treating a wooden flower box for preservation

I am interested to know if anyone has had experience in treating the INSIDE of a wooden (cypress) flower box. Mine is brand new, and will be in a shady spot. I received several pieces of advice....sprar Varnish and creasote for instance. I realize I need something will not be toxic to decorative plants. The Outside will be finished with a semi-transparant deck stain.

Here is another opinion. Do not put anything on it. Woods like cypress, cedar, redwood are somewhat rot resistant and will fade to a nice gray color after the sun pounds on it for awhile. If you leave the wood natural, it can breath freely. It will breath in moisture on a muggy humid day or a rainy day and then breathe it out during drier weather if it is not painted or sealed. Paint or some sealers (wax based deck stains) can trap moisture in the wood and may be more harmful in the long run than no finish at all. Some form of plastic container inside the cypress window box will prevent wet dirt from staying in contact all the time and that will extend the life of the box for a long time. Most window boxes are made to certain sizes and there are plastic inserts made to fit those sizes.

Hi..I made my boxes just from pine and I've tackered pliable pond liner inside my boxes. I grow vegetables in it.

saya: I bought some pine wood and had these rectangular things made out of them; but, since I'm going with putting all my EBs, HEBs and other growing things on tables, I was thinking about making a above ground garden with sections already in it. Do I need to do anything to the wood before doing this. bought the lumber from Lowes, and paid about $100 for it, so, thought I'd put it to use somehow.
joy

I've heard that linseed oil may be a safe alternative for treating wood. If you're using cedar or cypress, you may not need to do that though. This isn't a definitive answer but perhaps one you'd like to research. Good luck.

I bought the cedar boxes from Lowes about three years ago and did not treat them and had to throw thirteen of them away as they just fell apart. As far as a boarder is concerned or a raised be they now carry a synthetic board that is not made of wood and will last indefinetely. I'm thinking of buying some for a border. Very expensive but worth it in the long run.

This message was edited Jun 20, 2009 11:57 AM

Hey Guys!
I have 7 sheets of plywood left from my roof replacement job. Are there any ways I could use this for some of my garden projects, or is this not the material for those kinds of "outdoor" applications? I need a compost sifter (a sheet of hardware screen sandwiched between two wood frames), a potting bench, and some planter boxes. If not, I'll let the DH have it for the roof addition on the garage.

Please hurry your reply, if possible. Thanks!