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Raised Cedar Garden Beds, Termites and Heat!
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Posted by white_pelican (My Page) on Sun, Oct 18, 09 at 16:12
Greetings,
I was in Lowes last night and saw they're selling kits to easily create raised garden beds. The wood is cedar and the kit boasts of how tough it is with weather and pests. However, I live in one of the hottest deserts in the western hemisphere (low CA desert near the Salton Sea) where it can daily be over 110 degrees for months in the summer. Plus there is a whole lot of reflected heat in my yard from the lack of grown trees (I planted many young trees) and other vegetation. It's the sun's anvil. So, do you think the sun will split those cedar boards? Also there are subterranean termites out here. I wonder if they will munch on the cedar as well.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Raised Cedar Garden Beds, Termites and Heat!
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| Cedar, especially if it's heartwood (reddish brown, instead of straw color) is one of the longest lasting woods in the desert. On the other hand, that may mean a useful life of only 5 years--as opposed to a life of one year for pine! Termites dislike the scent of cedar, so it is protected from them until the oils dry out. Splitting is caused by dehydration, mainly, especially when the wood was insufficiently cured at the sawmill. Look for kiln-dried heartwood for maximum service life. Otherwise build the beds out of concrete or masonry. Good luck! : ) |
RE: Raised Cedar Garden Beds, Termites and Heat!
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- Posted by mgpb 9b Central CA (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 26, 09 at 15:01
| I live in the Central Valley & have triple digit summer heat too. This year I'm putting raised beds behind a fence so the beds are in shade but the plants raise above it to get sun. Anything raised, even pots, will have a higher soil temp than the ground & it'll also take more water. My raised beds in full sun are only 1 ft high. I do that just to add good soil to the hardpan clay we have. Why don't you try just 1 raised bed & see how it survives your summer heat before doing more? I feel your pain... |
RE: Raised Cedar Garden Beds, Termites and Heat!
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I will be following this thread closelly since I am on the same boat you are, I live in Yuma Arizona and summers are very hot also.
I have read that using a soaker hose (I think that is the name) under the dirt will help eliminate evaporation and make the system more efficient. |
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