Built a cedar planter box for $45 vs buying one for $120 at the big box store

Grabbed some cedar fence pickets for $3 each at Home Depot and built three 4ft boxes in an afternoon - the store-bought ones I was eyeing were flimsy treated pine and way more expensive. Anyone else try building their own planters and find the wood actually holds up better?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_laura20d ago

The real win is how cedar naturally repels bugs and rot. That treated pine stuff from stores leaches chemicals into your soil over time. You basically built something safer for your vegetables and saved money doing it.

taylor.amy20d agoTop Commenter

And that treated pine stuff leaches chemicals into your soil over time" is exactly why I'll never go back to it. My first raised bed was pressure treated and I swear my tomatoes tasted funny that year. Cedar just feels cleaner somehow, like you're not gambling with what's seeping into your dinner. Plus it smells amazing every time you brush past it.