Cedar Planter

Comment

Comment by Jens Jensen on July 20, 2011 at 10:50pm

To prevent the planter ferom busting out you should not load the thing with soil .The way I build mine is get a plastic grid from some source and rais this up to where a potted plant sets just below the top  and the never have a bottom in it, Just keep plants in pots and place them on grid and put bark all around to hide the grid.Water as usual and all water will stay in pots or run right on down to ground.Hope this makes since to you.Happy gardening

Comment by Wally on July 18, 2011 at 8:18pm

Hey James,

The bottom is actually two separate pieces of cedar with about a 1/4in gap between them down the length of the planter... after I put in the plastic, I drilled several drainage holes in the plastic along that gap. 

The bottom was was glued and nailed using 1.5 in brad nails. 

Comment by James Stuckey on July 18, 2011 at 2:14pm

Great looking planter. How did you affix the bottom piece of plywood? Did you simply screw or nail it in or did you cut a rabbet before?

Comment by Rhino on July 18, 2011 at 1:13pm

Great idea and execution!

Comment by Wally on July 18, 2011 at 10:50am

I am very sorry to hear that yours busted out... To be honest I was thinking of aesthetics when I designed this planter and not the fact of expansion of the wood. I am glad now that I Stained/sealed the inside and out with http://www.krylon.com/products/exterior_semitransparent_wood_stain/ and then I also lined the inside with plastic (Vapor barrier plastic meant for walls). 

Knock on wood, the two that I have built are still holding strong and hopefully hold strong for at least a few years.  

Comment by Brad on July 18, 2011 at 10:30am

Very nice looking.  I did one similar, with the side and end panels installed vertically... and I had a major problem within a day after filling and watering.  The corners busted open and the top rails separated.  I had ignored the fact that lumber expands and contracts across the WIDTH of it's grain; after all that is how wooden barrels and pails remain water tight.  Oh well.... but it was fun to make.

Comment by Anthony on July 10, 2011 at 4:57pm

Very nice!