, that would eliminate anything from getting under it.
Drew
I reverse engineered a “vegtrug” 3 years ago for my wife. I has held up well and it is nice to have the option of all of the accessories available for Vegtrugs. I plan to build a few more for her this year.
Stuart
Vegtrugs looked very appealing to me, and I almost bought one last year. My needs might change next year, and so I wanted something smaller and less expensive, and the uneven depth requires more planning thought than simply dividing a 2×4 grid into 8 square foot sections.
Koko the Talking Ape
Somehow I’ve seen a lot of these guys falling apart, leaning over, etc. (maybe at community gardens?) The dovetails are tiny, poorly fitted, and have no glue. They loosen up and then the entire thing starts leaning over.
If you wanted to reinforce it, I’d look at adding some diagonal reinforcement to each face, inside the side boards, to prevent racking. Add diagonal braces to the legs under the lower rails too. Or join the side boards together somehow so they act as one member, and can resist shear.
Or you could try small stainless steel screws
Stuart
My thoughts were to rip a small strip of cedar and screw it above the bottom boards so that they can’t be pushed up due to warping or what-not. Or place an aluminum rail lengthwise attached to the two supports in case any of the boards sagged, cracked, or otherwise failed. Plus, small angle brackets at each leg in case the dovetails of all any of the main supports somehow failed.
I looked through the reviews and there aren’t many complaints about these units. One person had the bottom of their unit fall through, but it’s possible they filled it with garden soil or something else that’s much heavier than potting mix. Most of the other few complaints comment about appearances or some minor cracking or splintering during assembly.
Koko the Talking Ape
I can’t really tell if what you’re describing would address the issue I’m thinking of.
(Forgive me if you understand all this already. I”m just trying to be clear.) What I am thinking of can be addressed in a few ways:
– Make each side a solid panel, so it can resist racking (the way the back panel of a bookshelf resists racking.
– Install an two braces to form an X behind each side. Each brace rusn from the top of each vertical post to the midpoint of an adjacent post, right where the bottom rail enters the post. (So eight braces total.) They can be thin wood or aluminum strapping. I’ve stainless steel aircraft cable, tightned with turnbuckles and attached with hefty eyehooks. Cable can only take tension tend to pull the posts inward, but the side slats will hold them out.
– Or you can install two braces to make a big flattened V on each side, with a brace running from the top of each post to the middle of the bottom rail.
– Instead of that, or in addition, you can install diagonal braces between the lower rail and the lower part of the posts. But that can look odd, especially if the braces are large, as they should be.
Diagonal braces don’t have to take much bending force (cable won’t resist any bending force at all), so they can be quite thin. But ideally they are long enough to triangulate all the structural members.
Does that make sense at all? Again, sorry if you understand all this already.
Koko the Talking Ape
But if you don’t hear it’s an issue, then maybe it’s not worth worrying about.
Planegrain
You could cut the legs off, then set it on some paver blocks.
Stuart
I like the height as a discouragement against rabbits.
Leonard
I made raised planters last year from corrugated galvanized roof and 2x’s frames last year. Bought two yards of organic planting mix. $17 per yard. And that’s why I own a truck. But I know my yard and where the sun is best year round.
Prior to that I did a bunch of different planting systems. But the best was grow bags or pots. I could move them around the yard depending on the time of year and admittedly the size. Because the roots can get oxygen from around the bag, they will produce more fruit. Our got insane one year. Somewhere around 600 tomatoes out of 8 plants. The only draw back was you have to use potting soil and that gets expensive.
Had I known when I first bought my house how much enjoyment I got from having fruit trees and growing veggie. I would have put in a few more fruit trees.
Good luck with the garden.
Stuart
Thanks!
I have a couple of grow bags I’ll be experimenting with as well – a couple of 5 gallon and 10 gallon. I’m starting different plants in different conditions, will see how it all goes. Next year I might switch to a raised panel garden, or might stick with containers, this year’s experiments will let me figure things out a little. I hope.
I added a tomato plant to my plan yesterday, will see how that goes.
fred
Raised-bed gardening can get addictive. I started out with building a little over 500 square feet of raised beds about 40 years ago for vegetables and now have over 0.2 acre off in a corner of the garden devoted to them – with everything from an asparagus bed to dahlias.