Materials
The Best Wood for Raised Garden Beds
Cedar, redwood and cypress heartwood are the best woods for raised beds, lasting roughly 10 to 15 years or more without treatment. Untreated pine is the budget pick at 3 to 7 years, and modern copper-treated lumber is a long-lasting middle ground.
| Wood | Rough lifespan | Relative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar (heartwood) | 10–15+ years | $$$ | Light, stable, widely sold |
| Redwood (heartwood) | 10–15+ years | $$$–$$$$ | Mostly sold in the West |
| Cypress (heartwood) | 10–15+ years | $$–$$$ | Common in the Southeast |
| Douglas fir, untreated | 3–7 years | $ | Stronger than pine, still rots |
| Pine, untreated | 3–7 years | $ | Cheapest; good for trial beds |
| Pressure-treated pine (ACQ, CA) | 10+ years | $$ | Copper-based; line it if you prefer |
| Hemlock or spruce, untreated | 2–5 years | $ | Rots quickly in soil |
Wood compared: lifespan and cost
The best wood for a raised bed is the one whose cost per year fits your plans. A cedar bed may cost two to three times as much as pine, but it often lasts two to four times as long. If you plan to garden in the same spot for a decade, the rot-resistant woods usually come out ahead. If you are testing a sunny corner or renting, pine makes more sense.
Lifespans in the table are rough. Wet climates, heavy clay and thin boards all cut them down, while dry climates and good drainage stretch them.
Cedar, redwood and cypress
These three share the same advantage: their heartwood contains natural compounds that slow rot and insects. In every case, the protection lives in the heartwood, the darker inner wood. The pale outer sapwood rots almost as fast as pine, so pick boards that are dark across the whole end.
- Cedar is the most widely available. Western red cedar is sold in standard sizes nationwide; eastern red cedar comes from local mills. Our cedar raised bed guide covers grades, costs and care in depth.
- Redwood is durable, handsome and stable. Look for "construction heart" grade; "construction common" includes sapwood and won't last as long. Outside the West it is often hard to find or expensive.
- Cypress is common in the Southeast at fair prices. Older, slow-grown heartwood is the most resistant; fast-grown cypress with lots of sapwood is less so.
Pine and fir on a budget
Untreated pine and Douglas fir are cheap and sold everywhere. A 4x8 bed two 2x6 boards high often costs well under $100 in lumber. The trade-off is life span: 3 to 7 years depending on climate and board thickness.
To stretch a budget bed:
- Use full 2-in lumber (actual 1½ in), not 1-in boards.
- Raise the corners on flat stones or gravel so end grain stays drier.
- Brush raw linseed oil on the outer faces once a year.
- Plan for it: build with screws, not nails, so you can swap a rotten board in a few minutes.
Douglas fir is a bit stronger and slightly more durable than pine. Avoid hemlock and spruce for beds; they rot fastest of the common framing woods.
Is pressure-treated lumber safe?
Modern pressure-treated lumber is generally considered acceptable for garden beds. The old treatment, chromated copper arsenate (CCA), was taken off the market for home use in the US at the end of 2003. Lumber sold today for residential use is treated with copper-based preservatives such as ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary) or CA (copper azole).
Many extension services see these as reasonable for food beds. If you want an extra margin, staple heavy plastic sheeting to the inside faces of the boards, leaving the bottom open, or pick an untreated wood. Two practical tips:
- Buy lumber rated for ground contact (often labeled UC4A); it carries more preservative and lasts longer than above-ground lumber.
- Use fasteners rated for treated lumber, because copper corrodes plain steel.
Woods to avoid
- Old railroad ties. They are soaked in creosote, which you don't want near food.
- Salvaged treated lumber from before 2004. It may be CCA, which contains arsenic. If you can't date it, don't use it.
- Pallets stamped "MB." That mark means methyl bromide fumigation. "HT" pallets are heat-treated, but most pallet wood is thin and rots in a season or two anyway.
- Painted or stained scrap of unknown age, which may carry lead paint.
- Black walnut. It contains juglone, which stunts tomatoes and many other plants.
- Particleboard, OSB and plywood not rated for ground contact. Glue layers swell and fall apart.
Board sizes and fasteners
Lumber is sold by nominal size, but the actual size is smaller. A 2x6 is 1½ by 5½ in, a 2x8 is 7¼ in tall, a 2x10 is 9¼ in, and a 2x12 is 11¼ in. Two stacked 2x6 boards give an 11-in bed, enough for most vegetables over loosened ground. For deeper beds, see our raised garden bed plans, which include cut lists.
Fastener tips:
- Screws over nails. Exterior deck screws 3 in long hold boards tight as the wood swells and shrinks.
- Coated or stainless. Use stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized screws with cedar, redwood and treated lumber; tannins and copper eat plain steel and leave black stains.
- Corner posts. A 4x4 post in each inside corner gives the screws solid wood to bite into. Cut it a few inches longer than the bed height and push the extra into the ground.
- Mid-span stakes. On sides longer than 6 ft, add a stake or cross brace in the middle to stop bowing.
Ready to cut? Our step-by-step building guide takes you from bare ground to a filled bed.
How to choose
For a bed that lasts a decade
Choose cedar, redwood or cypress heartwood, whichever your local yard sells at the best price.
For a cheap first bed
Use untreated 2-in pine or fir with stainless screws, and expect to rebuild in about five years.
For long life on a budget
Ground-contact pressure-treated lumber lasts 10+ years for less than cedar. Line the inside if you prefer.
For salvaged material
Only use wood you can identify. When in doubt about old treatment or paint, leave it out.
Related guides
- Everything about cedar beds
- Bed plans with cut lists
- Build a wooden bed from scratch
- How wood stacks up against steel and fabric
What is the cheapest wood that still lasts?
Ground-contact pressure-treated pine is usually the best value per year, lasting 10 years or more. If you prefer untreated wood, Douglas fir in 2-in thickness edges out pine slightly.
Should raised bed boards be 1 in or 2 in thick?
Go with 2-in lumber (1½ in actual) when you can. Thinner boards bow outward under the weight of wet soil and rot through years sooner.
Can you paint or stain a wooden raised bed?
You can finish the outside faces with a low-VOC exterior paint or a plain oil. Keep any product off the inside faces that touch soil, and skip stains that contain fungicides.