Wooden Raised garden beds Vs Metal raised garden beds
The Comparison of Wooden Raised garden beds and Metal raised garden beds
Is a wooden raised garden bed better than a metal raised garden bed? There has not been a final decision on this issue. The concept of environmental protection and green living has not disappeared from the minds of generations. Modern technology like metal and steel products has also invariably provided a lot of convenience to our lives.
In gardening, faced with many plant bed options, such as wooden garden beds and metal garden beds, how do gardeners choose? For better understanding, here are some comparisons between wood raised garden beds and metal raised garden beds.
Eco-friendly
Using wooden planters is a cyclical process. Wooden products, even with a wood sealer, become fragile under constant exposure to wind and rain. Mold, insects, and rot can all occur. And once the problem occurs, it is necessary to constantly replace the new wood board. Wooden garden beds obviously consume more trees and are not environmentally friendly.
The metal garden bed is a rust-proof panel composed of iron, zinc, magnesium, and aluminum elements. The main paint surface is a food-grade environmentally friendly corrosion-resistant paint (tested by USDA). The service life is 20 years without any care. No additional plate replacement is required during use. If metal garden beds gain popularity, this protects a lot of trees from being cut down.
Cost
Instead of buying a wooden raised garden bed kit, you can just buy wood or planks and work them into wooden planters. So, in terms of construction costs alone, a wooden loft bed may be more economical than a metal loft bed. Wooden raised garden beds cost around $0 to $500. Gardeners can prepare their own planks to make a simple wooden planter, so it's free. However, this pot is not as strong and corrosion-resistant as other processed wood pots, and requires DIY skills and professional woodworking tools.Wooden planters are divided into various types such as wooden planters of different shapes and wooden raised garden beds. The most popular is the Ceder Raised Garden Bed Kit, which is even better in terms of cost and longevity.
Metal raised garden beds approximately range from $30-$400. You can choose different heights and sizes to meet your needs. Except for the cost of purchasing a metal raised bed kit, there is no other maintenance cost.
Service life:
The life span of a wooden raised garden bed is closely related to the weather conditions. If a wooden raised garden bed is placed in a humid state for a long time, it will rot and mould easily, and there is also the danger of insect and termite infestation, which will often reduce the service life of wooden garden beds. So the general use of wooden raised garden beds is 5–10 years. Currently, there are many processed wooden garden beds on the market, which can extend the life of the garden bed as well as reduce the frequency of bed mold, but wooden planters ultimately need active care to be long-lasting.
Metal raised garden beds can be divided into three types: aluminium garden beds, steel garden beds, and iron garden beds. These garden beds have strong corrosion resistance and will not be infested by insects—no need to worry about the wet environment making the bed rust. The metal panels of the raised bed can be guaranteed for 20 years without maintenance and replacement. The long service life is friendlier to the earth's environment. If you live in a place where there is frequent rainfall and flooding, then corrugated metal raised garden beds are a good choice for you. Both the outside and the inside of the bed can withstand the rain. The metal raised bed makes the soil more permeable to avoid over-flooding, ensuring that green plants can be easily harvested even under extreme conditions.
Actual planting area:
Wooden raised garden beds differ in their actual footprint and planting area because of the material they are made of. Wooden raised garden beds are generally 1 inch to 2 inch thick. The thickness of the wood determines the sturdiness of the entire garden, so they often waste some planting and floor space. Take several wooden raised garden beds as an example:
- 2' × 8' × 29" H Planting area: 13 square feet.
- 6.5' × 3.5' × 16.5" H Planting area: 19.5 square feet.
- 5' × 5' × 10.5" H . Planting area: 22 square feet.
The metal raised garden bed is generally 0.02 inch thick. Its footprint is equal to the actual planting area, which can save you a lot of space. Metal garden beds are generally not fully filled with soil. We follow the Hugelkultur style to fill a raised garden bed. This not only saves soil but also creates a nutrient-rich environment for plants to grow in. If you want to calculate how much soil is needed to fill a garden bed, see suburbs101.
- 2' x 8' x 29" H Planting area: 16 square feet.
- 6.5' x 3.5' x 16.5" H Planting area: 22.75 square feet.
- 5' x 5' x 10.5" H . Planting area: 25 square feet.
Conclusion
No matter what, wooden or metal garden beds, the best one is the one that suits you. Wooden raised garden beds are closer to nature and are the choice of many people, while metal raised garden beds, a new trend in gardening, are friendly to planting in areas with lots of rain and have gained a wave of fans with their surprising features. So which one will you choose?
Top garden beds in Vegega
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