The best woods to use: Oak, teak and cedar are the best woods to use for outdoor planters, not only for their appearance but also because of their durability in extreme weather conditions.
They are available in many different styles so finding ones that fit your taste and budget should not be difficult.
Planting directly in the planter: Putting soil directly in these planters is not a problem because the cedar, oak and teak resist rot better than other woods and can handle moisture that's in the soil.
However, depending on the design of your chosen planters, you may need to place a liner inside first to keep the soil from trickling out through the gaps.
Two liner types that work to address this problem are (1) rigid, pre-formed plastic liners or (2) landscape cloth.
Landscape cloth has the advantage of allowing more oxygen to get to plant roots and its flexibility means it will fit all sizes of containers.
Insert the cloth so that it covers the bottom and extends an inch or two above all the top edges.
After planting, trim away the excess cloth and add pebbles or other mulch on top to hold in moisture and give a more finished look.
It is important not to use regular earth in larger planters because it retains more water and puts added pressure on the planter walls, possibly causing some structural damage.
Instead, be sure to use a potting mix like soil, hummus and peat or some other light soil mixture to avoid this problem.
Drainage: Some planters may already have spaces or gaps between their slats and that may provide enough drainage without having to do anything else.
If that's not the case, then drilling a few holes may be called for.
If drilling holes isn't possible, another alternative is to add a couple of inches of gravel as a bottom layer before putting in your soil mix.
Not everyone agrees with this option, so if you are uncertain, check with a plant professional about the drainage requirements for your particular plants.
If all of this seems like too much mess or too much trouble, don't give up on using these versatile wooden planters.
Consider placing already potted plants, containers and all, into the planters...
that's simple and quick and still looks great.
Either way you decide to go, you'll come out the winner with your handsome wooden planter boxes sprucing up your garden design.
They are available in many different styles so finding ones that fit your taste and budget should not be difficult.
Planting directly in the planter: Putting soil directly in these planters is not a problem because the cedar, oak and teak resist rot better than other woods and can handle moisture that's in the soil.
However, depending on the design of your chosen planters, you may need to place a liner inside first to keep the soil from trickling out through the gaps.
Two liner types that work to address this problem are (1) rigid, pre-formed plastic liners or (2) landscape cloth.
Landscape cloth has the advantage of allowing more oxygen to get to plant roots and its flexibility means it will fit all sizes of containers.
Insert the cloth so that it covers the bottom and extends an inch or two above all the top edges.
After planting, trim away the excess cloth and add pebbles or other mulch on top to hold in moisture and give a more finished look.
It is important not to use regular earth in larger planters because it retains more water and puts added pressure on the planter walls, possibly causing some structural damage.
Instead, be sure to use a potting mix like soil, hummus and peat or some other light soil mixture to avoid this problem.
Drainage: Some planters may already have spaces or gaps between their slats and that may provide enough drainage without having to do anything else.
If that's not the case, then drilling a few holes may be called for.
If drilling holes isn't possible, another alternative is to add a couple of inches of gravel as a bottom layer before putting in your soil mix.
Not everyone agrees with this option, so if you are uncertain, check with a plant professional about the drainage requirements for your particular plants.
If all of this seems like too much mess or too much trouble, don't give up on using these versatile wooden planters.
Consider placing already potted plants, containers and all, into the planters...
that's simple and quick and still looks great.
Either way you decide to go, you'll come out the winner with your handsome wooden planter boxes sprucing up your garden design.
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