Winter Maintenance for your Raised Garden Bed

By Victoria Fuller

One of the most common questions that we get asked here at Cedar Planters is “how do I take care of my Cedar Planters raised garden bed during the Winter months?” and today we are going to answer this question and provide some tips and advice to make your way through the chilliest season with minimal wear and tear to your beautiful botanical investment!

Seal & Stain your planter box

We recommend sealing your garden bed with a UV-protection oil such as Osmo’s. This will not only extend the longevity of your garden bed and enhance the natural character and tone of the wood but it will help to protect the wood against swelling and shrinkage (a common occurrence during the Winter months). Osmo’s also helps to protect against water and dirt so it’s perfect for the Winter (and all year round!). We actually sell UV-protection kits including Osmo's UV-Protection oil and a perfectly suited wall flat brush on our website! It is also worth noting that the Western Red Cedar we use to build our planter boxes is rot-resistant so even if you opt not to seal & stain your investment you will not see any deterioration or rotting on the sidings of your garden bed but it may lose some of its natural luster and colour.

Invest in a Winter Cover

We here at Cedar Planters take coziness very seriously, especially when it comes to tucking in our raised garden beds and planter boxes for the Winter months! Our Winter covers have been custom designed to fit our products specifically and we may be a little biased but we are confident that they are the best way to protect your garden bed! Our winter covers are made from 300D PE Coated Oxford Cloth which is waterproof, UV resistant, and provides additional protection against snow, wind, rain, and all of those other damp and chilly elements!

Clean & Cover your planter box

Setting your planter box up for success in the Spring isn’t the most exciting task, but it’s essential to ensure the longevity of your garden bed! Make sure to remove all weeds and dead plants from your planter box at the end of the season (or if you are lucky enough to live in a year-round growing climate such as the Southern States then ensure that you are only growing hardy Winter-resistant plants in the coming months). If you are opting not to grow throughout the Winter then be sure to cover your garden box to ensure the nutritional integrity of your soil and to prevent an unpleasant slimy mess in the Spring after the snow covering your soil and remaining plants has melted.

Revitalize your soil & add mulch

Revitalizing your soil and adding mulch before the Winter is another perfect way to set yourself up for success in the Spring. Adding mulch helps to replenish the necessary nutrients in the soil to provide the soil enough energy to withstand the cooler temperatures. Remember that soil is an ecosystem made up of millions of microorganisms who need their own unique blend of nutrients! Our garden beds are made with Western Red Cedar which is an incredible insulator so you don’t have to worry about your soil or winter plants losing their insulation.

We hope that this helps answer any questions that you may have had about taking care of your garden bed during the winter months! If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to us.