How Long Do Wooden Planters Last?

Weather and Ground Conditions

• Depending on weather conditions in your area, your wood planters could last many years. Wood needs consistent contact with moisture to decay quickly. If you live in a dry climate that gets little rain or you can place the planters on a medium that drains well, such as a gravel or sand base, then the wood could last for decades without needing repair.

Type of Wood

• Certain kinds of wood last longer than other kinds, even without treatment. Look for planters made from redwood, cedar or white oak, or use one of those wood types when building planters. Compared to other types of wood, those kinds of wood contain higher amounts of nonstructural organic components or chemicals, which form within the wood and combat decay naturally. Planters made from redwoods and similar rot-resistant woods usually last from 10 to 20 years.

Treated Wood

• Treated lumber comes in all types of wood. The process calls for the wood to be soaked in a formula containing either alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) or copper boron azole (CBA). Lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is no longer available for residential use because of its toxicity. The length of time that treated lumber can last before decaying depends on what substance was used to treat the wood. A wood planter built with treated lumber can last 20 to 30 years while a wood planter made of untreated wood lasts 1 to 15 years, depending on the wood type, with pine being the quickest to decay and redwood being one of the slowest to decay.

Other Methods

• You can extend the number of years your homemade wood planters last by using an additional step in their building process. Coating all of the wood with a water-resistant sealer helps the wood repel water for several years, prolonging the starting point of decay. Also, adding a liner such as plastic sheeting to the interior of each wood planter, so that the liner remains between the planter's wood and soil, prevents the soil from constantly dampening the wood and speeding the decay process.